Five years after CEJA became law, advocates highlight transformative progress in our transition to a clean energy future
ILLINOIS — Today marks five years since Illinois enacted the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), landmark clean energy legislation to pave the way to our clean energy future. Through CEJA, Illinois is expanding renewable energy infrastructure, creating clean energy training and career pathways, and directing new investments to communities historically burdened by pollution and excluded from economic opportunity across Illinois.
To mark five years since CEJA was signed into law, the ICJC is highlighting five key stats demonstrating the enormity of our progress:
- CEJA reactivated and doubled the state’s investment in renewable energy incentives leading to an explosion in solar capacity. Cumulative solar capacity has skyrocketed from just 40 Megawatts (MW) in 2019 to over 4,500 MW today and 12,500 MW by 2030.
- Clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs three to one and over the past decade, solar and wind employment has grown at a faster rate than the overall employment rate in Illinois.
- CEJA launched 14 workforce training hubs in communities across the state to train workers for the jobs of the future and more than 800 Illinoisans have already graduated through these hubs.
- As of May, 3,220 Illinoisans have completed CEJA climate-works pre apprenticeship programs with 1,188 Illinoisans placed in clean energy jobs, apprenticeships, and advanced training.
- More than $120 million has been distributed to communities impacted by coal plant, mine, or nuclear closures through the Energy Transition Community Grant Program with an additional $40 million to be distributed annually until 2045.
“Five years ago, Illinois made a historic commitment to build a cleaner, more equitable economy, and the results have been transformative,” said Christine Nannicelli on behalf of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition. “Thousands of megawatts of new solar are powering our communities, thousands of Illinoisans are gaining the skills they need to compete for good-paying clean energy jobs, and millions of dollars are going directly to communities navigating the energy transition. CEJA proved that bold climate action can create jobs, drive investment, and expand opportunity and we look forward to continuing to build on our progress.”
Five years after CEJA put Illinois on a path toward a clean energy future, unchecked growth of data centers has emerged as a serious threat to our progress. That is why the ICJC proposed the POWER Act, which would hold big tech accountable and protect working families. The POWER Act ensures ratepayers don’t foot the bill for power hungry data centers, protects our water, and ends the backroom deals that leave communities in the dark. The POWER Act is how we ensure our clean energy transition continues to lower costs, create opportunity, and put communities and ratepayers first.
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