Bill Text: IL HB4803 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Electric Transmission Colocation and Siting Priority Act. Defines terms. Requires that, in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, available corridors be considered in the following order of priority: (1) existing public utility corridors; (2) State highway corridors; and (3) new corridors. Provides that the order of priority shall not apply to projects that have been sited on or before the effective date of the Act. Provides that a public utility or transmission developer may construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public utility or transmission developer submits a colocation request for the high-voltage transmission line to the Secretary of Transportation or the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority and (ii) the Secretary or the Authority reviews and approves the colocation request. Provides that the Secretary or the Authority may deny a colocation request if the Secretary or the Authority determines that the construction, placement, or maintenance of a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way or along a highway would endanger public safety or would interfere with the proper function of the highway. Provides that a public utility or transmission developer may submit a written request to the Department of Transportation or the Authority for an evaluation of certain corridors for possible locations for a high-voltage transmission line. Provides that, within 30 days after receipt of a written request, the Secretary or the Authority shall assign a project coordinator to the request. Provides that a project coordinator, upon assignment to a request, shall begin the evaluation in coordination with the applicable public utility or transmission developer. Requires a public utility or transmission developer to develop a constructability report in consultation with the Department or the Authority and requires the public utility or transmission developer and the Department or the Authority to follow the terms and conditions of the constructability report during the planning and approval process for the siting of a high-voltage transmission line. Sets forth requirements for the content of the constructability report. Provides that, if the Department or the Authority requires that a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way be relocated by a specific date, the Department or the Authority shall give the applicable public utility or transmission developer notice of the required relocation when the Department or the Authority determines that the relocation is necessary. Requires electric transmission facilities constructed or placed on a public right-of-way or along a highway to be built by a general contractor and requires the general contractor to enter into a project labor agreement prior to construction. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-04-17 - House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rule 19(c) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB4803 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB4803-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026HB4803 Introduced , by Rep. Dave Vella SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Electric Transmission Colocation and Siting Priority Act. Defines terms. Requires that, in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, available corridors be used in the following order of priority: (1) existing public utility corridors; (2) State highway corridors; and (3) new corridors. Provides that a public utility or transmission developer may construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public utility or transmission developer submits a colocation request for the high-voltage transmission line to the Secretary of Transportation and (ii) the Secretary reviews and approves the colocation request. Provides that the Secretary may deny a colocation request if the Secretary determines that the construction, placement, or maintenance of a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way or along a highway would endanger public safety or would interfere with the proper function of the highway. Provides that a public utility or transmission developer may submit a written request to the Department of Transportation for an evaluation of certain corridors for possible locations for a high-voltage transmission line. Provides that, within 30 days after receipt of a written request, the Secretary shall assign a project coordinator to the request. Provides that a project coordinator, upon assignment to a request, shall begin the evaluation in coordination with the applicable public utility or transmission developer. Requires a public utility or transmission developer to develop a constructability report in consultation with the Department and requires the public utility or transmission developer and the Department to follow the terms and conditions of the constructability report during the planning and approval process for the siting of a high-voltage transmission line. Sets forth requirements for the content of the constructability report. Provides that, if the Department requires that a high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way be relocated by a specific date, the Department shall give the applicable public utility or transmission developer notice of the required relocation no less than 10 years before the date of the required relocation. Makes other changes. Effective January 1, 2027.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Electric Transmission Colocation and Siting Priority Act.
Section 5. Definitions.As used in this Section:
"Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.
"Department" means the Illinois Department of
Transportation.
"Electric transmission facility" means an electrical
transmission system designed and constructed with the
capability of being safely and reliably energized at 69
kilovolts or more, including transmission lines, transmission
towers, conductors, insulators, foundations, grounding
systems, access roads, and all associated transmission
facilities, including transmission substations. "Electric
transmission facility" does not include a project located on
the electric generating side of a facility's point of
interconnection.
"Highway" has the meaning given to that term in Section
2-202 of the Illinois Highway Code.
"High-voltage transmission line" means any line for the
transmission of electric current with a nominal voltage of at

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least 115 kilovolts that is colocated longitudinally in a
public right-of-way or a corridor, including all supporting
structures and accessories necessary for such line.
"High-voltage transmission line" does not include any line for
the transmission of electric current that crosses through but
is not wholly contained within a State highway right-of-way.
"Public utility" has the meaning given to that term in
Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act.
"Public utility corridor" means the land, or interest
therein, acquired for or devoted to a public utility to place
and maintain infrastructure for electricity, water, gas, or
internet service.
"Secretary" means the Secretary of Transportation.
"State highway corridor" means the land, or interest
therein, acquired for or devoted to a State highway.
"Transmission developer" means any company that (i) has
been issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity
in this State that authorizes the company to own and operate an
electric transmission line and (ii) is a State electric
utility, as defined in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities
Act, or an affiliate of a State electric utility through a
common ownership structure.
Section 10. Electric transmission siting priorities.
(a) In the siting of new electric transmission facilities,
including high-voltage transmission lines, available corridors

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shall be used in the following order of priority:
(1) Existing public utility corridors.
(2) State highway corridors.
(3) New corridors.
(b) Permitting on the corridors listed in subsection (a)
shall be done, to the greatest extent possible, in a manner
that accounts for economic and engineering considerations, the
reliability of the electric system, and the protection of the
environment.
Section 15. High-voltage transmission line colocation
requests.
(a) A public utility or transmission developer may
construct, place, or maintain a high-voltage transmission line
on a public right-of-way or along a highway if (i) the public
utility or transmission developer submits to the Secretary a
colocation request for the high-voltage transmission line and
(ii) the Secretary reviews and approves the colocation
request.
(b) The Secretary may deny a colocation request under this
Section if the Secretary determines that the construction,
placement, or maintenance of a high-voltage transmission line
on a public right-of-way or along a highway would endanger
public safety or would interfere with the proper function of
the highway.
(c) If the Secretary denies a colocation request under

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this Section, the Secretary shall submit the reasons for the
denial to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Executive Director of the Commission, and the Director of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity within 90 days after the
issuance of the denial.
Section 20. Consultation and constructability report.
(a) A public utility or transmission developer may submit
a written request to the Department for an evaluation of the
corridors described in subsection (a) of Section 10 for
possible locations for a high-voltage transmission line.
Within 30 days after receipt of a written request under this
subsection (a), the Secretary shall assign a project
coordinator to the request. A project coordinator, upon
assignment to a request, shall begin the evaluation in
coordination with the applicable public utility or
transmission developer.
(b) The Department shall inform a public utility or
transmission developer about any of the Department's current
plans or projects that could impact the public utility's or
transmission developer's potential construction or placement
of a high-voltage transmission line within a corridor.
(c) After an evaluation under subsection (a) identifies an
acceptable location within a corridor, a public utility or
transmission developer, in consultation with the Department,
shall develop a constructability report. The constructability

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report shall include (i) the terms and conditions for the
siting of the high-voltage transmission line and (ii) an
agreed-upon time frame during which the Department may not
request the relocation of the high-voltage transmission line.
The Department shall issue a permit to the public utility or
transmission developer for the use of a public right-of-way
within the corridor for the siting of a high-voltage
transmission line only after a constructability report is
approved by both the Department and the public utility or
transmission developer.
(d) A public utility or transmission developer and the
Department shall follow the terms and conditions of the
approved constructability report during the planning and
approval process for the siting of a high-voltage transmission
line. If the Department requires the relocation of a
high-voltage transmission line on a public right-of-way by a
specific date, the Department shall give the applicable public
utility or transmission developer notice of the required
relocation no less than 10 years before the date of the
required relocation.
Section 25. Relocation notice and cost responsibility
(a) If the Department requires the relocation of a
high-voltage transmission line during the prohibited time
frame specified in the constructability report or the
Department provides notice of the required relocation of a

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high-voltage transmission line to a public utility or
transmission developer less than 10 years before the date of
the required relocation, the Department shall be responsible
for 75% of the costs incurred by the public utility or
transmission developer in the relocation of the high-voltage
transmission line.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
January 1, 2027.