OUR WORK
NEWS & UPDATES
5 Years of CEJA, 5 Tours With IEC: Bearing Witness to Illinois’ Growing Clean Energy Workforce
Clean energy workers are building the wind, solar, and battery storage projects to help build Illinois’ climate resilience and clean energy future. The training programs equipping those workers with the skills necessary for Illinois’ green economy were made possible by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which turns five on September 15, 2026.
Why are more elected officials calling for restrictions on data centers?
On Aug. 11, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order calling for a pause on data center construction and expansion in the city of Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signs data center order and pushes City Council for moratorium
Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Tuesday directing city departments to intensify scrutiny of new data centers in Chicago — a politically potent move that doesn’t unilaterally impose new limits on the fast-growing industry, but could slow its growth.
Community Outreach Internship
The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) is looking for a Community Outreach Intern to join our amazing team.
Illinois Environmental Council gives over half of Illinois legislators a perfect score on environmentally conscious votes this year
Every year, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) issues a voting scorecard that grades members of the Illinois General Assembly on how they voted for bills affecting the environment.
WCPT 820 Interview: Dany Robles
Richard Chew is joined by Dany Robles, senior legislative director at the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC); he talks about IEC’s 2026 Legislative Environmental Scorecard.
SCORECARD & NEWSLETTERS
Legislative Scorecard
See how your state legislators voted on bills affecting the environment.
Newsletters
Read the most recent IEC Newsletter and view our archive going all the way back to the 1970s.
RESEARCH & REPORTS
Building a Clean Heat Pipeline
Underneath the cranes and the glittering new apartment towers, something especially interesting is happening with how Vancouver heats and cools its buildings. Vancouver is embracing a growing system of thermal energy networks (TENs) to decarbonize both new and existing buildings.
The overwhelming problem of plastic
From flax that can be used in clothing and cars to robotic skimmers to stricter laws, researchers, activists and volunteers fight an industry intent on making more plastic.
Massive Public Transit Win in Chicago Shows the Power of Grassroots Coalitions
The upcoming overhaul of the Chicago region’s transit system shows how potent organizing around public services can be.
Army Corps resumes work at Brandon Road Project as invasive carp encroach on Illinois River
More than a month after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers halted work on the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, part of a $1.15 billion project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes, the agency announced last week it would resume construction.
Five Silent Auction Items I’m Especially Excited About This Year
IEC’s Mundra Turtogtokh shares some of the exciting items generously donated for our 2026 Environmental Leadership Dinner silent auction.
