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From Warning to Reality: One Year After the “Big Ugly Bill”
One year ago, the Illinois Environmental Council warned that H.R.1, dubbed the “Big Ugly Bill,” would impact Illinois’ clean energy economy, weaken environmental protections, and make it harder for families and communities to thrive. One year later, we revisited those projections by reviewing updated economic analyses, federal implementation, and conversations with our partners across Illinois to understand what has changed and what challenges remain.
Why Does My Street Flood?
Every spring and summer, Chicago basements flood like clockwork, but this isn’t just bad luck with the weather. It is the direct collision of a 1930s sewer network, a rapidly shifting climate, and decades of systemic urban disinvestment. Chicago’s Deep Tunnel project can’t save us alone, we need to embrace water policy and nature-based climate resilience.
Grayslake data center opponents call for wetlands protection: ‘Wetlands are incredibly important’
Opponents of the Grayslake T5 data center are focusing on almost 16 acres of wetlands on the site that developers have applied to fill in, seeing it as a potential stopping point for a project that has sparked increasing resistance.
Rockford CEJA Ecosystem Training Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers & Investing in Local Community
Rockford, Illinois – Today, The Workforce Connection, Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois (Goodwill), Think Big! Corporation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois
Data Center Policy Debate in Illinois Spans Environmental, Economic Goals
Andrew Montequin for WTTW: Data centers are a hot topic in Illinois and around the country. Alongside more construction comes more public scrutiny — of
2025 Annual Report
Explore our IEC and IECEF Annual Report to learn more about the state of our organizations and the progress we made in 2025.
SCORECARD & NEWSLETTERS
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RESEARCH & REPORTS
From Warning to Reality: One Year After the “Big Ugly Bill”
One year ago, the Illinois Environmental Council warned that H.R.1, dubbed the “Big Ugly Bill,” would impact Illinois’ clean energy economy, weaken environmental protections, and make it harder for families and communities to thrive. One year later, we revisited those projections by reviewing updated economic analyses, federal implementation, and conversations with our partners across Illinois to understand what has changed and what challenges remain.
Why Does My Street Flood?
Every spring and summer, Chicago basements flood like clockwork, but this isn’t just bad luck with the weather. It is the direct collision of a 1930s sewer network, a rapidly shifting climate, and decades of systemic urban disinvestment. Chicago’s Deep Tunnel project can’t save us alone, we need to embrace water policy and nature-based climate resilience.
Grayslake data center opponents call for wetlands protection: ‘Wetlands are incredibly important’
Opponents of the Grayslake T5 data center are focusing on almost 16 acres of wetlands on the site that developers have applied to fill in, seeing it as a potential stopping point for a project that has sparked increasing resistance.
Rockford CEJA Ecosystem Training Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers & Investing in Local Community
Rockford, Illinois – Today, The Workforce Connection, Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois (Goodwill), Think Big! Corporation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois
Data Center Policy Debate in Illinois Spans Environmental, Economic Goals
Andrew Montequin for WTTW: Data centers are a hot topic in Illinois and around the country. Alongside more construction comes more public scrutiny — of
2025 Annual Report
Explore our IEC and IECEF Annual Report to learn more about the state of our organizations and the progress we made in 2025.