Abraham Scarr: Illinois lawmakers can cut red tape and make going solar more affordable
Hoffman installed his first rooftop solar panels around 2010, among the first in his neighborhood, and added a second solar array in 2013. 'It's pretty amazing that the sun just powers our lives,' he told Environment Illinois Research & Education Center.
That's the magic of rooftop solar, an energy source Illinoisans can tap into directly. Rooftop solar eventually pays for itself and, thanks to battery storage, can be used to power our homes year-round. And, as a nonpolluting energy source, it helps keep our air clean and our climate stable.
Yet in Illinois, we are tapping only a small amount — 2%, according to 2022 figures — of our potential solar energy generation, despite rapidly falling costs, improvements in technology, favorable tax incentives and growing demand. Increasing the number of homes with solar panels and battery backup systems is a critical component of Illinois' clean energy transition.
One of the major obstacles to unleashing that potential, as detailed recently by the Tribune in its coverage of our recent report, are cumbersome municipal and county permitting procedures that add unnecessary delays and costs to the simplest residential roof project.
Solar installers we spoke to highlighted a range of problems such as having to personally drop off or mail in applications, navigate different safety codes in jurisdictions across the state and deal with slow-moving third parties outsourced to handle applications, who also add costs.
By contrast, instant permitting software such as SolarAPP+ allows local authorities to quickly evaluate and process applications in a safe and streamlined manner. SolarAPP+ was developed by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in collaboration with building and safety experts and is offered free to local governments.
Instant permitting will help consumers get their projects done more quickly, cheaply and predictably, while also reducing the time that understaffed towns and cities have to spend on solar permitting. It's a win-win.
Thankfully, Illinois lawmakers are now considering the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Act, sponsored by state Sen. Bill Cunningham and state Rep. Marcus Evans, which would implement instant permitting statewide. The projected benefits to consumers, jurisdictions and the clean energy transition would be tremendous.
According to a recent report from the Greenhouse Institute and the Brown University Climate Solutions Lab, instant permitting could lead to an additional 35,000 to 36,000 home solar roofs in Illinois by 2030 and as many as an additional 300,000 by 2040. Those 300,000 solar roofs could eventually save 30 million to 31 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of shutting down eight coal-fired power plants for a year. In addition, instant permitting could bring down the cost for a family to install solar by as much as $2,100 by 2030 and by more than $4,000 by 2040.
Across the country, around 300 jurisdictions — including Phoenix, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Houston — are already benefiting from instant solar permitting.
But we'll only get the full benefits and cost savings of this technology if jurisdictions across our state, rather than isolated cities or counties, offer this option. Making the process simpler and more uniform across the board is what is needed to save consumers precious money and time and help unleash rooftop solar across our state.
It's time to remove unnecessary barriers so more Illinoisans can access the benefits of solar power. That's why we're calling on state lawmakers to stand up for consumers and cut red tape by passing the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Act. Together, we can make going solar easier, quicker and cheaper for communities across Illinois.
As Hoffman of Morton Grove told us, rooftop solar feels good, 'not just for your wallet, but for your soul.'
Abraham Scarr is director of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, better known as PIRG.
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Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois' rental assistance program has restarted. Here's what you need to know.
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Chicago Tribune
15 hours ago
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A look at consumer prices 6 months into the second Trump administration
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The sharp decline in egg prices is likely due to a decrease in bird flu cases in commercial and backyard flocks since the start of the year. In the first two months of 2025, tens of millions of birds were affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza across 39 states, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. As of July, the virus was detected in only one flock in Pennsylvania — representing less than 30,000 U.S. birds. Currently, the cost of eggs is about 13% less than it was in December 2024, before Trump took office. The cost of milk, meanwhile, is trending up again, jumping 13 cents month-over-month. There are a number of factors that could be driving this price increase. Like egg-laying hens and poultry flocks, dairy cows have been affected by bird flu. In April and May, the number of reported cases shot up again, so shoppers could be seeing the lingering effects of that disruption on the supply chain. Additionally, rising costs may be a result of lower milk production and fewer dairy products being imported into the country in recent months, according to Tribune analysis of USDA data. A gallon of fresh, fortified whole milk cost $4.16 in July. That price is 1.5% higher than it was in the last month of the administration of President Joe Biden and up 4.5% from a year ago. The average price of white bread fell for the third month straight, landing at $1.85 per pound in July to mark a nearly three-year low. Shoppers can expect to pay more for their next bunch of bananas. The staple fruit cost a record-breaking $0.66 per pound in July — just a fraction more than the previous high set two months ago. Inflated prices are likely due to Trump's trade war, with tariffs imposed on the country's top banana suppliers. Imports from Guatemala and Honduras are levied at 10%, while Ecuador and Costa Rica's tariff rates are set at 15% and Mexico is subject to a 25% tax. No data on orange prices was available for July. In June, the cost of navel oranges went up more than 4% for an average price per pound of $1.63 nationwide. Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Wherever you fall on the tomato debate, they may be getting more expensive. In July, the cost of field-grown tomatoes was approximately $1.79 per pound. That's 5 cents higher than the previous month but down roughly 13% since Trump took power. These changes, however, are largely tied to the harvesting season. Tomato prices vary depending on the time of year, rising through the late summer and fall, peaking in the early winter months and then plummeting in the spring. But there may soon be price movement outside the standard seasonality. Last month, the Trump administration announced it was placing a 17% tariff on most Mexican-grown tomatoes, which make up the vast majority of all tomatoes sold in the U.S. As a result, agricultural business experts anticipate American grocers will start charging more for the staple food. The average cost of fresh, whole chicken fell slightly month-over-month to $2.08 per pound. Prices remain less than a cent off June's all-time highs and are the second highest on record — going back more than 45 years. So why the elevated prices? It could be a result of rising feed costs, the lingering effects of bird flu on the supply chain or that more measurable increases in beef prices are driving a shift in consumer demand toward cheaper meat options like chicken. The cost of ground beef is climbing up, up and up. In July, prices again notched record highs, with a pound of 100% ground beef chuck setting you back about $6.34. The rising cost can be attributed to a confluence of factors. 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Chicago Tribune
15 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
In pole position for City Council vacancy, Burnett III hopes to outgrow shadow of father whose power put him there
Walter Redmond Burnett III knows what you're thinking. The 29-year-old seeking a City Council seat is well prepared for the question lingering around his quest to lead the 27th Ward: Is it fair he be appointed to succeed his father? 'I get it,' he said. But 'Red' wants you to really look at him. 'I understand where people are coming from, but if you remove my name from the paper, I have an excellent resume,' he told the Tribune. 'I would put my resume up against just about anyone's.' He paused. 'Probably except my dad's.' Mayor Brandon Johnson must soon weigh the qualifications himself. The mayor has less than two months to make a pick after his vice mayor, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., resigned in July. Burnett spent 30 years in the City Council and ended that career as one of Johnson's most crucial allies — a twist from his endorsement of Johnson's campaign runoff opponent. The seat's application window closes Friday. But before political jockeying could even begin, the older Burnett made sure all signs pointed down his family tree. 'I think the mayor will consider it,' Burnett Jr. said the same day he announced his exit and endorsed his son. 'The mayor likes Walter, he's very impressed with him.' So far, the contest to fill the seat has stayed relatively quiet. If the younger Burnett gets his way, he will represent a ward that stretches from vacant lots in Cabrini Green and the future Bally's Casino site to the red-hot Fulton Market district and long-struggling Garfield Park. In many ways, he is a product of each: He's the son of a former Cabrini resident, grew up near Union Park and was dragged to community meetings, churches and block clubs throughout the ward since before he could talk. A former Goldman Sachs employee who now works as a consultant for developers, restaurants, retailers and entertainers, he also sports the business acumen and ambition that define the many young corporate workers that call Fulton Market home. His comment about taking his name off the resume points to an ironic situation for the candidate. He is the front-runner for the seat because of his father. But in many ways his background fits in the increasingly young and energetic ward, and he might have a better shot in future elections without the political baggage of nepotism. One top focus for Burnett III is expanding summer job programs and activities for school-aged Chicagoans, a policy Johnson credits for sharply cutting crime rates this year that could face pressure as City Hall works to craft a budget amid a shortfall near $1 billion. 'I think that's extremely important to get these idle minds active, especially when there's not a lot of structure where they are,' Burnett III said. The self-described 'urbanist' also said he hopes to add density on the West Side, especially along the Green Line, in a bid to make housing more affordable and attract businesses. But most policy positions, he added, will be shaped by conversations with neighborhood groups and constituents. 'A big piece of what I think this role is is just making sure that people feel heard and understanding that my opinion isn't really the only opinion I'm representing,' he said. Many of the people Burnett III would need to work with have been actively reaching out to him, a 'refreshing' embrace, he said. They come with praise for his father and questions about what he will change. 'To some extent, if it's not broke, don't fix it, right? But to another extent, I come from a corporate background and a more technological-based background,' he said. 'I have to figure out a mix and balance of keeping that institutional knowledge, while also bringing in a bit more young energy.' The Pilates-practicing, matcha-drinking aldermanic hopeful would have a hard time not making the office last held by the City Council's longest-serving member younger. Burnett III highlighted an internship with Chicago investor John Rogers Jr, a college stint as a Soho House New York butler and, most recently, consulting work on the rollout of family friend Chance the Rapper's new album, out Friday. The latter has made him eager to market Chicago, which he believes does not do enough to show its best face to the world and foster its art. 'We have so many beautiful and amazing artists who come from the city who feel like they have to go out of the city to go find their success and their champions,' he said. 'That would be something I would love to figure out how we, as a city, get behind in supporting.' But notably absent from Burnett III's background is experience in elected office. He acknowledged government experience brings value, but added 'that the city needs new ideas and some folks who don't necessarily come from within the institution.' 'I don't think that everyone within City Hall, within government, has to come from government in order to make positive impacts around the city,' he said. If he is appointed, Burnett III will be Chicago's youngest alderman. He will also be far, far from the first Chicago politician to take over a seat of power from a parent. Such an inheritance can in some ways be a curse, according to former Ald. Deb Mell, who was appointed by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2013 to the Northwest Side 33rd Ward City Council seat vacated by her father, longtime City Hall powerbroker Richard Mell. 'It does get sticky when it's the offspring. It leaves a bad taste in people's mouths, it doesn't matter how good the alderman is,' said Mell, who entered City Hall after serving four years as a state representative. Voters elected Mell to the seat two years later. She then lost a race for a second full term in 2019. Mell, the City Council's first openly lesbian member, noted that 'all the Progressive Caucus' voted against her appointment, an 'interesting' fact as a progressive mayor heads toward the likely appointment of another political heir. Jobs are passed down in many other industries, Mell said. Still, she wishes she had not been appointed to succeed her dad, but had instead waited two years to run in an open election, she said. 'It would have increased my credibility, my independence from my father, you know, assuming I won,' she said. 'That sticks around. People like to choose their leaders. … It was something I kind of struggled with, because I guess deep down, I don't think that's a good way to go.' Real estate agent Cynthia Bednarz is also seeking the 27th Ward seat. The 55-year-old ran for the office in 2019 with calls for a property tax freeze. She pulled in 31.4% of the vote, but failed to make a runoff as Burnett Jr. cruised to a seventh term. Bednarz described herself as a 'Democrat and a liberal,' but said she is foremost an 'independent thinker.' 'I feel like that's what the citizens of this ward deserve,' said Bednarz, who has not worked in government. 'I'm beholden to no one.' She criticized Johnson's veto of an ordinance giving Chicago's police superintendent power to declare sudden teen curfews and added that building more affordable housing is a top focus. 'What I really want is someone who goes out, listens to the public and then reacts accordingly,' she said. Bednarz, who has also been a substitute teacher, a community activist and a block club president, argued that Johnson placed Burnett allies on the committee charged with recommending an appointee. Johnson named three community members to the 27th Ward selection committee, including a former neighborhood group leader, a chamber of commerce president and a job-training nonprofit's community engagement coordinator. Of the three, two have donated to Burnett Jr.'s campaign fund in the last two years, according to state records. 'I feel like the process is really set up to let the mayor pick whoever he wants,' Bednarz said. She also noted a striking change to the process compared to when Johnson appointed Ald. Anthony Quezada to fill a 35th Ward vacancy in April. Applicants for the seat to which Johnson appointed Quezeda were required to have 'a minimum of 5 years of experience in government or public service' as a qualification. The mayor listed no such requirement when he announced the 27th Ward selection committee last week. Johnson on Tuesday said he had not made the change himself. The requirements are set by the committee, he argued. Johnson appoints the selection committee. 'It has more to do with the fact of the makeup of the particular ward,' Johnson said. 'I don't micromanage to that extent where I put forth a blanket, uniformed requirement, because the city of Chicago is far more diverse, and you need more of an eloquent process.' Asked last month what he would say to Chicagoans who believe an inside-the-family appointment would be unfair, Johnson said 'a number of people' will make the recommendation. The ultimate pick must be someone who 'understands the assignment' of building 'the safest, most affordable big city in America,' Johnson said. 'And anyone who is committed to that will be imbibing the spirit of the renowned former vice mayor,' he said.
