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| 1 | AN ACT concerning schools.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The Illinois Finance Authority Act is amended by | ||||||
| 5 | adding Section 825-100 as follows:
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| 6 | (20 ILCS 3501/825-100 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 825-100. School Wind and Solar Generation Program. | ||||||
| 8 | (a) There is created the School Wind and Solar Generation | ||||||
| 9 | Program to fund wind generation projects and solar generation | ||||||
| 10 | projects for school districts and community college districts. | ||||||
| 11 | The Authority may implement and administer this program. Under | ||||||
| 12 | the program, the Authority may provide to school districts and | ||||||
| 13 | community college districts that apply, full or partial | ||||||
| 14 | low-interest loans for, without limitation, engineering | ||||||
| 15 | studies, feasibility studies, research studies, and | ||||||
| 16 | construction costs for wind generation projects and solar | ||||||
| 17 | generation projects. The loan funds, subject to appropriation, | ||||||
| 18 | shall be paid out of the School Wind and Solar Generation | ||||||
| 19 | Revolving Loan Fund. All repayments of loans shall be deposited | ||||||
| 20 | into the School Wind and Solar Generation Revolving Loan Fund. | ||||||
| 21 | (b) The Authority may make available information regarding | ||||||
| 22 | the School Wind and Solar Generation Program to all school | ||||||
| 23 | districts and community college districts in this State. | ||||||
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| 1 | (c) The School Wind and Solar Generation Revolving Loan | ||||||
| 2 | Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. The | ||||||
| 3 | School Wind and Solar Generation Revolving Loan Fund shall | ||||||
| 4 | consist of any moneys appropriated into the School Wind and | ||||||
| 5 | Solar Generation Revolving Loan Fund, as well as all repayments | ||||||
| 6 | of loans made under the School Wind and Solar Generation | ||||||
| 7 | Program. All interest earned on moneys in the School Wind and | ||||||
| 8 | Solar Generation Revolving Loan Fund shall be deposited into | ||||||
| 9 | the Fund. All money in the School Wind and Solar Generation | ||||||
| 10 | Revolving Loan Fund must be used, subject to appropriation, by | ||||||
| 11 | the Authority for the purposes of this Section. | ||||||
| 12 | (d) The Authority may accept additional funding for the | ||||||
| 13 | School Wind and Solar Generation Program from the federal | ||||||
| 14 | government and private donations. | ||||||
| 15 | (e) The Authority may adopt any rules necessary to | ||||||
| 16 | implement this Section.
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| 17 | Section 7. The Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and | ||||||
| 18 | Coal Resources
Development Law of 1997 is amended by changing | ||||||
| 19 | Section 6-5.5 as follows:
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| 20 | (20 ILCS 687/6-5.5) | ||||||
| 21 | (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 12, 2015) | ||||||
| 22 | Sec. 6-5.5. Renewable energy grants. | ||||||
| 23 | (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department may establish | ||||||
| 24 | and operate a renewable energy grant program to assist public | ||||||
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| 1 | schools and community colleges with engineering studies and | ||||||
| 2 | feasibility studies and school districts in the installation, | ||||||
| 3 | acquisition, construction, and improvement of renewable energy | ||||||
| 4 | resources in the public schools, including without limitation | ||||||
| 5 | solar energy (such as solar panels), geothermal energy, and | ||||||
| 6 | wind energy. | ||||||
| 7 | (b) Application for a grant under this Section must be in | ||||||
| 8 | the form and manner established by the Department. The grant | ||||||
| 9 | shall cover 50% of the cost for which the grant is sought, up | ||||||
| 10 | to a maximum grant of $1,000,000, if the applicant school | ||||||
| 11 | district is able to demonstrate that it has funds to pay the | ||||||
| 12 | other 50% of the cost. The schools and community colleges | ||||||
| 13 | school district may accept private funds for their its portion | ||||||
| 14 | of the cost.
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| 15 | (c) The Department may adopt any rules that are necessary | ||||||
| 16 | to carry out its responsibilities under this Section.
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| 17 | (Source: P.A. 95-46, eff. 8-10-07.)
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| 18 | Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||||||
| 19 | Section 5.719 as follows:
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| 20 | (30 ILCS 105/5.719 new) | ||||||
| 21 | Sec. 5.719. The School Wind and Solar Generation Revolving | ||||||
| 22 | Loan Fund.
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| 23 | Section 15. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||||
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| 1 | 10-20.42 and 34-18.36 as follows:
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| 2 | (105 ILCS 5/10-20.42) | ||||||
| 3 | Sec. 10-20.42. Wind and solar farms farm. A school | ||||||
| 4 | district may own and operate a wind or solar generation turbine | ||||||
| 5 | farm, either individually or jointly with a unit of local | ||||||
| 6 | government, school district, or community college district | ||||||
| 7 | that is authorized to own and operate a wind or solar | ||||||
| 8 | generation turbine farm, that directly or indirectly reduces | ||||||
| 9 | the energy or other operating costs of the school district. The | ||||||
| 10 | school district may ask for the assistance of any State agency, | ||||||
| 11 | including without limitation the State Board of Education, the | ||||||
| 12 | Illinois Power Agency, or the Environmental Protection Agency, | ||||||
| 13 | in obtaining financing options for a wind or solar generation | ||||||
| 14 | turbine farm.
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| 15 | (Source: P.A. 95-390, eff. 8-23-07; 95-805, eff. 8-12-08; | ||||||
| 16 | 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)
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| 17 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.36) | ||||||
| 18 | Sec. 34-18.36. Wind and solar farms farm. The school | ||||||
| 19 | district may own and operate a wind or solar generation turbine | ||||||
| 20 | farm, either individually or jointly with a unit of local | ||||||
| 21 | government, school district, or community college district | ||||||
| 22 | that is authorized to own and operate a wind or solar | ||||||
| 23 | generation turbine farm, that directly or indirectly reduces | ||||||
| 24 | the energy or other operating costs of the school district. The | ||||||
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| 1 | school district may ask for the assistance of any State agency, | ||||||
| 2 | including without limitation the State Board of Education, the | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois Power Agency, or the Environmental Protection Agency, | ||||||
| 4 | in obtaining financing options for a wind or solar generation | ||||||
| 5 | turbine farm.
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| 6 | (Source: P.A. 95-390, eff. 8-23-07; 95-805, eff. 8-12-08; | ||||||
| 7 | 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)
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| 8 | Section 20. The Public Community College Act is amended by | ||||||
| 9 | changing Section 3-42.3 as follows:
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| 10 | (110 ILCS 805/3-42.3)
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| 11 | Sec. 3-42.3. Wind and solar farms farm. To own and operate | ||||||
| 12 | a wind or solar generation turbine farm, either individually or | ||||||
| 13 | jointly with a unit of local government, school district, or | ||||||
| 14 | community college district that is authorized to own and | ||||||
| 15 | operate a wind or solar generation turbine farm, that directly | ||||||
| 16 | or indirectly reduces the energy or other operating costs of | ||||||
| 17 | the community college district. The board may ask for the | ||||||
| 18 | assistance of any State agency, including without limitation | ||||||
| 19 | the State Board, the Illinois Power Agency, or the | ||||||
| 20 | Environmental Protection Agency, in obtaining financing | ||||||
| 21 | options for a wind or solar generation turbine farm.
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| 22 | (Source: P.A. 95-390, eff. 8-23-07; 95-805, eff. 8-12-08.)
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| 23 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 24 | becoming law.
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