Illinoisans could spend the summer contemplating the consequences for jobs, climate and the energy industry, feeling hope or disappointment.

At press time, it seems as if Illinois lawmakers could put the state on track toward a future of caring for the environment, stabilizing sustainable-energy companies, and helping consumers and workers – or again complicating the goal and missing another chance.

Chances for the climate and the inhabitants herein are dwindling.

May 31 is the deadline for the legislature’s spring session when several measures about sustainability in energy and business exist. Each seems to have positives, but improvements will help avoid inaction.

As this is written, four key proposals are:

• Consumers and Climate First Act (HB 4074)
• Clean Energy Jobs Act (HB 0804)
• Climate Union Jobs Act (HB 1472)
• Path to 100 Act (HB 2640)

Consumers and Climate First, introduced April 29, renews funding for solar installations, sets state standards for wind and solar facilities, and it eliminates utility companies’ automatic rate increases and surcharges. But it proposes some electric rate hikes and has a jobs-creation provision weaker than other bills. However, it also addresses ethics (timely, given the scandal involving Exelon/ComEd and cohorts of ex-Speaker Mike Madigan), including prohibiting ratepayer funds from being used for “charitable” donations.

For the future, it wants to phase out coal by 2030 and natural gas by 2045 (maybe tardy given a recent Harvard study showing natural-gas pollution is responsible for more deaths and health costs than coal in Illinois).

“This is the right bill at the right time,” said Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell.

STATUS: sitting in the Rules Committee since its introduction.

Clean Energy Jobs, first introduced in 2019, when it unfortunately was set aside because of other issues, the current version was introduced Feb. 9. It wants the state to use 100% renewable energy by 2050 and includes business incentives to get industry on board (as if avoiding environmental catastrophe isn’t sufficient).

“CEJA has broad appeal because it not only strives to provide environmental justice to communities of color,” said Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, “but it also addresses the needs of communities left by the wayside when coal companies cut and run, leaving joblessness, contaminated worksites, and property-tax revenue deficits in their wake.”

Non-governmental supporters include the Sierra Club and the Alliance for Climate Education youth group.

STATUS: with 45 sponsors, it passed the Energy & Environment Committee March 15 and sits in the Rules Committee.

Climate Union Jobs was introduced Feb. 11 saying it will create hundreds of union jobs working on state-subsidized clean-energy projects and save another 200,000 jobs, according to co-sponsor Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort. It aims to increase subsidies for non-carbon electricity generation including nuclear power plants and enact worker rights for people displaced by the transition to renewable energy.

“What makes this legislation different from other ideas out there – and, yes, we do share the same goals as many others – is that it puts working families at the center of Illinois’ clean energy efforts, where they should be,” said Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, the Republican co-sponsor in the Senate, along with five Democrats. The House version has two Republican co-sponsors and four Democrats.

“By preserving the Dresden nuclear plant,” she continued, “we can keep delivering hundreds of middle-class jobs for families and carbon-free electricity for the state.”

The bill also responds to public concerns about ethics by including transparency and accountability mandates for utilities.

Backed by the Illinois AFL-CIO, it has some opposition, including the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, whose director Abe Scarr said, “It doubles down on the worst policies passed during ComEd’s corrupt scheme and makes them worse.”

STATUS: On April 13, it was unanimously recommended for adoption by the Public Utilities Commission and has been in the Rules Committee since April 23.

Path to 100 claims to enable the creation of more than 50,000 jobs and the addition of $8.7 billion in economic output. Introduced Feb. 18 by Rep. William Davis, D-Homewood, it says it would provide $1.9 billion in payments to landowners and also savings for distributed and community solar customers.

STATUS: It also passed the Energy & Environment Committee March 15 and has been in the Rules Committee since April 23.