March 05, 2021

Duckworth Discusses Energy with Illinois Municipal Electric Agency and Illinois Municipal Utilities Association

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) held a video call with several Illinois mayors, local officials and members of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) and the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association (IMUA) to discuss her Illinois and legislative priorities for the upcoming year. Duckworth discussed the importance of renewable energy, addressing climate change and financial incentives for public power entities. She also spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on many Americans’ ability to pay for their utilities.

“Renewable energy has the potential to encourage job growth, protect our environments and secure Illinois’ leadership in the energy sector for years to come,” Duckworth said. “I enjoyed meeting with local officials, the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency and the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association to hear their concerns and discuss how together we can be helpful to the public-power industry while prioritizing environmental protections and the public health of communities across the state.”

This week, Senator Duckworth joined a letter asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include safeguards in the upcoming COVID-19 relief package to protect the American people from losing access to critical utilities—including power, heat, water and internet services—during the pandemic. Last month, she and her Democratic colleagues called on Senate leadership to include a significant boost for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills, in the next pandemic relief package.

IMEA, a not-for-profit unit of local government, is comprised of 32 municipal-owned utility systems that distribute electricity to communities throughout the state. IMUA is a not-for-profit corporation and trade association for Illinois municipalities that own and operate their own utilities and telecommunications systems.