By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – There’s a lot to like about Illinois energy, according to a top consumer group.
David Kolata runs the Citizens Utility Board and celebrates the second anniversary of the state’s Clean Energy Jobs Act.
“Illinois has the lowest average electric bills in the Midwest, and the fifth lowest in the country,” Kolata told reporters on a conference call. “Sometimes people beat up Illinois for being a little bit dysfunctional, but energy policy is actually a shining light in Illinois. The act sets the stage for a 2,000 percent increase in solar energy, which makes the new law the biggest clean energy breakthrough in Illinois history.”
Yes, just look up if you want to see what’s ahead, as the components of the law encourage solar and wind energy.
And the jobs?
“There is a growing interest in small-scale community solar projects,” says Arjun Krishnaswami of the Natural Resources Defense Council, who has written a report about this. “The state is expecting at least 100 megawatts of new community solar capacity, enough to power another 20,000 homes. Community solar is increasingly providing a business model that can be used for both rural areas and urban households.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
