Our legislative team at IEC has been hard at work making sure bill sponsors have the tools and public support they need to move our environmental priorities forward this session.
Legislative Business is Heating Up in the Halls of the State Capitol Read More »
Core to the landmark climate law is creating “a just transition,” said Francisco Lopez Zavala, the Illinois Environmental Council’s policy program associate. For lawmakers, this means building a clean energy workforce in Illinois’ most environmentally burdened communities.
The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) is looking for a summer intern to join our amazing team.
Clean Energy Policy Internship Read More »
The legislative session has started! This guide breaks down how you can advocate for stronger environmental protection in Illinois.
5 Ways to Plug In To the Legislative Session Read More »
Explore the environmental movement’s legislative agenda, including all of the most important environmental bills this session!
Illinois’ 2026 Environmental Legislative Agenda Read More »
The Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund (IECEF) is looking for a Director of Policy, Energy to join our amazing team.
Director of Policy, Energy Read More »
In his 2026 State of the State and Budget address, Governor JB Pritzker unveiled his administration’s proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) of $56 billion.
The Environmental Impacts of the Illinois Budget (FY2027) Read More »
Jennifer Walling, executive director of the advocacy nonprofit Illinois Environmental Council, said the organization has been working with state lawmakers to pass a bill for the last three years. “It’s frustrating to see this choice taken away,” she said.
“By expanding a loophole created during the first Trump administration, EPA would allow coal plants to delay closure for at least three more years and potentially much longer,” says Cate Caldwell of the Illinois Environmental Council.
POWER Act: Lawmakers seek to regulate new data centers’ power, water usage Read More »
Jen Walling: We don’t really know how many data centers there are. We coula expect anywhere from 100 to 195, they can be small or really large, but it’s impacting everyone already. Consumers were seeing their rates increase already last summer and those rates are due to Big Tech.
Environmental groups push to reign in data centers Read More »
Empowering environmental champions in Illinois’ General Assembly requires building strong relationships with our legislators. These educational tours are a critical piece of that work.
IEC Legislator Tours 2025 Read More »
“It ended up being a really pretty good year for climate at the General Assembly. Both bills that had to do with climate, energy, and transit passed in a 24-hour period — the highlight of my life.” — Jen Walling, CEO of IEC Listen to the full interview here.
WCPT 820 Interview: Jen Walling of Illinois Environmental Council Read More »
“By expanding a loophole created during the first Trump administration, EPA would allow coal plants to delay closure for at least three more years and potentially much longer,” says Cate Caldwell of the Illinois Environmental Council.
EPA plans to give 11 coal plants a free pass on toxic ash disposal Read More »
Illinois — Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act into law, continuing Illinois’ legacy as a leader on clean energy, workforce development, and climate progress. In response, Illinois Environmental Council Chief Executive Officer Jen Walling released the following statement: “Nearly exactly a year ago today, President Trump declared a
Illinois Moves Forward on Climate Action While the Federal Government Falls Behind Read More »
For a state with some of the highest numbers of coal ash ponds, this decision threatens to reverse years of progress as Illinois has made strides away from reliance on coal-fired power, according to Cate Caldwell, senior policy director of the Illinois Environmental Council.
Environmentalists push back against US EPA plan to extend coal plant closings Read More »
As the administration of President Donald Trump pushes for a 55% cut to the U.S. EPA for fiscal year 2026, these findings should raise alarms for states, said Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, an organization that advocates for environmental policies.
Illinois among states with most cuts to environmental agencies, report shows Read More »
The state passed the legislation during a veto session after months of lobbying from advocacy groups, but some concerns over planning provisions and consumer costs linger. Illinois’ General Assembly passed a package of comprehensive energy reforms last week that would help the state reach its clean energy goals and aims to lower prices for consumers.
The state legislature passed a bill that will add a surcharge for customers in the short term, but should pay it back more than 10-fold over the next 20 years. Electricity prices have been rising across much of the country, and Illinois is among the states seeing the sharpest increases. Over the past five years,
Illinois takes steps to address high energy costs, betting big on battery storage Read More »
Batteries are the centerpiece of the state’s third major piece of energy legislation in a decade. The governor has pledged to sign the bill. Illinois legislators passed a major energy bill that creates grid-battery and geothermal incentives and a virtual-power-plant program, during the final hours of a fall veto session Thursday. Advocates and industry sources describe the legislation as the crucial
Illinois lawmakers just passed another big clean-energy bill Read More »
Illinois (KHQA) — Environmental and clean energy advocates are praising the passing of a 1,000-page energy omnibus bill in the Illinois congress on Oct. 30. The bill has taken several names as its transformed over the years, from the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act to the Municipal and Cooperative Electric Utility Transparent Planning Act. Now, according to supporters, this
1,000-page multi-step energy reform bill passes in Illinois Read More »
