Monday, August 30
Path to 100 Coalition and Climate Jobs Illinois are united in their support for HB 3666, the omnibus energy legislation filed today in the Illinois General Assembly. This legislation will prevent the loss of thousands of Illinois energy jobs in September and is the result of more than two years of debate and compromise by all parties. The legislation provides the policy support necessary to quickly transition our energy sector to being carbon-free in a responsible, cost-effective manner. With this bill, getting to 100% clean energy is within our grasp.
HB 3666 will support new wind and solar installations that will power our communities, create more than 53,000 new construction jobs and save consumers $1.2 billion by 2031. It includes the strongest labor standards in the nation, provisions to transition workers and communities to clean energy, and critical requirements for diversity, equity and inclusion in the renewable energy industry.
Months of delay have pushed Illinois renewable energy companies and nuclear plants to the brink. Without action now, Illinois will lose at least two nuclear plants as well as much of the renewable energy industry. Without this legislation, hundreds of millions of tons of additional CO2 will be released into the atmosphere over the next two decades, and thousands of hard-working men and women will lose their jobs and the communities that rely on Illinois’ clean energy economy will suffer. At a time when we see the ravages of climate change all around us, we cannot allow that to happen. We urge Legislators not to miss this historic opportunity.