SE Illinois News

Republican gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is calling on the state to shore up its energy reserves in the face of a prolonged Russian invasion of oil-rich Ukraine.

“Illinois domestic energy production should be ramped up and brought fully back online immediately,” Bailey said in a statement.

“Our country’s lack of energy independence is an unacceptable threat to our security. Far-left virtue signaling from feckless leaders like JB Pritzker has emboldened our enemies and put working families in jeopardy," Bailey said. "Working families are struggling to put gas in their cars, heat their homes, and are being forced out of high-wage energy production jobs because of an extreme green new deal agenda that is naive when confronted with real-world geopolitical dynamics. Working families in Illinois and across the nation need real leaders that will ALWAYS put Americans first.”

Oil prices are at their highest since 2014 and will likely go up as Ukraine’s oil production is slowed or diverted but the Russian invasion.

According to The New York Times, the resulting economic effects will be felt worldwide.

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois does host some domestic oil production.

“There are approximately 32,100 oil and gas production wells, 10,500 Class II injection wells and 1,750 gas storage wells in Illinois," the Department of Natural Resources website reads. "These wells are controlled by 1,500 operators. There is oil production in 40 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Most of the production is located in the southern part of Illinois,” 

Gov. J.B. Pritkzer signed away much of Illinois’ capability to produce energy via fossil fuels in a deal two years ago.

The bill resulted in a significant rate hike for Illinoisans.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce was critical of the bill’s passage.

“We should not risk electric reliability and unnecessarily increase costs on Illinois consumers before this process plays out and we fully understand the impact on electricity prices and the competitive market,” the group said in a  press release.

Ukraine’s untapped natural gas resources are thought to be the second largest in the world. It also serves a key transit point for energy transportation in eastern Europe.