Carbondale Reporter

State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) voted against SB 25, a bill he says will raise electricity costs for southern Illinois residents. The vote took place during the final week of the Veto Session in Springfield.

Severin, who is the House Republican Spokesman on the House Energy & Environment Committee, voiced his concerns about the legislation, which he believes will negatively impact working families and businesses. “How much more do Democrats think working people, families, and businesses can afford?” Severin said. “The price tag for the Green New Deal scam, or dream, or nightmare, is out of control. We need to reverse the policies that have caused these disastrous price spikes. Doubling down on these proven-to-be-failed policies will only result in more financial pain and more people and businesses, and jobs leaving Illinois.”

SB 25 focuses on using battery storage to address energy capacity issues. Severin previously opposed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2021. That law required fossil fuel power plants to close by certain deadlines. According to Severin, since CEJA’s implementation several coal-fired plants have shut down in Illinois. As a result, Illinois now purchases electricity from other states through the MISO grid at higher rates.

“Illinois, especially Southern Illinois, used to be the energy-producing capital of the Midwest,” Severin said. “Now, we’re buying power from other states that are burning coal at much higher rates than if we had just kept our coal-fired power plants open. Another point is this – coal jobs are good-paying, private-sector union jobs. The policies that the Illinois Democratic Party and national Democrats have put in place have caused job losses, extreme spikes in energy prices, and less reliability for our electrical grid. The Green New Deal is a complete and total failure. Tonight, Illinois Democrats doubled down on their failed, unworkable, and unaffordable energy policies. I VOTED NO.”

Severin was elected as a Republican representative for Illinois’ 116th House District in 2023 after replacing David Friess.