Among those who want to respond to the Trump bill with strong state action is Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, which advocates for more than 100 organizations.
Illinois environmentalists have been pushing for the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which would expand energy efficiency in Illinois and encourage renewable energy projects.
Walling said she wants the state to prioritize the addition of new transmission — the system, including high-voltage wires, that carries electricity across long distances. With more transmission, it’s faster and easier to add solar and wind projects to the electric grid.
Large battery arrays, which store energy from wind and solar farms and help make them more efficient, are also a priority, she said.
The Illinois legislature made progress on a wide-ranging clean energy bill in the spring, and Walling would like to see that work continue when lawmakers return in the fall.
“We have a big, beautiful bill that we need to get done,” she said.
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