Latest news with #IllinoisEnvironmentalCouncil
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Audit finds state agency fell short on social equity initiatives outlined in Gov. JB Pritzker's landmark climate bill
Gov. JB Pritzker's economic development agency fell short in implementing elements of the governor's landmark climate bill aimed at ensuring social equity in the effort to move the state toward a carbon-free future, Illinois' auditor general said in a report released this week. From June 2022 to June 2024, the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity failed to implement programs designed to assist clean energy contractors in underserved areas and to deliver clean energy jobs training to people exiting Illinois prisons, two social equity elements that were part of one of the country's most ambitious climate bills, the audit found. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, outlines the Pritzker administration's plan for reaching 40% renewable energy by 2030 while also creating opportunities for workers from underserved groups. Christian Mitchell, the governor's pick as his running mate for next year's election, led negotiations on the law when he was a deputy governor in 2021. 'It's obviously frustrating when you see this legislation not make progress, and it's taken time to fully staff up the agencies and ensure those programs are on deck,' said Francisco Lopez Zavala, who leads workforce programs at the Illinois Environmental Council. 'But I continue to remain very positive.' The law contains many specific programs designed to bring climate job opportunities to workers from diverse backgrounds, but several fell short in the first years that the law was on the books, the audit said. For example, the law designates the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program as a 'central small business support program' to provide services including 'low-cost capital, training, mentorship' and networking at certain sites in Illinois communities, according to an October 2023 press release. Pritzker at that time said DCEO would award $21 million for the program. While the department said it selected some sites for awards, 'no grants were executed by the end of the examination period,' the audit said. DCEO has made progress in implementing CEJA since the time period covered by the audit, Lopez Zavala said, but applications for the incubator program remain under review, according to DCEO's website. The audit also found DCEO failed to administer a program to prepare people prior to their release from from Illinois prisons for work in the clean energy arena. Pritzker announced $6 million in funding for that program in February 2024. As with the contractor program, applications for the 'Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program' remain under review, according to DCEO's website. And a program for community-based organizations to receive funding as energy 'navigators' — providing outreach services to ensure vulnerable people know about job opportunities — didn't specifically prioritize grants to organizations that had experience serving people affected by climate change, as mandated by CEJA. The department said in a response included in the audit that it does look at capacity to serve communities 'most vulnerable to environmental injustices.' DCEO did not dispute the auditor's findings, according to the response included in the report. In some cases, the department indicated the delays in implementing CEJA initiatives were the result of 'necessary lead time' to administer the programs. Pritzker's office referred questions about the audit to DCEO. In its response to questions from the Tribune, DCEO spokesperson Jordan Troy said the department had made 'substantial progress on key initiatives sine the time of the audit.' 'CEJA established a first-of-its-kind statewide clean energy workforce and contractor development framework – one that required building entirely new infrastructure, partnerships, and delivery systems,' Troy said in an email. 'As with any new and ambitious effort, implementation has required deliberate planning, stakeholder collaboration, and foundational capacity-building to ensure long-term success and accountability.' Lopez Zavala attributed some of the issues confronting DCEO to hiring delays — a characterization that aligned with another part of the auditor's report — though he said the department has made additional progress this year. Apart from the findings on CEJA specifically, the auditor found the department had an excessive number of open jobs on its organizational chart. During the period the auditor examined, there were no employees filling half of the department's positions, the audit said. Department management said DCEO views the vacancies as placeholders and not necessarily jobs that they need to fill, as it can be difficult to establish new positions, the audit said. Still, the department has continued to make progress on Pritzker's signature bill, advocates said. DCEO didn't implement the part of the law on workforce hubs, a central part of the CEJA job training strategy, until after June 2024 even though the department received funding for the program during the audit period, according to the report. Several workforce hubs now exist and most of them have graduated at least one to three cohorts of 15 to 30 job seekers each, according to Hannah Flath, a spokesperson for IEC. In addition, DCEO said in its response to the Tribune that it has made 219 awards overall on CEJA, totaling more than $200 million, according to the department. Each part of the law takes time and effort to bring to life, as CEJA is a huge piece of legislation, advocates said. 'We're seeing (that) not only from the state agencies themselves like DCEO, acknowledging some of the initial faults that they had and addressing those by working hard to implement CEJA — and then also from our communities,' Lopez Zavala said. 'It takes time to train a lot of these folks who haven't had these opportunities in the past.'
Axios
09-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
How Trump's megabill affects Illinois' environment
Illinois environmental advocates are decrying President Trump's megabill, calling it a "misguided" plan that " puts polluters first," while Republican Rep. Mary Miller has praised it as a policy that "unleashes American energy." Why it matters: Both sides agree that it will have a major impact on Illinois. The big picture: The bill rolls back Biden-era policies that supported wind, solar and battery-stored energy as well as electric vehicles. It replaces them with eased permitting and more tax credits for coal, oil and other fossil fuels. At least 4 million additional acres of federal land will be available for mining, and the hydrogen tax credit will be available through 2028. 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. The other side: In a news release, Miller characterized the changes as "ending radical 'Green' New Scam tax subsidies." Axios reached out to all three Illinois Republican representatives who voted for the bill, including Miller, Mike Bost and Darin LaHood, but none commented. Timeline: The bill includes termination dates for clean energy programs, including these, which the Illinois Environmental Council flagged as some of the most important: Sept. 30, 2025, marks the last day you can buy an EV and still qualify for a $4,000 to $7,000 federal tax credit. Dec. 31, 2025, is when you must have started construction on energy-efficient home improvements — including insulation or installation of solar, wind and heat pump technology — to get tax credits worth up to 30% of project cost. Dec. 31, 2027, is when hydrogen energy production facilities must start operating to qualify for tax credits. By the numbers: The federal Joint Economic Committee estimated that the expiring tax credits helped the average American family save $1,080 per year. According to state figures, the megabill could endanger 300 clean energy projects and 26,000 jobs by 2030 in Illinois if already initiated manufacturing and construction projects that would have benefitted from tax incentives fold. Under the bill, Illinois households could see average energy bills increase by $168 this year, according to the Citizens Utility Board. Zoom in: Illinois solar associations are urging state lawmakers to help soften the federal losses with state legislation to add more wind, solar and battery-stored power to the grid. A bill that would have done that came close but failed in the last session.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Bring Your Own New Clean Energy': a proposed fix for Illinois' power grid shortcomings draws criticism from manufacturers
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — 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 has. Data centers, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing projects all are utilizing more energy than state lawmakers say they could have imagined when they passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. 'When we negotiated the bill, no one talked about data centers. We had heard of them, but no one ever saw them becoming an issue,' Senator Bill Cunningham said. 'They've become a gigantic issue.' Environmentalists want the state to require any new project looking to set up shop in Illinois that needs over 25 megawatts of energy will have to supply their own clean energy. 'I think the whole country is going to face this the demands of data centers,' Jen Walling with the Illinois Environmental Council said. 'You know, nothing is free. We're paying for it somehow. So that is a way that we need to address that by bringing cheap renewable energy.' They even have a name for the idea. 'We're looking at 'bring your own new clean energy,' Walling said. 'We have our anagram of B.Y.O.N.C.E' Businesses say the idea will have a very different economic impact than the global sensation its named after. 'If you're going to add significant cost to the state of Illinois in energy, you're going to see less economic development and less large projects coming to the state of Illinois,' President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers Association Mark Denzler said. Illinois would be the only state with this policy, according to Denzler, and he says it would put the state at a huge disadvantage, 'Illinois is competing, for example, against Wisconsin and Michigan and Ohio. And they can assure that company that they can hook up to the grid and they can start constructing within a few months versus Illinois. It might take a couple of years to build this new project and get hooked up,' Denzler said. Other ideas included in the draft energy package included a partial lift of the nuclear moratorium. The ban on new nuclear construction was first put in place in the 1970's. New nuclear energy is seen as a long term play for more energy production. Illinois already has one of the biggest nuclear fleets as part of it's power grid. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois GOP criticizes clean energy plan over cost concerns
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois Republicans are sounding the alarm about a proposed clean energy plan, saying it will only increase costs for you. The goal of the Clean and Reliability Grid Affordability Act is to accelerate Illinois' transition to renewable energy. It would upgrade the power grid and create a battery storage plan. Large data centers would also be required to supply their own energy. 'Illinois is on the brink of an energy crisis, a crisis driven by bad policies from the Pritzker administration,' said State Rep. Travis Weaver (R-Pekin). 'The Pritzker Power Plan is bad for job creators, bad for families, bad for taxpayers and ratepayers,' said State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria). Supporters like the Illinois Environmental Council said the bill will accelerate clean energy, boost reliability, and protect consumers from high energy bills. But Republicans said they're not buying it. 'You have to have an environment for economic growth. You can't offer incentives for data centers and then two years later, turn around and say, no, we want to penalize data centers. We require data centers to now bring their own power. And again, not just data centers, but all sorts of manufacturing opportunities that could be a lifeblood for a small town, providing hundreds of jobs throughout the state of Illinois,' said Spain. 'Energy intensive manufacturers can expect to experience as much as a $3 million rise in their energy costs without effects. This sends a clear message from the governor. Manufacturing companies are not welcome here,' said Weaver. Republicans said the state's energy challenges will result in an increase of 18-22% on your Ameren bill this summer. They said they need to pass a new energy plan, but not this one. 'I think the timing is disastrous with what we're facing for pricing increases throughout the summer. So we need to go back to the drawing board and think about how we're actually going to get fixed,' said Spain. 'House Republicans have a full slate of proposals ready to right the ship as we enter the last few days of our legislative session. Let's remember bad policy brought us here. Only smart policy can get us out,' added Weaver. The legislative session ends May 31. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Town hall focuses on future of regional public transportation; ‘It has to be accessible, affordable and energy-efficient'
People in Lake County using public transportation want to find the easiest and quickest way to get where they are going, be it by bus or train. Many want the modes of transit to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Members of the Illinois General Assembly, with support from public interest groups like the Sierra Club, the Illinois Environmental Council, the Climate Cabinet and others, are trying to create the organizational structure and funding to make it happen. Now operated by four separate agencies — Pace, Metra, the CTA and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) — in a six-county area around Chicago, there is legislation pending in the state legislature to transform the quartet into a single agency. Known as the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act (MMA), Michael Podgers, the Midwest policy lead for the Climate Cabinet, said a unified agency could coordinate schedules and fares to make a trip more efficient and less time-consuming. 'Right now, a bus will show up right after a train leaves,' Podgers said. 'A coordinated schedule will have the bus arrive five minutes before the train, and wait five minutes after it arrives so the people getting off the train can board the bus.' Podgers was one of two activists and eight state legislators to speak at a Transportation Town Hall Wednesday in Waukegan, explaining the current state of public transportation in northeast Illinois and how it can be reformed in an environmentally positive way. Dany Robles, the climate policy director for the Illinois Environmental Council, said his trip from his home in Chicago to Waukegan was an example of the possibilities. He took a bus to a CTA train, and then boarded a Metra train to Waukegan. 'It was a short walk here (to the Christ Episcopal Church) from the station,' Robles said. 'In any form, taking public transportation will reduce greenhouse gases. The more people use it, there will be less cars on the road.' Along with creating a more efficient system, public transportation locally and nationwide is facing a fiscal cliff. When people stopped using public transportation during the coronavirus pandemic, federal funding covered the shortfall, keeping it afloat. State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, introduced the MMA in January. He said ridership is increasing, but fares are not enough to cover the $771 million differential needed to keep the trains and buses running. Even more is required for the future. 'Federal funding will run out by 2026,' Villivalam said. 'We don't (yet) know how to fill the gap for next year. We need $1.5 billion to get to 2050. That's our goal. We need $1.5 billion, not $771 million.' Public transportation needs to be as energy-efficient as possible, but state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, said it needs to be more. Plans must be equitable, enabling the people who most need to use buses and trains to do so. 'It has to be accessible, affordable and energy-efficient, and reach our most vulnerable population,' Dias said. 'It's a question of equity and accessibility. Those with low income and with disabilities need it. They are among our most vulnerable.' 'It has to be safe, equitable and sensible,' added state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove. Chair of the state Senate Transportation Committee, Villivalam said having four agencies managing public transportation in the Chicago area is not the most efficient method. It worked 50 years ago when it was formed. He is looking at something that will be sustainable through 2050. 'We need to look at what will work, what level of funding is needed and how is it going to be funded. There needs to be coordination between Pace, Metra and the CTA,' Villivalam said. 'All the people want is to get from point A to point B.' State Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, made it clear what she wants to see when the MMA bill gets to the House of Representatives chamber. She wants to see an agency that does not include the RTA. 'The RTA is very, very Chicago-heavy,' Mayfield said. 'There are bus drivers in Chicago making over $300,000 a year because of overtime. The system is broken. How are we going to fix it? People want to get from point A to point B, and do it efficiently.' Along with Lake County, the others included are Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and Will counties.
