The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes significant changes to the way we create and pay for energy. The legislation rolls back investment in clean energy, aiming to return the focus to oil and natural gas. How might these moves impact the wallet of the average Illinoisan? The non-partisan think tank Energy Innovation found that in […]
How does ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ impact energy sector? Read More »
Illinois Environmental Council senior policy manager Cate Caldwell said the state has “long led” on environmental issues and that lawmakers should act in their shortened October legislative session. “While this federal budget threatens to reverse that progress, Illinois can instead double down on its climate commitments and invest in real, bold climate solutions that modernize
Among those who want to respond to the Trump bill with strong state action is Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, which advocates for more than 100 organizations. Illinois environmentalists have been pushing for the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which would expand energy efficiency in Illinois and encourage renewable energy
What they’re saying: “Lowering families’ energy costs and making our air cleaner should be something we all agree on, and yet Trump and his cronies would rather gut clean energy and pollution reduction programs to fund tax breaks for billionaires,” Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said in a statement. Read the full
How Trump’s megabill affects Illinois’ environment Read More »
“Really, really dramatic impacts with these cuts,” said Chelsea Biggs of the Illinois Environmental Council. In Illinois, the League of Conservation Voters is estimating that homeowners will pay $168 more in energy bills a year — with a 21% increase in commercial and industrial energy bills. But Biggs said this won’t just cost consumers. “These
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois environmental advocates are working to strengthen their connections with lawmakers and communities across the state while the legislature is in recess. On Saturday, June 28, progressive organizations gathered in Champaign for a convention hosted by Indivisible Illinois. The event allowed the groups to share their priorities for the rest of the year. Among the
“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 »
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 »
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
Hannah Flath, the senior climate communications manager for the Illinois Environmental Council, said the day gave advocates a unique opportunity to speak directly to elected representatives. “Our lawmakers work for us,” Flath said. “And so lobby day gives constituents across the state the opportunity to voice their opinions with their lawmakers and urge them to
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 »
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 »
A warning has been issued to anyone who takes public transportation in Chicago — with drastic service cuts looming, Illinois legislators only have until the end of the month to decide what to do and how to address it. Transit advocates are taking to the streets every week to warn riders. They say the cuts are as
With the fight over a federal clean energy funding freeze entering its second month, two of the biggest prizes in Illinois are emissions-reduction grants totaling more than $570 million. Now, the state appears closer to claiming both of them. In Illinois, which aims for 100% clean energy by 2050, the effects of the clean energy
Federal funding freeze lifted for some Illinois clean energy projects Read More »
State lawmakers are pushing for more grid-enhancing tech, gigawatts of new energy storage, and the creation of a virtual power plant program.Since 2017, sweeping legislation in Illinois has sparked a solar power boom and launched ambitious energy equity and green jobs programs. Now, for the third time in under a decade, state lawmakers, advocates, and industry groups have their sights set
After groundbreaking bills on jobs and solar, Illinois tackles the grid Read More »
Join us for a panel discussion that will explore the impact of President Trump’s executive orders on key areas including LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and environmental issues. Experts will analyze how these actions are affecting local residents, communities, and businesses, offering insights into the evolving legal, economic, and social implications. This panel will address the immediate
Illinois is offering buyers an incentive of $4,000 per vehicle. But at the federal level, the Trump administration is not a fan of EVs. GUESTS: Karen Weigert, Reset sustainability contributor, director of Loyola University Chicago’s Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, and Dany Robles, legislative relations director, Illinois Environmental Council “We need a lot more
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