The Illinois Commerce Commission will be holding a hearing on at the Historic Courthouse in Hillsboro on Tuesday, January 16, to discuss the current downstate electricity-distribution system and what can be done to ensure downstate electricity reliability.

The hearing, which will take place from 1 to 2 p.m., will be held in the Montgomery County Board room on the second floor the courthouse and is open to the public.

Representatives from Dynegy and various local leaders will be in attendance. Dynegy, the largest downstate energy producer, owns the Coffeen Power Plant and an additional seven other power plants in central and southern Illinois.

According to local State Representative Avery Bourne, Dynegy has stated that under downstate Illinois' current electricity-distribution system, the company may have to close at least four power plants by 2021 or sooner. The economic impact of these closures would mean the loss of almost 550 jobs and threaten approximately 4,000 indirect jobs.

Those who are unable to attend the hearing may submit comments to the website powerillinoisjobs.com. Additional questions may be directed to Rep. Bourne's District Office in Litchfield at 324-5200.