Wow! Illinois Is Ahead of the Game

Here’s some information about an exciting new Act that is being considered in Illinois—the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Because of the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016 (FEJA), the clean energy industry is booming in Illinois. We have an opportunity to act to immediately ramp up renewable energy development in Illinois to put Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2050, cut carbon from the power sector by 2030, reduce gas and diesel vehicles from the transportation sector, and create jobs and economic opportunity.

Gov. Pritzker and dozens of legislators have committed to that goal because they understand that doing so will spur additional economic growth and reduce energy bills for Illinois consumers.

 Throughout 2018, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) conducted its “Listen. Lead. Share.” campaign—a series of more than 60 conversations on energy policy held across the state. The new Clean Energy Jobs Act was developed with the input of everyday Illinoisans who participated in those conversations.

This is  organized around four pillars:

Promoting Jobs and Economic Opportunity

• Creates the Clean Jobs Workforce Hubs, a network of frontline organizations that provide direct and sustained support for minority and disadvantaged communities.

• Creates preferences for companies that implement equity actions to ensure equitable representation in Illinois’ clean energy workforce.

• Creates a Contractor Incubator program that focuses on the development of

underserved businesses in the clean energy sector.

Putting Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2050

• Builds more than 40 million solar panels and 2,500 wind turbines across Illinois by 2030, generating more than $30 billion in new infrastructure in the state.

Taps into the falling cost of wind and solar, lowering costs for consumers.

• Expands Solar for All, and ensures people have access to solar in their community.

• Expands goals for Energy Efficiency, on the electric and gas side, to lower costs.

• Directs utilities to evaluate lower-cost alternatives to infrastructure modernization.

Reducing the equivalent of 1 million gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles from the road

• Empowers local communities to develop Community Energy and Climate Plans, to drive comprehensive local investment in energy, transportation, workforce, and environmental projects.

• Creates a new Beneficial Electrification initiative to incentivize electric vehicle charging, focused on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that create local health impacts.

• Creates the EV Access for All program, to ensure all Illinois residents can benefit from electric vehicles, and supports the creation of low-income electric vehicle car-sharing and “last-mile” electric shuttles to serve transit deserts.

Achieving a carbon-free power-sector by 2030

• Directs the Illinois EPA to begin a comprehensive stakeholder process that prioritizes carbon reductions in impacted communities and reduces harmful pollution from power plants to zero by 2030.

• Creates Clean Energy Empowerment Zones to support communities and workers who are economically impacted by the decline of fossil-fuel generation.

• Directs the IPA to procure clean energy and capacity resources to achieve customer savings and expand renewables investment.

 Call your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to support the Clean Energy Jobs Act!  Locate your Rep or Senator's phone numbers here.

This comes from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.