Local and National Leaders Laud Illinois Effort to Accelerate A Just Transition to Clean Energy

Chicago, IL. – As all eyes turn to Chicago and the historic events unfolding during the Democratic National Convention, state and federal leaders and environmental advocates gathered on Wednesday to highlight Illinois’ leadership on climate policy. Last Friday, August 16, marked the second anniversary of President Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — the largest investment in clean energy in United States history — into law. Coupled with Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which passed in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan has expedited Illinois’ transition to clean energy while also lifting up workers and centering communities most in need of jobs, clean air, and affordable energy. Illinois’ leadership on climate policy offers a blueprint for equitable, scaleable climate action nationwide.

“Thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, Governor JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and his administration, and the countless advocates who call Illinois home, Illinois is a blueprint for clean energy progress and environmental protection nationwide,” said Illinois Environmental Council Director Jen Walling. “Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the federal Inflation Reduction Act are powerful together. Illinois is uniquely and competitively positioned to leverage federal climate investments, and we’ve been able to make historic strides toward our clean energy future more quickly, equitably, and strategically than other states. Illinois is leading the way.”

“In the past two years, the Biden-Harris administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan has delivered tremendous benefits in my district and across Illinois, creating good paying clean energy jobs, lowering energy costs, and bringing climate investments to environmental justice communities who need it most,” said US Representative Sean Casten. “Here in Illinois, we take the climate crisis seriously. I’m proud to have worked to pass and now implement the Inflation Reduction Act, and am similarly proud to live in a state where my own state representatives passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Together, these policies are investing in clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and large-scale energy storage, ensuring we reduce emissions to the degree necessary to leave a livable planet behind for our children and grandchildren.”

CEJA set up the infrastructure, programs, and much of the funding needed to spur Illinois’ transition to clean energy. With that work already underway, Illinois is uniquely and competitively positioned to leverage federal climate investments in the IRA. That progress is playing out on the local and state level across Illinois.

“The Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act accelerates the City of Chicago’s existing goals in our Climate Action Plan, making it possible for Chicago to meet the urgency of the climate crisis while also delivering utility savings and protecting public health,” said City of Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar. “Look no further than the amazing work happening on the West Side of Chicago and in communities like North Lawndale, where homeowners are already seeing the benefits of this historic investment in climate action.”

Local Chicagoans are seeing the benefits of bold climate policy through programs that support building electrification. Fossil fuel use in commercial and residential buildings accounts for more than two-thirds of Chicago’s climate pollution and endangers everyone, but is particularly harmful to children and Chicago’s most vulnerable communities. Elevate is working with homeowners in North Lawndale to use IRA incentives to help families transition to all-electric technologies in their homes.

“The IRA prioritizes benefits for the communities with the greatest needs, and will fund projects like the ones highlighted today in North Lawndale,” said Dr. Anne Evens, Chief Executive Officer of Elevate. “We’ve started the process of reducing fossil fuel consumption in homes in this community, which will also help more people access cooling in their homes which is vital protection from the increased extreme heat. Additionally, these projects improve air quality and health in people’s homes, while helping families lower their energy costs. This project generates income for diverse contractors while also reducing carbon emissions, and helping communities reach climate equity.”

Local North Lawndale homeowner Tekuila McGee recently swapped the fossil-fuel-powered devices in her home for all-electric technologies that are less expensive, healthier, and better for the environment.

“I’ve always been interested in electrifying my home, but I didn’t know how to start the process,” said North Lawndale homeowner Tekuila McGee. “The upgrades I was able to make with the help of Elevate have improved my life by increasing the value of my home, lowering my monthly utility bills, and making my indoor air quality much safer–all while reducing my carbon footprint–and I want others to know that these opportunities are possible through CEJA and the IRA.”

IRA funding to transition to clean and efficient homes and buildings will also create thousands more good-paying union jobs, and because of the workforce development programs established by CEJA, Illinois is already set up to train and employ those workers.

“Our work to decarbonize buildings across the country is not just about reducing carbon emissions—it’s about creating opportunities for the communities that need them most. Thanks to the CEJA and the IRA, we are able to leverage significant resources to provide clean energy workforce training and job opportunities right here in Chicago,” said Donnel Baird, Chief Executive Officer of BlocPower. “These policies are empowering us to build a more equitable and sustainable future, where every Chicagoan—and every American—has the chance to be part of the clean energy transition.”

“It may sound like one home here, one home there, but what we’ve been able to do through this city, state and federal partnership is a game changer,” said Ali Zaidi. “Already in its first year, 3.4 million Americans have drawn down the Biden-Harris Inflation Reduction Action tax credits to make retrofits in their homes, helping them save money, live more comfortably, and contribute to the essential task of creating cleaner air, cleaner water and a fairer society.”

To view coverage of today’s press conference, click here.