SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Lawmakers believe a next step forward for Illinois’ lofty plan to rely only on renewable energy is to create more storage centers.

A bill in the Illinois State Capitol aims to create 15 gigawatts of energy storage to help prep for a clean energy grid.

The bill expands on the Clean Energy and Jobs Act, Illinois’ goal to curb carbon emissions coming from transportation and energy that was signed into law in 2021. The storage would keep excess solar and wind power to use later when the weather is not ideal.

“15 GW of energy storage would be a game-changer for Illinoisans,” Erika Kowall, the Director of Midwestern State Affairs for American Clean Power Association, said. “Energy storage allows communities and businesses to go about their daily lives without concern over power outages and drastic increases in energy bills while helping local economies expand without threatening reliability.” 

Advocates for the bill said the storage would save consumers a total of $2.4 billion over the next two decades if built.

“With energy prices skyrocketing across the country and leaders in Washington opening the floodgates for fossil fuels, our bill makes it clear that Illinois will remain at the forefront of lowering energy costs while investing in clean energy,” Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said Tuesday.

Creating the storage also comes with other advantages. According to a 2024 study from the Power Bureau, the storage would create and prevent blackouts that would cause $7 billion in repair-related expenses.

“This is not just an energy bill. This is also an economic development and jobs bill that will propel Illinois to the forefront of future technology,” Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) said. “Illinois’ power grid needs this legislation to accommodate high-energy emerging industries such as data centers, quantum computing, and AI. This investment will pay dividends and lower energy bills for decades to come.”

The would also allow for a Virtual Power Plant program to connect smaller clean energy installations like roof solar panels or wind turbines at a factory to combine all their energy for use on the grid at high demand times to help prevent outages.

More information on the bill can be found on Solar Powers Illinois’s website.