State-level action needed to safeguard consumers and Illinois’ climate goals
ILLINOIS — Today, U.S. Congressional Republicans passed H.R. 1, informally known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping reconciliation package that dismantles the landmark provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act while expanding fossil fuel development, rolling back environmental protections, restricting safety net programs, and extending high-income tax breaks for the wealthy at the cost of working families’ taxpayer dollars. President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law.
“This dangerous bill is the opposite of what Illinoisans need at this moment. With energy demand skyrocketing due to an influx in data centers and Regional Transmission Organizations years behind in connecting low-cost clean energy to the grid, this Republican Rate Hike will drive up utility bills and further exacerbate the impacts of climate change that are already hitting our communities hard,” said Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Lowering families’ energy costs and making our air cleaner should be something we all agree on, and yet Trump and his cronies would rather gut clean energy and pollution reduction programs to fund tax breaks for billionaires. This bill is reckless, and we have to keep fighting back.”
The budget reconciliation bill includes sweeping rollbacks to the clean energy tax credits established under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These provisions will cost Illinoisans deeply – residential, commercial, and industrial energy bills will rise, and the state stands to lose between 30,000 and 56,000 good-paying clean energy jobs.
“Illinois has the opportunity to stand against these attacks on our environment and our communities by passing the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act,” said Cate Caldwell, Senior Policy Manager of the Illinois Environmental Council. “Illinois has long led on conservation, renewable energy expansion and climate resilience, in large part thanks to the 2021 passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. While this federal budget threatens to reverse that progress, Illinois can instead double down on its climate commitments and invest in real, bold climate solutions that modernize our grid, ensure energy-hungry data centers act as good neighbors, and deliver cost savings to hardworking families across the state. The Illinois General Assembly has the opportunity to pass the CRGA Act when they return to Springfield during the October veto session, and IEC urges them to do so.”
“This Big Ugly Bill and many Trump policies have threatened the livelihoods of families and farmers fighting to make ends meet while also jeopardizing local food systems,” Walling continued. “This administration and Republicans in Congress are gutting the federal funding supporting small Illinois farmers’ sales to nearby food banks through the Illinois Equitable Access Towards Sustainable Systems (IL EATS) program and enacting deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which we successfully campaigned to make eligible for use at local farmers markets. At the end of the day, Illinois’ Republican Congressional Delegation are cheerleaders of this shortsighted approach, especially House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. LaHood, who made no meaningful attempt to prevent these harms to families and farmers, despite the request of constituents.”
IEC plans to release a full analysis of the budget reconciliation process later this month.
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About IEC: Since 1975, the Illinois Environmental Council has worked to safeguard Illinois—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends by building power for people and the environment. Representing over 130 environmental organizations in the state, IEC carries out its mission to advance equitable public policies that create healthy environments across Illinois through education, advocacy, and movement building.