Federal and Local Climate Legislation Touching Down in Illinois

What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we can slow warming enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. That’s why TNC is working with government officials to advance policies that grow clean energy, boost energy efficiency and electrify the transportation sector. In 2022, lawmakers passed bills at both the state and federal level that will play a significant role in tackling climate change in Illinois—and across the country.

At the federal level, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a landmark law that sets the country on the path to reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030. This law includes major investments in clean energy, with an emphasis on incentivizing domestic energy production. Green energy projects and programs already underway in Illinois are ready to receive funding from the IRA. IRA funding will also boost investment in climate-smart agriculture on working farmlands by authorizing $19.5 billion nationwide in conservation programs that pay farmers to adopt sustainable methods, such as cover crops. These programs are popular and already being used by many Illinois farmers, so funding from IRA stands to help scale up the number of acres farmed with sustainable practices.

In addition to federal policy, Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in September 2021, which puts the state on a path to 50% renewable energy by 2040. As a member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition—made up of environmental, labor, health, faith and other community-based organizations—TNC advocated for the law’s passage and is now helping to implement it. The legislation primes Illinois for a rapid buildout of renewable energy. To facilitate a smooth and durable clean energy transition, TNC is working to ensure that new energy infrastructure is located and built in a way that minimizes harm and maximizes benefits for nature. The following two programs are examples of these efforts.

Mining the Sun

TNC’s Mining the Sun program, which was developed in Nevada and West Virginia, works to unlock the clean energy potential of degraded lands by repurposing mine lands and brownfields as sites for solar panels. Prioritizing these lands for renewable energy can ease pressure on natural areas and prime farmland while also benefiting local communities. Owing to a long history of coal mining and industrial development, Illinois contains significant degraded land with potential suitability for clean energy. To move this program forward in the Prairie State, TNC completed a policy analysis in 2022 to identify promising pathways forward to unlock this potential. Looking ahead, TNC will work with key partners to further assess the opportunity, work through barriers and identify lands with the most potential for demonstration projects.

Greening the Clean Energy Transition

The transition to renewable energy, including solar, is critical for people and nature. But not all solar installations employ best practices to maximize potential environmental and social benefits. To leverage new solar energy for the biggest conservation impact, TNC has developed guidance for integrating pollinator-friendly habitat in and around solar panels. In Illinois, where significant expanses of natural landscapes have been lost to development, planting beneficial vegetation alongside solar can provide habitat for pollinator species, such as the iconic monarch butterfly. In addition to supporting biodiversity, co-locating pollinator-friendly habitat in solar installations can improve soil health, water quality and carbon storage potential. TNC’s guide to smart siting and pollinator-friendly solar energy in Illinois reviews key considerations for site assessment, design, preparation, habitat installation and management, and provides recommended seed mixes for different soil types and solar panel mounting heights.