A recent Senate subject-matter hearing on energy made one thing crystal clear: Illinois families and job creators are paying the price for shortsighted, politically driven policies.

Speaker Welch and Governor Pritzker like to pretend Illinois is leading the way on energy. But the truth is we are falling further behind while utility bills skyrocket, manufacturing jobs are at risk, and investment dollars leave our state.

From Rockford to downstate, green energy companies testified that the loss of federal tax credits could grind Illinois’ solar industry to a halt. Manufacturers and business groups sounded the alarm about rising rates, long permitting delays, and endless red tape.

In 2021, I voted for what’s known as CEJA, the so-called Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. I supported it for one reason: to keep Illinois’ nuclear plants like Byron and Cordova alive. Illinois is blessed with one of the strongest nuclear fleets in the nation and protecting that baseload power was essential. But let me be clear, if it weren’t for the support given to our nuclear fleet, CEJA would never have been needed. Unfortunately, Democrats used it as a vehicle to slip in unrealistic shutdown dates and expensive subsidies for other energy sources.

That’s why I filed legislation to repeal those harmful portions and have done so every year since. I will keep fighting to fix the bad parts of CEJA because Illinois cannot afford an energy policy that puts politics before people. Other states are extending the use of coal plants and delaying shutdown deadlines to protect reliability and affordability. Illinois should do the same, rather than racing toward policies that drive prices higher and reliability lower.

Consider the numbers:

• ComEd rates are up 88% since 2011 and Ameren is up 49% due to supply. Families are already stretched thin.
• Illinois has only added 900 megawatts of utility-scale renewable energy in five years. Texas, with no “clean energy” mandates, added 40 gigawatts in the same period.
• Northern Illinois produces more energy than it consumes, yet downstate is forced to import 80% of its needs because of rushed fossil fuel plant retirements.

The cost of transmission is rising faster than the cost of capacity, another hidden tax on families and businesses.

Instead of chasing unrealistic deadlines and expensive subsidies, we should focus on what works:

• Supporting nuclear power, the most reliable and clean energy Illinois has.
• Expanding natural gas to keep the lights on and stabilize prices.
• Streamlining permitting solar and storage projects that make sense can move forward quickly, while respecting local control.
• Requiring data centers and other large energy users to come to the table with an energy plan as part of the building and permitting process, so costs aren’t blindly shifted onto families.

Energy policy should be about reliability, affordability, and security, not political theater. Families don’t care about slogans; they care about whether they can afford their electric bill and whether the lights stay on when it’s 100 degrees or -10.

Illinois can and should do better. As House Republican Leader, I’ll continue fighting for real, practical solutions that keep costs down, protect jobs, and ensure our energy future is secure. That means embracing all energy as good energy and putting Illinois families first.

Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, is the Illinois state representative for the 89th District.