Reaction to Senate Passage of Energy Bill
A solar project in Fulton County, completed last year.
Numerous leaders and organizations reacted to Senate passage of sweeping energy legislation Monday.
Governor JB Pritzker:
“Today, with the Senate passage of SB 2408, the State of Illinois is making history by setting aggressive standards for a 100 percent clean energy future. After years of debate and discussion, science has prevailed, and we are charting a new future that works to mitigate the impacts of climate change here in Illinois. SB 2408 puts the state on a path toward 100% clean energy and invests in training a diverse workforce for the jobs of the future. Illinois will become the best state in the nation to manufacture and drive an electric vehicle, and equity will be prioritized in every new program created. SB2408 puts consumers and climate at the forefront, prioritizing meaningful ethics and transparency reforms, and institutes key ratepayer and residential customer protections. I’d like to thank Leaders Cunningham and Hastings and Sen. Villanueva for the many hours spent in working group meetings and negotiating sessions. I am proud of the collaborative work between stakeholders, Senate President Don Harmon and Speaker Welch that resulted in a package that makes meaningful progress in protecting our climate and consumers. I look forward to signing this historic measure into law as soon as possible, because our planet and the people of Illinois ought not wait any longer.”
Senate President Don Harmon:
“The threat to our planet is real. Our goal all along was to enact reliable, renewable and affordable energy policies that position Illinois to lead the nation in combatting climate change and growing a green energy economy. That is exactly what we are doing here today. From the beginning, this has been a shared goal and I want to thank the Senate, House and governor’s team for all their work in putting this together.”
Exelon president & CEO Christopher Crane:
“We commend the Governor, the General Assembly, our partners at IBEW Local 15 and the coalition of labor leaders and members who worked so hard to pass this roadmap for rebuilding our economy and addressing the climate crisis by investing in clean energy in a way that ensures that jobs and environmental benefits are shared equitably. This new policy offers a better future for the employees who have run these plants at world-class levels, the plant communities that we are privileged to serve and all Illinoisans eager to build a clean-energy economy that works for everyone.”
House Speaker Chris Welch:
“With the Senate's passage of this comprehensive energy proposal, the Illinois legislature has positioned our state as a national leader for clean energy policies. I was elected to lead the House chamber eight months ago today, and I'm so proud to see all of the hard work we've put into this bill finally come to fruition. I look forward to seeing Governor JB Pritzker sign it into law so we can put Illinois on the path to a greener future, while also prioritizing jobs, a diversified energy sector and much-needed utility ethics reforms. "
Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort):
“Today’s historic agreement is the culmination of a difficult, but worthwhile negotiation process where we refused to accept anything less than the best for Illinois’ clean energy future,” Hastings said. “Our work product is one that is renewable, reliable, and affordable for all Illinoisans. Under Senate Bill 2408, the largest investment in renewable energy in state history, Illinois will embark on an aggressive path to complete clean energy generation by 2050. Additionally, this plan preserves nearly 28,000 direct and indirect jobs and $149 million in local economic impact. Job preservation and economic viability for often forgotten communities remained a focal point for me throughout this process. Not only were we able to preserve these jobs, but we also created the opportunity to train for thousands of new, good-paying jobs in the clean energy sector.”
Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris):
“Senate Bill 2408, which will keep our state’s nuclear plants online passed out of the Senate with a 37 to 17 vote, and now awaits the Governor’s signature. For over two years, we have spent countless hours fighting to preserve our state’s entire nuclear fleet. On the day that the Byron Generating Station was scheduled for decommission, we finally passed a bill that makes that a reality. While I don’t agree with everything that is included in Senate Bill 2408, it does keep our nuclear plants online, saves thousands of jobs, & puts our state on a realistic path to 100 percent clean, carbon-free energy. Without this bill, any hope of bringing a carbon-free energy future to Illinois by 2050 would be all but impossible and thousands of good-paying jobs would be lost throughout our state.”
Illinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jen Walling:
“This is a story about the power of people and the environmental movement in Illinois standing up to big fossil fuel and utility companies--and winning. The passage of this bill is proof that years of education, advocacy and movement building have secured a strong climate action majority in the Illinois General Assembly. Gov. JB Pritzker and environmental champions in the House and Senate sided with their constituents over polluting fossil fuel industries who, until today, dictated energy policy in our state. IEC extends our sincere thanks for their dedication to passing a true climate bill with nation-leading equity standards, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs and put Illinois on a path to a 100% clean energy future. These legislators have provided a just transition for workers and communities historically dependent on dirty fossil fuels. They have enacted some of the toughest utility accountability measures in the nation. And, through this legislation, they will create jobs and wealth in Illinois’ Black and Brown communities, who have too often been the first to suffer the negative consequences of pollution, but the last to reap the health and economic benefits of a clean energy future. The legacy of fossil fuels in the power sector poisoning our communities and driving the climate crisis will officially come to an end in 2045. There is still more work to do, but today we celebrate this leap forward in creating a more equitable and thriving environment for generations to come.”
Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg):
“This energy proposal was an opportunity to recognize the importance of our coal industry and work collaboratively to establish an energy package that would protect jobs, safeguard Illinois’ energy portfolio and ensure we have reliable energy for Illinoisans. Disappointingly, the opportunity was missed and it will have costly consequences for Illinoisans. This energy proposal overlooks the reliability that coal provides to Illinois’ energy portfolio, relying instead on massive subsidies for wind and solar while placing a target on our privately-owned coal plants. The energy package also includes a dangerous eminent domain provision that threatens landowners and is a direct assault on our state’s agricultural sector. This isn’t real comprehensive energy policy. This is an attack on our coal industry that will undoubtedly bring about the greatest energy rate hike in Illinois history, eliminate jobs and will hurt the future of our state.”
Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin:
“Today is a historic day, not just for Illinois, but for the entire nation. Today, legislators listened to the voices of all Illinoisans in passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and Illinois will act on climate change with a plan for a 100% clean energy future that centers equity and racial justice. This bill came about through a coalition-led community engagement process that centered people's needs today and their hopes for the future, and not utilities or special interests. We applaud the work of legislators and stakeholders that helped reach this agreement, and particularly the bold leadership of Governor Pritzker in delivering this historic win for Illinois communities and our planet.”
Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin):
“After years of fighting the battle for clean energy, I am pleased we were able to come together to pass a comprehensive energy package that puts environmental justice and equity at the center of the work to move Illinois to 100% clean energy. Historically, Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and other environmental and health harms that come with burning fossil fuels. Giving these voices a chance to lead the transition to clean energy was a top priority that was reached in this legislation. I am proud to have worked over the last few years on an ethical clean energy plan to bring Illinois to the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis.”
Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro):
“This legislation sets a terrible precedent by allowing a private company to take someone’s land under the guise of eminent domain. Eminent domain has always been used by the government for the sole purpose of providing property for public use. Under this legislation, we have given the greenlight to take private land from citizens to allow a private company to make money. The rights and property of our landowners should be protected. Yet, today we have pushed through a proposal that sends a clear message. When a profit is on the line, those rights don’t matter. It’s a direct assault on the people of this state. And the attacks don’t end there. This legislation is the highest energy increase in Illinois history, adding to the burdens placed on small businesses and citizens who are already struggling. I would not support a proposal that places profits and bailouts above the wellbeing and future of Illinoisans.”
Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton:
“I commend my friends and former colleagues in the General Assembly for passing these reforms, as well as the advocates from across the state who championed this bill, because the time to act against climate change is long overdue. Recently, we have seen the devastating effects of rising temperatures through wildfires, hurricanes, and droughts. Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities bear the brunt of this global emergency. This law ensures they will have a voice in our efforts to slow climate change through expanded job opportunities and entrepreneurial inclusion in the clean energy sector. We need to embrace bold measures that are based in science and uplift all of us. Senate Bill 2408 is an essential tool in our fight for justice, equity, and opportunity in what should be a much healthier, greener future.”
Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley):
“While I wish I could have supported this bill to save the Byron Nuclear Plant, the fact is this energy package does more harm to the people of this state than it does to protect them. The Governor and his allies have created a no-win situation with this energy proposal, holding Byron and other nuclear facilities hostage. Under this proposal, the only way Bryon was to be allowed to remain open was if lawmakers supported the largest utility rate increase in Illinois history and awarded massive subsidies to wind and solar energy companies. Yet, even then, Byron will only remain open until 2028. For the past two years, we have tried to find a compromise that recognized the importance of Illinois’ nuclear fleet while also supporting wind and solar companies. But we’ve been ignored. Instead, we are left with a bill that will accelerate job loss, undercut Illinoisan’s energy reliability with no viable replacements, and bolster the economies of our neighboring states to the detriment of hardworking Illinoisans. The damage will be irreversible. This proposal could have helped safeguard the future of our state’s nuclear presence, but the Majority Party prioritized bailouts and subsidies over what was best for Illinois homeowners and job creators. I’m disappointed that I could not support this energy package, but this proposal was merely a Band-Aid fix for Byron with permanent consequences for ratepayers and businesses.”
