Niemerg Calls for Repeal of CEJA

(ST. REP. ADAM NIEMERG SPEAKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE WHERE HE AND OTHER LOCAL LEGISLATORS CALLED FOR REPEAL OF THE CLIMATE AND EQUITABLE JOBS ACT, OR CEJA. NIEMERG IS FLANKED BY ST. REP. BLAINE WILHOUR OF BEECHER CITY AND ST. REP. DAN CAULKINS OF DECATUR)

102nd District State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) Thursday called for the repeal of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and filed House Bill 2178 to do just that. At a press conference at the State Capitol, Niemerg was joined by fellow Freedom Caucus members Chris Miller, Blaine Wilhour, Brad Halbrook, Dan Caulkins, and Jed Davis and discussed the impact of the measure.

“We warned people last year before this law was passed and signed by the Governor that it would cause an increase in utility bills for working families, seniors on fixed incomes and small businesses,” explained Niemerg. “I am getting calls from all over my district from residents and businesses who are seeing double and triple energy bills because Illinois is having to buy energy from other states competing on our regional grid. We have plenty of reliable, clean coal, oil and natural gas right here in Illinois that we could use to help our own Illinoisans and reduce the costs for energy.”

Last year, Rep. Niemerg co-hosted a town hall in Effingham to discuss energy production in Illinois and heard from energy experts, famers, residents, and business owners who say they are being adversely impacted by a deadline that wind and solar energy must reach 40 percent by 2030. Niemerg said there is only 11 percent of Illinois energy being produced currently by those sources.

“The CEJA law is a disaster for Illinois. I am calling for a full repeal of the bill before it harms any further our families and our business community and threatens our safety by forcing us to depend on unreliable and unaffordable wind and solar,” added Niemerg.