Success! General Assembly Passes Climate and Equitable Jobs Act
On Monday, September 13, the General Assembly passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (SB 2408, CEJA), which will put Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future by 2050 and provide 100% carbon-free power by 2045.
WHAT DOES THE CLIMATE AND EQUITABLE JOBS ACT DO?
The major components of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (SB2408) will make Illinois a leader in the nation by putting us on the path to 100% clean energy by the middle of this century. CEJA will:
BUILD AN EQUITABLE CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE FOR ALL
Over $80 million per year for workforce and contractor development programs targeted in equity focused communities, including 16 hubs throughout the state
Minimum diversity and equity requirements for all renewable energy projects and dedicated support for disadvantaged contractors to participate in the clean energy economy
Creates new training programs for soon-to-be released people who are incarcerated for jobs in the solar and energy efficiency sectors
Creates a Green Bank to finance clean energy projects and a Jobs and Environmental Justice Grant Program to provide seed capital for disadvantaged businesses
PROTECT THE PLANET AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Sets Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future by 2050 and delivers 100% carbon-free power by 2045, by closing coal and fossil gas on timelines that guarantee climate action, public health protection, and prioritization of environmental justice communities. This includes closing the nation’s 7th largest polluter by 2045, with 45% emissions reductions by 2035.
Funding to get from 9% to 40% renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040 by building 3.5x more renewable energy each year than FEJA
Commits up to $80m per year over the next decade to electric transportation with 45% of benefits going to environmental justice and low-income communities
HOLD UTILITIES ACCOUNTABLE
Ends formula rates and revolutionizes ratemaking to align utility spending with performance measures driven by reliability, equity, affordability, and clean energy goals
Rigorous new ethics standards with restrictions on and transparency into utility lobbying and spending
New ICC ethics oversight division to audit and enforce utility ethics compliance
ENSURE AFFORDABLE ENERGY BILLS AND EXPANDS CONSUMER PROTECTIONS
Creates a process for a new low-income rate and prohibits various late fees for low- income customers
Increases the Illinois Solar for All program from $10m/year to $50m/year
Creates new inclusive financing mechanisms for families to invest in energy upgrades
TRANSITION FOSSIL FUEL WORKERS AND COMMUNITIES
Establishes a $40 million grant program for communities where nuclear or fossil fuel- generators and mines have or will close to grants to address the social and economic impacts
Establishes the Displaced Energy Worker Bill of Rights for fossil fuel plant workers
Creates incentives to build solar generation and energy storage at the site of closed or soon-to-close coal generation
CREATE AND PROTECT GOOD-PAYING, CARBON-FREE JOBS
Protects over 2,000 jobs in nuclear energy plants by providing financial carbon mitigation credits to three nuclear plants for a five-year period, at $5 billion less than Exelon demanded
Immediately opens the closed solar incentive programs to save solar jobs, and creates thousands of new renewable jobs
Expands labor standards to require project labor agreements on all utility-scale projects