User:Chrissamp28/The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act

Overview

Climate Change is one of the most pressing environmental issues of the 21st century. There is constant research which aims to find ways to slow the effects of the damage we have already done as a human race. Decarbonization and electrification are two ways to fight against climate change, research shows, and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (SB2408) does just that. Illinois recently took a step in the right direction when the state passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in September of 2021. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act is a bill which sets Illinois up towards a path of 100% clean energy, invests in training for modern jobs, decarbonizes electric companies, and also brings about reforms.

Decarbonization

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act has multiple aspects to it. One objective of the act is to decarbonize the Illinois’ power sector as a whole. Currently, Illinois is one of the many states which relies heavily on coal and oil as fuel for its power plants. In order to change that reality, the Act aims to reduce carbon pollution within the state by beginning to phase out fossil fuels within the power sector. One of the act's main points is to ensure Illinois reaches a 100% zero emissions power sector before 2045, and in order to ensure this binding laws were placed on industries within the state. The Act made it mandatory for all private electricity companies to permanently reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to zero by no later than January 1, 2030. All of the public units within the state must reduce their emissions by 45% by 2035 and then to zero by 2045. This may be done by shutting the unit down altogether or by switching to a 100% green hydrogen or another similar technology that does not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Electrification

Decarbonizing Illinois’ power sector goes hand in hand with electrifying it. One way the Illinois plans on attacking this problem is by making a swift change to electric vehicles. This is no easy task as the vast majority of the state still uses gasoline powered engines. The Illinois government plans to invest around $80 million annually over the next decade into electric transportation. The state set a lofty goal of increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road to 1,000,000 by 2030. The state is pushing for this to happen, by advocating their wishes to the public. This is a switch which will also benefit the public as 45% of the income from this switch will go towards low income communities within Illinois. It is vital the state begins the talk around the topic sooner than later, as it will make the shift much easier in the future. Illinois is taking it upon themselves to ensure that charging stations are being installed across the state to help assist and encourage the shift.

Clean Energy

While the Act requires for the power source not to use fossil fuels as a resource, the power must still be generated from somewhere. This large task will be tackled by switching to solar and wind power. In efforts to implement renewable energy within the state, Illinois is planning to invest $580 million annually in order to switch their main energy source to wind and solar power. The plan is for 40% of the states’ energy to be generated by wind and solar energy by 2030, and then 50% by 2040. This would be a remarkable achievement considering that less than 10% of Illinois’ energy is produced by wind and solar power today. Another way the state is planning to shift towards clean energy is by funding nuclear plants. Nuclear plants will receive a cumulative $694 million in ‘carbon mitigation credits’. These credits allow generation facilities to stay in business if the energy they produce is 90% or greater free of carbon dioxide emissions.

Jobs

Illinois already has a good clean energy job sector and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act will only enhance what the state already has in place. The new Act advocates for various forms of employment, all in which are said to benefit the environment. One mandate of the Act mentions. it will create new training programs for those soon to be released from incarceration. The training programs will be in both the solar and energy efficiency programs and allot these individuals the opportunity to make money, while potentially changing the trajectory of their lives all together. Additionally, the new Act protects 2,000 of the current jobs in nuclear energy, opens the closed solar incentive programs, and creates thousands of renewable energy jobs.

Conclusion

Illinois is the first midwestern state that will require a carbon free power sector, yet it is not the only state which has this mandate. The other states which also have this mandate are California, Hawaii, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, and Washington. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act helps Illinois take the necessary steps towards a clean energy future.