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clean energy

Advocates gather in the Rotunda for a climate action rally.

Hundreds Rally at the State Capitol Urging State Lawmakers to Prioritize People Over Polluters Amidst Mounting Federal Attacks

Advocates calling for passage of bills that accelerate clean energy and fix and fund public transit Springfield, IL — Hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer groups, and state legislators rallied at the Illinois State Capitol today to call on lawmakers to pass critical climate bills in the October veto session, including […]

Hundreds Rally at the State Capitol Urging State Lawmakers to Prioritize People Over Polluters Amidst Mounting Federal Attacks Read More »

President Donald Trump cancels $583M in energy projects for Illinois, one of many blue states affected

Amid a funding stalemate in Congress and a federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump’s planned termination of nearly $8 billion for energy projects primarily in states that didn’t vote for him includes $583 million in cuts for projects in Illinois. Among those set to lose tens of millions of dollars in anticipated funding are power giant Exelon,

President Donald Trump cancels $583M in energy projects for Illinois, one of many blue states affected Read More »

Illinois’ push to train workers for solar industry jobs is paying off

A state-funded hub for clean energy workforce development is creating employment and business opportunities in the surrounding community. Advocates applauded the law’s impact at a celebration of the Alton hub at Lewis and Clark last month. ​“Now because of CEJA,” said Francisco Lopez Zavala, climate policy program associate of the Illinois Environmental Council, hubs like the community college ​“are

Illinois’ push to train workers for solar industry jobs is paying off Read More »

Lewis and Clark Community College Training Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers in Illinois

Alton-area workforce training program made possible by the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act has graduated 57 students and is training 47 more Alton, IL — Yesterday, Lewis and Clark Community College (LC) and the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) hosted a tour of LC’s training facilities at the Scott Bibb Center, where students are enrolled in

Lewis and Clark Community College Training Next Generation of Clean Energy Workers in Illinois Read More »

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Big Ugly Bill Passes U.S. Congress, Reversing Critical Climate and Environment Protections

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

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Clean energy job training offers hope to hundreds: ‘It’s changed my life’

“This is one of the difficulties with having such nation-leading legislation,” said Francisco Lopez Zavala, an Illinois Environmental Council climate policy program associate. “There was no other state in the U.S. to really model off in the efforts Illinois is leading in, with providing these trainings focused on the clean energy trade at such a

Clean energy job training offers hope to hundreds: ‘It’s changed my life’ Read More »

An Illinois bill seeking to supercharge battery storage failed. Now what?

Supporters hoped the legislation would accelerate the state’s clean energy transition, but it stalled amid opposition from unions, farmers, and fossil-fuel groups. “There were some pretty significant wrenches” thrown in the works in the final days of negotiations, said Hannah Flath, spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Council, an advocacy group. ​“Some things we just couldn’t untangle.”

An Illinois bill seeking to supercharge battery storage failed. Now what? Read More »

Shine On: Illinois Hopes to Continue Solar Boom Despite Federal Headwinds

Renewable energy advocates point to a 2021 law and state dollars as reasons for optimism in a challenging time. Illinois Shines, the state’s incentive program for on-site and community solar, is funded through a dedicated line item on ratepayer electric bills, noted Samira Hanessian, director of energy policy for the Illinois Environmental Council, an umbrella

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Illinois legislators skip on several environmental bills

Some big environmental bills — dealing with transit, clean energy, plastics and more — fizzled last week in Springfield. Advocates say they’re ready to pick up the pieces. Why it matters: State environmental protections have grown in importance for climate advocates as the Trump administration rolls back regulations at the federal level. Biggest losses Public transit: The General Assembly’s failure

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Illinois’ Climate Goals and Consumers At Risk Amidst Legislature’s Inaction

Illinois General Assembly misses opportunity to deliver cleaner, lower-cost, more reliable energy amidst rising costs, increasingly extreme weather, and federal mismanagement. ILLINOIS — Today, just one day before energy bills are expected to spike across Illinois, the General Assembly failed to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, which would have taken critical

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Illinois’ Environmental Organizations Admonish U.S. House Republican Budget as Extreme, Expensive, and Anti-Environment

Rep. LaHood receives backlash for voting to strip constituents of major local investments ILLINOIS — Today, U.S. House Republicans passed the most anti-environment budget reconciliation bill in history, gutting federal environmental protections and consumer cost-saving measures that protect working families, create good-paying clean energy jobs, and safeguard our climate. The bill now heads to the

Illinois’ Environmental Organizations Admonish U.S. House Republican Budget as Extreme, Expensive, and Anti-Environment Read More »

‘Bring Your Own New Clean Energy’: a proposed fix for Illinois’ power grid shortcomings draws criticism from manufacturers

Illinois has a growing energy problem. There are a few reasons for why that is — coal and natural gas plants are closing, and regional grid operators are acting too slowly in connecting new wind and solar projects to the larger grid, but above all else, the state is using more energy than it ever

‘Bring Your Own New Clean Energy’: a proposed fix for Illinois’ power grid shortcomings draws criticism from manufacturers Read More »

Summer electric price spike fuels policy tensions in Springfield

Price hike due to lack of energy supply comes alongside rocky transition to renewable power. Customers around Illinois will see significantly higher prices on their electric bills next month. “We’re trying to keep prices low while combating climate change,” Jen Walling, head of the Illinois Environmental Council, told Capitol News Illinois. The IEC has been

Summer electric price spike fuels policy tensions in Springfield Read More »

As U.S. House Republicans Pass the Most Expensive Anti-Environment Bill in History, Illinoisans Call for State Action on Climate and Consumer Protections

ILLINOIS – Early Thursday morning, House Republicans passed a reconciliation bill that wipes out good-paying clean energy jobs and raises energy costs for families by gutting the historic progress made in the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act. Hours earlier at the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, hundreds of community leaders, environmental advocates, faith leaders, business representatives, consumer

As U.S. House Republicans Pass the Most Expensive Anti-Environment Bill in History, Illinoisans Call for State Action on Climate and Consumer Protections Read More »

Opinion: An urgent, united call to save — and strengthen — public transit

Public transit is the backbone of our economy, connecting millions of commuters, tourists and visitors to work, our world-class museums and arts institutions, school, health care and more every single day. Yet, across the country, cities are facing multimillion-dollar transit budget shortfalls — or a “transit fiscal cliff.” Chicago is no different. We’re at a

Opinion: An urgent, united call to save — and strengthen — public transit Read More »