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
Water rates have more than doubled since 2010. Low-income residents feel the pinch most of all. On Sunday Chicagoans will face another spike in their water bills after seeing rates more than double over the past 15 years. The latest increase—4 percent—comes as environmental justice groups are fighting for more water-affordability protections. “Water is just
As Chicagoans Brace for Higher Water Bills, Groups Push for Affordability Reforms Read More »
Smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada is drifting into the Chicago area on Friday, and while conditions won’t be as severe as when smoke from Canadian wildfires repeatedly blanketed Chicago two years ago, the haze is nonetheless raising public health concerns. Environmental experts said Chicagoans should pay attention to any alerts and be conscious of air quality. Canadian officials
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
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
Fifty-five years after the first Earth Day, Environmental Protection Agency employees and advocates call for help as the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations and lays off hundreds of workers. Earth Day was marked not with celebration but with a sense of urgency and despair for Environmental Protection Agency union members in Chicago as the
On Earth Day, EPA union workers decry cuts to clean air and water regulations Read More »
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 »
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
Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, is one of those who has had an eye on the White House. “When we look at this administration’s view on climate change, we absolutely should be concerned,” Walling told WBBM. “There’s been a series of executive orders that have unwound the Inflation Reduction Act, investments
Local environmental advocates remain hopeful despite Trump’s recent executive orders Read More »
The Illinois Environmental Council issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s rollback of Clean Car Standards: SPRINGFIELD, IL – In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Trump administration just finalized their brazen rollback of clean car standards. This move will harm public health by increasing air pollution, introduce more uncertainty
IEC Responds to Trump Administration Rollback of Clean Car Standards Read More »
