Recent federal policies, like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the CHIPS and Science Act, as well as state laws like the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act make unprecedented investments in the clean energy economy and create promise for strong future growth in clean energy jobs.

Still, there is more to do to meet the nation’s climate goals of reducing climate emissions by 50 percent by 2030, improving equity in the clean energy economy, and growing clean energy jobs:

• Implement recently passed federal policies to support a rapid and just transition to clean energy. The IRA, IIJA, and the CHIPS and Science Act include a combined investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in the clean energy economy. Coordination across federal, state, and local agencies will be integral to maximize the effectiveness of this historic level of funding.
• Continue to fund federal and state workforce development programs. One of the largest barriers to clean energy job growth is the challenge to fill open positions. Workforce training will be critical to the continued growth of the industry, as 84 percent of employers in Illinois report at least some difficulty hiring workers.
• Expand our regional transmission grid and increase access for clean energy projects. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)’s recent announcement of new transmission infrastructure will improve the region’s congested grid. More is needed from MISO and the Midwest’s other regional transmission organizations, PJM and the Southwest Power Pool, as many wind and solar projects will not be built if the transmission is not there to integrate them.
• Advance state and local clean energy policies. Illinois has the opportunity to strengthen the state’s clean energy industry by building on the success of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and electrifying the transportation and building sectors. Standards like the Advanced Clean Truck rule and the Zero Emissions Vehicle rule will hasten the transition to electric vehicles and position the state to be a leader in jobs and electric vehicle manufacturing. To accelerate the electrification of buildings, the city of Chicago should join other major cities in adopting a building performance standard and require that all new buildings be built to run solely on electricity.