Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. (E3), a sustainability consulting firm, revealed that while electrification overtakes natural gas heating as Illinois targets net-zero emissions by 2050, the state’s electric grid may shift from a summer-peaking to a winter-peaking system. 

In a study commissioned by the state’s largest electric utility, Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), E3 reported that achieving the state’s economy-wide net-zero target would mean Illinois “will need to electrify around 6.5 million residential homes and will need to add 12 million light-duty EVs to the road.” As of 2020, Illinois had more than four million registered automobiles in the state according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

As such, E3 emphasized that investments in...