Tenaksa, STOP Coalition Cite Polls on Taylorville Plant Ahead of Veto Session

Tenaksa this week released the results of a poll of 800 Illinois voters in which 62% of respondents said that it is reasonable for consumers to pay an extra two dollars on their monthly utility bill for cleaner power produced from Illinois coal.

The total includes 21 percent who say "more than three dollars per month," 20 percent who say "up to three dollars," and 21 percent who say "up to two dollars." Another 26 percent say "up to one dollar."

The legislature is expected to address sourcing agreements, which competitive suppliers as well as utilities could be compelled to execute, for the Taylorville Energy Center during the veto session which begins November 16. As previously reported, while the cost impact for certain utility customers is capped, there is currently no cap on the costs which could be assigned to competitive suppliers.

The STOP Coalition, composed of several chambers of commerce and retail suppliers, released its own polling in which 60% of respondents said that a clean coal facility was not worth the cost of paying higher prices for electricity.

The STOP Coalition said that the small monthly cost amounts listed in the rate impact question in the Tenaksa poll only referenced residential bill impacts, and not impacts on large commercial customers or customers on competitive supply, whose obligation to pay for the facility would not be capped.