Pritzker Energy Trailer Bill Adds Clarity on County Authority

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 1700 into law Friday, June 26, 2026, creating a technical trailer bill for Illinois’ Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act after the measure passed the General Assembly on May 31, 2026, as lawmakers moved to clarify implementation of the state’s broader energy law.

The law, known as HB1700, is tied to the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, or CRGA, a $13 billion omnibus energy law signed in January 2026 as Public Act 104-0458. According to the provided information, lawmakers used the trailer bill to address implementation details, clarify code language and support rollout of the law’s clean energy goals, including reducing consumer electricity costs, deploying 3,000 megawatts of battery storage by 2030 and strengthening grid reliability against power price spikes.

The trailer bill is separate from a 2021 Illinois trailer bill on utility trailer registration fees. That earlier legislation, Senate Bill 58, was primarily authored and championed by state Rep. Marcus Evans Jr., D-Chicago, and state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, and emerged as a bipartisan compromise in response to fee increases passed in 2019. It created a “UT” classification for single-axle trailers weighing 2,000 pounds or less and lowered the annual registration fee from $118 to $36. It also eliminated the $10,000 cap on the sales tax credit for vehicle trade-ins.

Key details of the trailer bill:

The measure also includes language on county zoning authority over renewable energy infrastructure and building codes, specifically allowing counties to adopt the Illinois Stretch Energy Code.

In a statement released after the signing, Solar Powers Illinois said the measure was intended to support implementation of the earlier law.

“Today, Governor Pritzker signed into law a trailer bill to support implementation of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act,” the group said. “While not new legislation, the trailer bill ensures the historic CRGA Act – signed in January 2026 – is implemented as intended to deliver savings to Illinois families and businesses.”

The organization framed the legislation in the context of rising electricity prices.

“The nation is facing an energy affordability crisis with electricity prices continuing to rise and pressure families and businesses,” Solar Powers Illinois said. “Thanks to leadership from the Illinois General Assembly and Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois continues to take action to protect residents and address this nationwide crisis by pursuing locally generated, American-made energy.”