Dupage Policy Journal

The Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) has released its "environmental scorecard" ranking state lawmakers based on their votes on a combined 21 bills on environmental issues ahead of the upcoming primary election.

State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) boasted about her 100% score in a Facebook post on January 15. 

"I am proud to announce that I received a 100% scorecard rating by the @ Illinois Environmental Council," Rohr wrote in the post. "My voting record reflects where I stand on tackling climate change; fighting for clean air and water; and protecting open spaces we all enjoy. I stand with IEC in making it a priority to safeguard our environment for generations to come."

Rohr's comments came the same day the energy grid that serves a majority of the state issued a "maximum generation alert." The Center Square reported the alert from Midcontinent Independent System Operators (MISO) cited above normal temperatures, high usage, and forced outages for the warning which only ignited concerns over whether rolling blackouts would be possible in the months to come. 

The Washington Post has described southern Illinois as "among the most vulnerable places in the county heading into the summer," pointing to coal plants closing instead of investing in upgrades to meet government regulations, according to Wirepoints. Energy costs have skyrocketed across the state. Some cities including Springfield have already asked customers to reduce the energy they use. Meanwhile, the president of Amaren, which supplies electricity to MISO, has predicted up to a 54% energy bill increase by this summer.

Besides inflation, the war in Ukraine, and coal plants closing, Illinois' Clean Energy and Jobs Act (CEJA) has played a big role in raising energy costs and reducing capacity, Wirepoints reported. The legislation, which its sponsors called "the most aggressive, most progressive climate bill in the nation," will make it mandatory for the entire state to be powered by 100% renewable energy within the next 28 years.

"Illinois has continued to fail miserably to provide enough renewable energy, and we've told them repeatedly you can't shut down the call and gas plants less you have enough energy to backfill it, and that's what happening now," Mark Denzler, Illinois Manufacturers Association President, told Wirepoints. 

Both Rohr and the IEC supported that legislation.

"This is a story about the power of people and the environmental movement in Illinois standing up to big fossil fuel and utility companies-and winning," Jen Walling, IEC Executive Director, said in a press release. "The passage of this bill is proof that years of education, advocacy and movement building have secured a strong climate action majority in The Illinois General Assembly."