HB5323 Summary

• Amends the Environmental Protection Act to exempt black start facilities from greenhouse gas emission limits under Section 9.15.

• Defines "black start facility" as a generating unit capable of operating independently from the electrical grid and essential to system restoration following major disturbances, including providing safe shutdown power to nuclear facilities in the ComEd zone.

• Gas turbines at black start facilities are limited to 3,200 hours of operation per year.

• Establishes greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements for electric generating units (EGUs) and large GHG-emitting units, with different deadlines based on fuel type (coal, oil, or gas) and ownership (public vs. non-public).

• Creates a reliability mitigation process allowing the Illinois Power Agency and Environmental Protection Agency to develop plans delaying emission reduction requirements if necessary to maintain power grid supply and reliability, subject to Illinois Commerce Commission approval.