Illinois legislature nearing override on smart grid veto

The Illinois electricity market has been waiting on the outcome of the ongoing battle over a bill designed to support the implementation of smart grids, but that conflict could soon come to an end, according to Pantagraph.com.

The bill, first approved by both houses of the legislature this summer, was initially vetoed by Governor Pat Quinn on the grounds that it would lead to higher electricity prices. Since the veto decision in September, supporters in the legislature have engaged in a back and forth with the governor over the pros and cons of the bill.

The initial vote fell five short of the numbers needed to override a veto, giving proponents a comparatively simple goal. Now State Senator Mike Jacobs, a Democrat from East Moline, believes he has enough votes to override the veto.

"I just believe I've got the votes," Jacobs said Tuesday. "I think the bill has gained a lot of support."

Arguments have continued in either direction even as legislators debate, with WBEZ noting that suburban governments have come out in opposition and the Forest Park Review reporting on a rally from the electrical workers union in support of the bill. The strongest supporters of the bill, however, have been electricity suppliers, who have regularly come under fire for slow response times in service outages.