Renner Barsella, renner.barsella@sierraclub.org, 217-390-9394
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- In the midst of intense public pressure for action on the climate crisis, Donald Trump and his EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler nevertheless moved backward today by finalizing the Trump Administration's plan to roll back the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever safeguards to curb carbon pollution from existing power plants. Wheeler’s alternative—the Dirty Power Plan—is an illegal rollback of the Obama Administration’s signature climate policy that is geared to galvanize political support from coal industry executives, even while several CEOs have publicly acknowledged that coal generation is phasing out. While Illinois has made significant progress in clean energy development since the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act, the state’s electric sector remains one of the most heavily polluting and carbon intensive in the country. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has committed Illinois to reaching the emissions reduction goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and a goal of 100% clean energy for Illinois, and the Clean Energy Jobs Act, (SB2132 (Castro) /HB3624 (Williams)) to achieve that goal and create thousands of quality jobs across the state, particularly in areas that need them most.
In response Jack Darin, Director of Illinois Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“Instead of standing up for millions of impacted people whose health and well-being are threatened by the climate crisis, Trump and Wheeler are joining hands once again with fossil fuel executives to illegally roll back the Obama Administration’s signature climate policy. The Dirty Power Plan is a coal bailout for polluting corporations that will allow aging power plants without modern pollution controls to continue polluting Illinois communities. It demands no pollution reductions from states or coal corporations and instead, it gives a handout to coal billionaires to keep polluting frontline communities with their aging plants longer.
“In light of this reckless leap backward, leadership from states like Illinois has never been more important. Illinois has taken big steps toward a clean energy economy, with the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act, Governor Pritzker’s leadership in committing to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and broad support for the Clean Energy Jobs Act and a 100% clean energy future in the Illinois General Assembly. However,we still have one of the most polluting electric sectors in the country due to a large, aging fleet of dirty coal plants owned by out of state energy companies. This moment makes a bold and equitable plan to reduce pollution from Illinois’ power plants and support Illinois coal communities and workers all the more urgent during the inevitable transition away from coal and fossil fuels.
“Trump is trying to take us backwards but states like Illinois can and must take the lead to deliver bold, visionary action on climate. The Clean Energy Jobs Act is a climate action plan that puts Illinois on a path to a strong and just 100% clean energy economy and deliver bold economic investments to support coal communities and workers already impacted by the energy transition away from fossil fuels.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.