Illinois and the Clean Power Plan

Health Concerns
Illinois electric sector emitted 94,410,749 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2012 and
coal-fired power plants accounted for 95% of those emissionsi
Approximately 75% of Illinois coal plants are more than 40 years old. Due to age, many
are inefficient and making more pollution than modern plantsii
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), more than 6.7 million people in
Illinois already live in an area where the air is unsafe to breathe. Nearby residents are
disproportionately low-income and people of color.iii
Illinois received NAACPs Worst Offender on their national "failing" list regarding
environmental justice impact- with nine coal plants found to disproportionately harm the
poor and communities of color across the state.iv
Of the 12.8 million total Illinois residents, 3.3 million are currently at risk for developing
serious health conditions due to air pollutionv
o Conditions include adult and pediatric asthma, cardiovascular (CV) disease,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetesvi
The Clean Air Task Force estimates that the Waukegan coal plant in Lake County, Illinois
costs the nearby community more than $150 million each year in health costs associated
with respiratory disease, heart attacks, and premature deathvii
o NRGs Waukegan and Will Co. coal plants and Dynegys Wood River coal plant
all get a failing grade from the NAACP for their decades-long impacts on
communities of color and deserve added scrutiny under the states planviii
Economic Benefits
Every $1 spent on energy efficiency in Illinois reduces electricity costs by $2 to $3 by
offsetting the need to generate, transmit, and distribute power.ix
Illinois has one of the strongest market growth potentials as it is home to the strongest
winds of any PJM Interconnection state, other states are already seeking to purchase wind
energy from projects in Illinoisx
o PJM Interconnection is a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) which
distributes and supplies electricity to 13 states and the District of Columbiaxi
Illinois clean energy industry already employs 96,000 workers, and is poised to grow by
9% (7,200-8,600), according to the NRDC.xii
The City of Chicago is leading Americas large cities by supporting the phase out of
Chicagos two coal plants, spurring investment in commercial and residential building

retrofits, developing innovative financing mechanisms for efficiency investment,

aggregating the purchasing power of the citys residential and business customers to enter
into contracts for power supply that is coal free, and committing the city to support local
solar development.xiii
Utility Costs & Reliability
Along with other communities up and down Illinois, this city is cutting down both its
utility bills and its environmental footprint by pursuing renewable electricity. I hope
other states take notice of the good work being done here in Normal and all across
Illinois - Sen. Dick Durbinxiv
The 91 communities that have transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity represent
more than 1.7 million individuals.xv
o Demand for renewable energy from the state is more than six terawatt hours, a
reduction in greenhouse gas comparable to taking more than one million cars off
the roadxvi
U.S. EPA estimates that Illinois can achieve 11% energy savings by 2030, and Illinois
current policies put the state on track to achieve that ahead of schedule, with a proposed
18% energy savings by 2030 with the addition of more renewable and efficient energy. xvii
Energy Potential
Illinois now ranks fourth in the U.S. in installed wind energy capacity, currently
generating more than 3.5 GW from wind turbinesxviii
The states 25% by 2025 Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is among the most
ambitious renewable energy mandates in the country.

Illinois has far more towns and cities successfully supplying 100% renewable electricity
than any other state in the union as of 2014xix
o Municipal governments were given the authority to buy electricity for local
residents, 91 chose 100% renewable energy and several others chose 50%xx
More than 10,000,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy was produced in Illinois in
2013, and U.S. EPA assumes Illinois will reach 18,000,000 MWh annual production by
2030xxi
o Together with solar power, Illinois can reach 320,000,000 MWh by 2030.xxii
The Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University offers the nations first
bachelors degree in renewable energy, and a 1.65 MW turbine spins nearly 400 feet
above Heartland Community College in Normal, IL.xxiii

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, Director of Policy
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
www.weact.org
Copyright 2015, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

i http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creativearchive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf
ii Ibid
iii Ibid
iv http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2012/11/coal-power-injustice
v http://www.stateoftheair.org/2015/states/illinois/
vi ibid
vii http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creativearchive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf
viii Ibid
ix http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creativearchive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf
x http://www.nawindpower.com/issues/NAW1304/FEAT_03_A_Plan.html
xi http://www.pjm.com/about-pjm/who-we-are/territory-served.aspx
xii http://www.nrdc.org/media/2014/140320.asp
xiii Ibid
xiv http://elpc.org/issues/clean-energy/91-illinois-communities-powered-100-green-electricity/
xv Ibid
xvi Ibid
xvii http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creative-archive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois
%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf

xviii http://www.nawindpower.com/issues/NAW1304/FEAT_03_A_Plan.html
xix http://elpc.org/issues/clean-energy/91-illinois-communities-powered-100-green-electricity/
xx http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creativearchive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf
xxi http://content.sierraclub.org/creative-archive/sites/content.sierraclub.org.creativearchive/files/pdfs/0796%20Illinois%20CPP%20Fact%20Sheet_01_web_2.pdf
xxii Ibid
xxiii Ibid