Please join the Illinois Solar Energy and Storage Association and partner trade organizations to learn more about the recent storage study and upcoming storage legislation!

Attendees will hear from Mark Pruitt, Principal of the Power Bureau and former Director for the Illinois Power Agency, who was commissioned to study storage opportunities and impacts in Illinois. 

Following the overview of the study, Michael Strong, partner at Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll, will speak about the inclusions in HB 5856 / SB 3959.

Bill summary:

• HB 5856 / SB 3959 proactively addresses impending energy challenges facing Illinois by creating 8,500 MW of clean energy storage. 
• Energy regulators forecast that Illinois will experience energy capacity shortfalls as early as 2030 as the state continues to decommission fossil fuel plants. 
• Depending on a range of factors, Illinois could require between 9,000 and 15,000 MW of new capacity simply to maintain compliance with the NERC Reserve Margin guidelines.
• HB 5856 / SB 3959 creates incentives and a robust statutory framework where none exist today to supercharge energy storage development and improve grid reliability while balancing industry growth and needs with consumer benefits.
• For more resources about this legislation, visit the Solar Powers Illinois landing page here.

Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation email. Please sign in to your ISEA account prior to registering.

If you would like to invite employees from your company who are not a part of your membership bundle, you may add them as "guests" during the registration process.

Mark Pruitt is the Principal of the Power Bureau, a consulting practice focused on reducing energy costs and price risks for small and mid-sized consumers through optimized wholesale and retail energy markets and transactions. Additionally, Mark teaches courses on energy policy, market, and regulation at Northwestern University and supports the US DOE “Net Zero World” program at Argonne National Lab.

Mark served as first Director of the Illinois Power Agency, the state agency responsible for stabilizing consumer energy costs and managing state’s renewable portfolio standard. Mark received his undergraduate degree from Bradley University and his MBA from the University of Illinois.

Fun fact: Mark grew up in Schaumburg Illinois and believed for some time that the name was a German translation for “near the mall”.

Michael Strong is a partner and Chair of the Energy Law group where he helps trade associations shape the “rules of the game” before Illinois regulators and helps companies across the energy industry in all aspects of their strategy, transactions, and operations that touch the regulated energy space.

Michael works primarily with developers and long-term asset owners in the solar industry and retail energy providers, helping navigate the complex regulatory frameworks impacting revenue streams, such as advising on new products, strategic partnerships, asset acquisition and disposal, customer contracts, and compliance. From transmission to energy end-users, from financing to incentive applications, Michael works across disciplines and with cross-disciplinary business, technical and legal teams to drive client results.

In addition to working with firms as large as the (then) largest firm in the world and as small as solo practice, Michael was the first in-house general counsel of the Illinois Power Agency, which procures renewable energy resources and wholesale energy products.