In September 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the landmark legislation, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), establishing Illinois as a national leader in clean energy and supercharging clean energy industries, including the solar industry.
Today, Illinois has 2,212 MW of solar capacity across about 65,000 installations, enough to power approximately 350,000 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
CEJA is seen on the national stage as the gold standard clean energy legislation. Here’s what the legislation brought Illinois:
The expansion of Illinois Solar For All from $30 million to $70 million per year, providing more access to solar energy for families of all economic backgrounds
Expanding the Illinois Shines solar incentive program, which has supported more than 42,000 projects to date
Enabling nearly 220 megawatts of solar power to come online
Mandating that Illinois will close coal and fossil gas plants by 2045
Placing Illinois on a path to 40% renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040 with the ultimate goal of 100% clean energy by 2050
Providing $580 million per year for renewable energy projects
Creating a coal-to-solar program and providing millions of dollars to help fossil fuel industry workers transition into clean energy
Investing millions of dollars each year into workforce development with programs ensuring disadvantaged communities have dedicated and sustained support to enter the clean energy workforce
Enacting new consumer protection rules
If you’d like to learn more about CEJA and how it is creating a more sustainable and equitable future, then we recommend exploring the below resources.