HB1897 creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program within the Environmental Protection Act and assigns administration to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The program would award grants to petroleum marketers, petroleum terminal operators, and other companies the Department determines are eligible, to help pay for infrastructure needed to store and dispense higher-blend renewable fuels. Eligible costs include tank modifications, tanks, piping, fuel dispensers, and other equipment the Department deems necessary by rule.
The bill also creates the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Fund as a special fund in the State treasury. It directs quarterly transfers from the Underground Storage Tank Fund into the new fund for a defined period, subject to a minimum balance threshold in the source fund. The bill sets grant caps, limits funding to private-sector recipients rather than public bodies, and requires applicants to cover at least half of project costs. It also establishes a Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Task Force to review the program, gather stakeholder feedback, and advise on whether the program should continue beyond its sunset date.
In terms of state law, HB1897 amends both the Environmental Protection Act and the State Finance Act, creating new statutory provisions for program administration, eligibility, funding, and oversight. It would shift state resources from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to support infrastructure investments tied to ethanol and biodiesel blends, specifically gasoline blends above E-10 and biodiesel blends above B-10. The bill is effective immediately if enacted.
The available context shows no recorded committee discussion or votes, so there is no documented formal support or opposition in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears designed to support renewable fuel distribution infrastructure and agricultural biofuel markets, which suggests likely interest from fuel retailers, terminal operators, corn growers, and soybean growers. Potential concerns may center on the use of Underground Storage Tank Fund dollars, the exclusion of public bodies, the size and targeting of grants, and whether the program should be extended after its initial term.
HB1897 would add a new renewable fuels grant program to Illinois law, create a dedicated state fund, and authorize recurring transfers from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to finance private infrastructure upgrades for higher-blend ethanol and biodiesel distribution. It would also impose eligibility rules, cost-sharing requirements, grant caps, and a stakeholder task force structure, while making conforming changes to the State Finance Act.
No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the supplied materials. The bill’s structure suggests a generally pro-renewable-fuels and pro-agriculture orientation, with support likely from fuel infrastructure businesses and corn and soybean interests, but the absence of debate or voting history means no formal consensus or opposition can be confirmed from the record provided.
The main likely points of contention are the funding source and transfer mechanism, since the bill would divert money from the Underground Storage Tank Fund to a new renewable fuels fund. Another possible issue is the program’s narrow beneficiary class: grants are limited to petroleum marketers, terminal operators, and related companies, while public bodies are excluded. The bill also leaves significant discretion to the Department of Agriculture to define eligibility and eligible equipment by rule, which could draw scrutiny over program scope and implementation.