ELGIN – During a virtual press conference this morning, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) announced the reintroduction of the Clean Energy Jobs Act and called for its passage.

“It is clear that the time for the Clean Energy Jobs Act is now,” Castro said. “Illinois must take state-level action to ensure the benefits of clean energy policy flow equitably to communities of color which are often left behind, support the development of rooftop solar and energy efficiency programs, hold all utilities accountable, deploy electric vehicles, and support a just transition for former fossil fuel communities.”

The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is a comprehensive bill that seeks to move Illinois toward a greener future by providing jobs in clean energy and shifting away from fossil fuels and other pollutant methods. One of the major goals of the legislation is to move the state toward 100% dependency on renewable energy by 2050.

“CEJA attracted 30 co-sponsors in the Illinois Senate last session, and that was not a coincidence,” Castro said. “CEJA has broad appeal, because it not only strives to provide environmental justice to communities of color, but it also addresses the needs of communities left by the wayside when coal companies cut and run, leaving joblessness, contaminated work sites, and property tax revenue deficits in their wake.”

Castro will sponsor the bill in the Senate. The press conference, which also featured Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago), the House sponsor of the bill, Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and several clean energy advocates, was streamed live and can be viewed here.