Protected: IEC Legislator Tours 2025
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Protected: IEC Legislator Tours 2025 Read More »
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Protected: 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 »
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 »
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 »
Springfield, IL — Today, after passage in the State House yesterday, the Illinois State Senate passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (SB25), which accelerates Illinois’ clean energy progress and gives consumers tools to save money on their energy bills. In response, Illinois Environmental Council Chief Executive Officer Jen Walling released the following statement:
Illinois Environmental Council Applauds Passage of Next-Generation Climate Policy Read More »
SPRINGFIELD — Sweeping energy-related legislation that backs the use of big batteries to help make wind and solar power more effective but has raised questions about whether it will increase or decrease energy bills cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday night and will be headed to Gov. JB Pritzker, who signaled he would sign the measure into law.
Proponents say energy storage, efficiency programs will save money, critics wary of claims SPRINGFIELD — Illinoisans could see a new line item on their electric bills under a bill passed Wednesday night by the Illinois House. Under the proposal, contained in an amendment to Senate Bill 25, ratepayers will subsidize energy storage projects like large battery
House passes energy bill amid debate over costs to consumers Read More »
It’s Veto Session season in Springfield! Find out what it is, why it matters, and how you can help IEC push for key environmental priorities.
What is Veto Session and Why Does it Matter? Read More »
Is Illinois on the right track? Help shape IEC’s Clean Energy policy priorities as we head into 2026.
2025 Clean Energy Townhall Read More »
Groups are pushing the state General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, as increased strain on the grid has led to energy price spikes. Illinois advocacy groups are pressing state legislators to pass a package of comprehensive energy reforms that would help the state reach its clean energy goals and could
As part of a “People Over Polluters” event, more than 100 local environmental advocates traveled to the state capital to lobby during the state’s short fall veto session. SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—To meet with state lawmakers here, Michael Churchill, 24, left his home south of Chicago at 3 a.m. Wednesday, took a rideshare to a commuter rail
Illinois Residents Urge Lawmakers to Act on Transit, Energy Bills Read More »
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
Congress failed to meet its October 1 deadline to pass a funding bill, triggering a government shutdown that has suspended key environmental programs, furloughed government employees, closed national parks, and stopped non-essential services.
Analysis: Understand the Federal Government Shutdown and Its Impact on Illinois Read More »
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,
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 »
IEC’s state legislative team has published our 2025 Environmental Scorecard evaluating the performance of every Illinois state legislator based on their environmental voting record.
2025 Environmental Scorecard Read More »
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