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
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
“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 »
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 »
IEC’s state legislative team has published our 2025 Legislative Report detailing environmental wins and setbacks during this year’s legislative session.
2025 Legislative Report Read More »
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
Shine On: Illinois Hopes to Continue Solar Boom Despite Federal Headwinds Read More »
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
Illinois legislators skip on several environmental bills Read More »
Our team has been on the ground at the Capitol for the last five months, all the way up until the final moments this evening. And you’ve been right there with us.
Wrapping Up the 2025 Illinois Legislative Session Read More »
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
Illinois’ Climate Goals and Consumers At Risk Amidst Legislature’s Inaction Read More »
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 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
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 »
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
With two full weeks of the legislative session left before the May 31 deadline, IEC is working overtime to ensure our priorities cross the finish line.
A Sprint to Accelerate Illinois’ Clean Energy Progress Read More »
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 »
The town of Ottawa lies in central Illinois 12 miles from a nuclear power plant and a wind turbine farm that stretches past the horizon. However, these facilities sit on the other side of an invisible boundary between two regional power grids. By mutual agreement among utilities that own the grids and power plants, that
In Illinois, an invisible boundary determines how dirty and costly your electricity is Read More »
We can’t count on Washington to do right for the environment. Good thing Illinois’ environmental movement is on top of it.
Illinois Has Your Back, Mother Earth Read More »
We’re midway through the legislative session. Our team has been hard at work this week rounding up roll call votes for many of the bills we’ve been tracking.
Conservation Advocacy in Illinois Read More »
CEJA Workforce Hub Celebrates 100% Enrollment Across Training Programs DECATUR, IL—Today, Richland Community College (RCC) and the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) hosted “Powering Progress: Richland Community College’s Clean Energy Careers in Action” at its Decatur campus. The event highlighted RCC’s Clean Energy Careers program, which provides training and certification for entry-level positions in solar, HVAC,
