The Nature Conservancy has released a report that shows Illinois lagging behind other states in the development of renewable sources of energy.
While Iowa, South Dakota and Oklahoma each generate more than 50% of their electricity from solar and wind, less than 20% of energy in Illinois comes from such sources. The study also found that more than half of large businesses have ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and need the availability of substantial renewable energy infrastructure in order to meet their goals.
Large wind and solar projects also attract federal dollars. For instance, tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act can cover up to 70% of the cost of a new solar or wind project, according to a Nature Conservancy spokesman.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill earlier this year that took away county governments’ ability to preemptively limit or ban wind and solar power. But report authors emphasized that achieving community buy-in is at least as important as legislation promoting renewables.
Part of the reason Illinois has a lower percentage of its energy requirements met by renewables is its historic commitment to nuclear power.
Illinois produces a higher percentage of its energy from nuclear than any other state, and has recently partially lifted its moratorium on nuclear power plant construction, although the type of power generation authorized for exploitation is not yet commercially viable due to high costs and unproven technology.
