UPDATES

Salesforce invests in wind farm as it grows in Chicago area

August 30, 2018

Corilyn Shropshire | Chicago Tribune Tech firm Salesforce said it will back the construction of a new renewable energy wind farm in McLean County, a project that has been in the planning stages for 10 years. The Bright Stalk Wind Farm will be built near Bloomington-Normal, and owned and operated by EDP Renewables North America,…

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Statement from the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition Regarding the VW Settlement Plan

August 29, 2018

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) released its final plan today to invest the $108 million settlement the state received from Volkswagen. The plan was revised after advocates called for more public input in the process. The revised plan includes a significant increase in investments toward electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a reduction in administrative costs,…

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Solar companies flock to Illinois, bringing jobs, enthusiasm and some questions

August 28, 2018

Kari Lydersen | Energy News Network The family company Wellspring Components started four generations ago to fabricate metal for horse-drawn buggies for Amish families in Indiana. Today, its offshoot Wellspring Solar is among a growing number of national and Midwestern companies launching new solar operations in Illinois, thanks to incentives under the state’s Future Energy…

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Editorial | Champaign County moves into solar-power age

August 26, 2018

The Editorial Board Thanks to the 2016 adoption of the Illinois Future Jobs Act, counties all over Illinois are acting on solar-farm ordinances and proposed solar farms. Champaign County joined the parade last week with the adoption of a solar-farm ordinance. At the time the Legislature passed the Illinois Future Jobs Act in December 2016,…

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Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition Statement on Just-Released Midwest Clean Jobs Report

August 8, 2018

For Immediate Release       Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018   Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition Statement on Just-Released Midwest Clean Jobs Report Illinois is home to a third of the Midwest’s new renewable energy jobs, according to Midwest Clean Jobs, a clean energy jobs report released today from the Clean Energy Trust (CET) and the national,…

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Pockets of sunshine: Marshall County zoning panel OKs three more solar energy projects

July 22, 2018

Gary L. Smith | The Peoria Journal Star LACON – Marshall County’s list of potential future solar energy installations continued to grow last week with Zoning Board of Appeals approval of three projects of the type being developed at numerous sites around central Illinois and elsewhere in the state. The panel voted unanimously Thursday night…

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Guest Commentary | State’s solar potential just starting to show

July 22, 2018

Lesley McCain | The News-Gazette Solar energy is a bright spot in Illinois’ economy, rapidly creating jobs across the state. And we’re just getting started. Solar businesses, unlike those in many other industries, are rushing to Illinois to set up shop. These companies are attracted by falling equipment costs and a stable state policy that…

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No Longer a Novelty, Clean Energy Technologies Boom All Across the US

July 19, 2018

Julia Pyper | Green Tech Media A new report documents the democratization of renewables, energy storage and electric vehicles in America. Last year, the U.S. produced a record amount of solar power, generating 39 times more solar power than a decade ago. In 2008, solar produced 0.05 percent of electricity in the U.S. But by…

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New program makes soaking up the sun easy

July 15, 2018

Blake Haas | WJBC NORMAL – As the summer heats up, residents in Bloomington-Normal can catch some rays at a discounted price. For homeowners, farmers, or business owners soaking up the sun has never been easier in the Twin Cities. Solar Bloomington-Normal achieved its first benchmark program since it was founded in 2016, triggering a…

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Three more solar projects seek permits in Marshall County

July 15, 2018

Gary L. Smith | The Peoria Journal Star LACON — Marshall County has become something of a hotbed of the 2-megawatt “community solar” projects that are a staple of the state’s emerging solar industry, and three are scheduled for public hearings this week before the Zoning Board of Appeals. Highland Park-based Trajectory Energy Partners LLC,…

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