The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Illinois’ leading small business advocacy organization, opposes SB 25, the General Assembly’s massive energy omnibus bill.

“Main Street businesses are taking it on the chin from high energy prices,” said NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley. “Unfortunately, SB 25, instead of providing meaningful relief, is chock-a-block full of regulations and subsidies to channel ratepayer dollars to favored industries and contractors.”

SB 25 contains provisions that are problematic from a small business perspective and could further exacerbate already high prices. These provisions include:

1. Substantial expansions of the project labor agreement (PLA) mandates,

• • decreasing competition and raising costs. SB 25 applies PLA mandates to battery storage projects, geothermal projects, and additional community solar projects. PLA mandates create undue burdens for small, merit-shop contractors seeking to compete for energy projects, raising building and development costs and decreasing the number of contractors available to bid for projects.
  • discriminating against non-union contractors and workers. PLA mandates effectively limit these contracts to union contractors and workers, boxing out non-union, merit contractors and their workers. All contractors—union or merit—should have the opportunity to compete fairly for energy projects.

2. Significant subsidies paid for by Illinois ratepayers. SB 25 extends ratepayer subsidies to battery storage projects and energy efficiency programs with no long-term guarantee of price savings for small-business ratepayers.

These higher costs and subsidies will be borne by Illinois ratepayers—including small businesses—who are already suffering from high electricity prices.

NFIB IL urges legislators to support small businesses and vote “no” on SB 25.