Illinois § 5

§ 5.

Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds: (1) that Lake Michigan is a unique and treasured public asset that supports numerous activities for the benefit of the people, wildlife, and flora of the State of Illinois; (2) that the bed of Lake Michigan is public land held in trust for the people of the State of Illinois and cannot be alienated to a private use or person; (3) that federal and State policy, as well as the national security, energy, and environmental needs of the United States and the people of the State of Illinois, support exploration and development of renewable energy resources; (4) that the State of Illinois is a signatory to a federal and multistate memorandum of understanding and is committed to promoting the efficient, expeditious, orderly, and responsible evaluation of offshore wind power projects in the Great Lakes; (5) that wind above the Illinois public trust lands of Lake Michigan is a unique and significant renewable energy resource; (6) that the development of that resource does not involve mining or other extraction of resources from the public trust lands of Lake Michigan; (7) that so long as all affected public trust lands and waters of Lake Michigan remain under public ownership and control, the environmentally sustainable provision of renewable energy from offshore wind above Lake Michigan, in accordance with standards set by State and federal law and regulated by the State agency charged with protecting public trust lands and the public interest, would serve a public purpose and can be consistent with the public trust; (8) that the State's Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory Council recommended clarifying and confirming the State's authority to permit such development and has made other recommendations to further the sustainable and responsible development of the State's wind energy resources above Lake Michigan; and (9) that the State of Illinois should consider the recommendations, criteria, and lessons learned from the Advisory Council's Final Report, as well as new data, technologies, and scientific understandings, as it formulates rules to regulate offshore wind energy development in a manner that preserves public trust resources, produces public benefits, and protects the environment and public health, safety, and welfare. (Source: P.A. 98-447, eff. 8-16-13.)