The Illinois state legislature passed a new clean-energy law that will help people save money on electricity costs and reduce pollution.
As reported by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Illinois lawmakers passed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which they expect the governor to sign next. Once signed, the new law will go into effect on June 1, 2026.
One critical aspect of the new law will deploy greater energy storage and make residential backup batteries more accessible. It will also allocate additional resources to electricity planning and establish a virtual power plant program to incentivize wind and solar generation.
Furthermore, the new Illinois law will enhance grid technologies and energy transmission solutions to improve the reliability of clean energy.
"We see Illinois as an inspiration for other states, taking action to address rising electricity costs and signaling that it will not allow the Trump administration to dictate a dirty energy future for its people," the Union of Concerned Scientists wrote.
This news from Illinois is a promising step in the clean energy transition. The newly passed legislation is the state's third major energy initiative in the past decade.
Wherever you live, you can embrace clean energy and begin to live more sustainably in your daily life.
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To raise awareness about the benefits of clean energy, you can also share news articles like this for inspiration.
"The growing interest in battery storage comes at a high-stakes moment in the country, as tech companies spend billions of dollars building power-hungry data centers around the country, raising energy rates for ordinary customers," Inside Climate News wrote on the Illinois news.
The mayor of Galesburg, Illinois, Peter Schwartzman, wrote, "Under this new law, Ameren customers will save almost $10 on their monthly power bills by 2028 and more than $20 per month by 2035."
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