Could Illinois Pick Up Where the Green New Deal Left Off?

By Julian Hayda
Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., speaks at a rally for Green New Deal, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, outside the Capitol in Washington. The Green New Deal calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., speaks at a rally for Green New Deal, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, outside the Capitol in Washington. The Green New Deal calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Matthew Daly / AP Photo
Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., speaks at a rally for Green New Deal, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, outside the Capitol in Washington. The Green New Deal calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Sen. Edward Markey, D- Mass., speaks at a rally for Green New Deal, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, outside the Capitol in Washington. The Green New Deal calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Matthew Daly / AP Photo

Could Illinois Pick Up Where the Green New Deal Left Off?

By Julian Hayda
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

After a symbolic vote on the Green New Deal in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Illinois leaders are working to fight climate change closer to home. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has submitted a proposal to set stricter air pollution limits on Dynegy-Vistra’s coal-fired power plants, and the Clean Energy Jobs Act is now pending before the Illinois General Assembly. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched in 2010 to protect the Great Lakes. A new initiative to protect waterways asks for greater infrastructure investment. On this segment, experts on Midwest environmental policy initiatives join Worldview to discuss what the Green New Deal or similar programs might look like in our region. James Gignac is a lead Midwest energy analyst for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Howard Learner is the executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC).