Project Title: Illinois Materials Management & Recycling Opportunities Report Sector: State Government Location: Illinois, Statewide Services: Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Pollution Prevention, Process Optimization, Stakeholder Engagement, Resilient Solutions, Sustainability Planning, Waste Reduction/Management Background: Between 2019 and 2021, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Technical Assistance Program provided support to the Illinois EPA (IEPA) and the statewide […]
Project Title: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Quad Recycling Containers Sector: Higher Education Location: Champaign-Urbana, IL Services: Implementation Assistance, Fostering Sustainable Behavior Background: The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s roadmap to reducing the campus carbon footprint and achieving carbon neutrality. Since the development of the iCAP, the Illinois […]
Project Title: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Indoor Solid Waste & Recycling Collection Assessment & Infrastructure Improvement Sector: Higher Education Location: Champaign-Urbana, IL Service: Implementation Assistance, Fostering Sustainable Behavior Background: In 2008, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UI) signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, becoming part of a network of institutions of […]
Project Title: Forest Preserve District of Cook County Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Plan Sector: Parks and Recreation Location: Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois Services: Resilient Solutions (Climate Resiliency), Sustainability Planning, Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Implementation Assistance Background: In 2014 the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (Forest Preserves), a public agency responsible for protecting and […]
Project Title: Forest Preserve District of Cook County Clean Energy Framework Sector: Parks and Recreation Location:Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois Services: Resilient Solutions (Climate Resiliency), Sustainability Planning, Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Implementation Assistance Background: ISTC’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP) and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (Forest Preserves) have a history of working together […]
Project title: Forest Preserve District of Cook County Recycling and Waste Reduction Opportunity Assessment Sector: Parks and Recreation Location: Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois Services: Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Waste Characterization Background: In 2014, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County engaged the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) to help understand […]
Project Title: Materials Management Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly Sector: State Government Location: Illinois, Statewide Service(s): Sustainability Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Resilient Solutions Background: In July 2019, Governor Pritzker signed House Bill 3068, which created the Statewide Materials Management Advisory Committee (MMAC). Coordinated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and comprised of a […]
Project Title: Green Lunchroom Challenge Sectors: K-12 schools (primary original sector targeted), Higher Education, Institutions (any with on-site food service) Location: Illinois (primary focus); United States (Beyond IL) Services: Implementation Assistance, Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Stakeholder Engagement, Waste Characterization Background: According to a 2012 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, food production represented 10 percent […]
Project Title: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Waste Transfer Station Data Management and Tracking System Sector: Higher Education Location: Champaign-Urbana, IL Services: Implementation Assistance, Process Optimization, Resilient Solutions, Waste Characterization/Reduction/Management Background: Members of the ISTC Technical Assistance Program (TAP) zero waste team were engaged by the University of Illinois Facilities and Services (F&S) to better […]
A school bus aide charged after a 12-year-old boy found his gun and fired it through a bus window was released under court-ordered conditions Wednesday, reported CBS News.
According to the news report, Steven Dixon Jr., 22, faces a felony count of carrying or possessing a firearm at a school, along with misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and reckless conduct.
The shooting reportedly occurred shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday outside Minnie Miñoso Academy in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Police said the student took the firearm from Dixon’s unattended bag and fired one round that struck a school bus window. Other students were on board, but no injuries were reported.
The school’s assistant principal said the 12-year-old has disabilities.
During Dixon’s initial court appearance, prosecutors reportedly sought to have him detained before trial, arguing that bringing a loaded gun onto a school bus and leaving it unattended around children was extremely reckless and dangerous. They said the shooting could have injured students or parents inside or outside the bus.
Prosecutors said Dixon possessed a valid firearm owner’s identification card but did not have a concealed carry license and had not completed required training. Dixon’s attorney argued that he did not handle or fire the weapon or threaten anyone with it. The defense also noted that Dixon voluntarily surrendered himself and the firearm to police.
The judge agreed that Dixon’s conduct was dangerous and directly led to the student finding and firing the gun. However, the judge noted that Dixon has no criminal or juvenile record and credited him for turning himself in and providing police with evidence.
According to the article, the judge determined that Dixon’s behavior posed a danger when the incident occurred but did not present an ongoing threat requiring detention.
Dixon was ordered released under supervision while the case proceeds. He must surrender his firearm owner’s identification card and any weapons he owns within 48 hours. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms and from having contact with children other than his own.
School officials said the firearm did not enter the school building. The Chicago Police Department and Chicago Public Schools Office of Safety and Security were notified immediately after the shooting.
Student Transportation of America (STA), a leader in student transportation, safety, and fleet services across North America, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sunrise Transportation, effective September 18, 2026.
Sunrise provides safe, reliable transportation for special needs and general education students across Illinois and Connecticut. Based in Downers Grove, Illinois, Sunrise has been serving student transportation needs for nearly 40 years with a fleet of nearly 1,000 buses, vans and SUVs equipped with a variety of accessible features and the latest in safety and other technologies. They transport more than 23,000 students daily across their operations. Sunrise has a special focus on serving special education and differently-abled students with their unique transportation needs.
For STA, this acquisition reflects an expansion of footprint across multiple locations across Illinois and Connecticut, further solidifying our presence in those regions. Sunrise Transportation’s values closely mirror STA’s mission to provide safe, reliable and caring transportation to the communities we serve.
“Sunrise Transportation’s focus on safety, reliability, compassion represents exactly the kind of organization we are proud to welcome into the STA Family of Brands,” said Gene Kowalczewski, CEO of Student Transportation of America. “Their commitment to technology and innovation partnered with their strong local leadership and deep ties to the communities aligns perfectly with who we are as a company. We are excited to support and continue this growth.”
Across North America, STA’s Family of Brands is united by a shared focus on what matters most: safety, reliability, and care for people. The model combines local expertise and relationships with the resources, technology, and support of a larger organization—ensuring communities continue to receive personalized service while benefiting from industry-leading transportation practices.
STA will work closely with Sunrise leadership and employees to ensure a seamless transition for customers and staff. Day-to-day operations will continue without interruption, and the company looks forward to preserving the strong local relationships that have defined success for Sunrise for almost half a century.
A 6-year-old elementary school student died after her school bus struck her moments after she disembarked in a residential Frankfort neighborhood.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to School Transportation News that the child was identified as Jenna Menias. She was pronounced dead Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Menias had reportedly just exited the school bus near her family’s home when she was struck by the same bus, her mother, Yvette Menias, told local media. The article added that it was not the route’s usual bus driver. Police have not confirmed that sequence of events.
In a news release, the Frankfort Police Department said officers were dispatched at approximately 3:24 p.m. for a traffic collision involving a school bus and a juvenile pedestrian.
Officers arrived and found Menias unresponsive with serious injuries caused by the collision, the release states. Witnesses and first responders immediately administered CPR and other lifesaving measures at the scene.
An ambulance transported Menias to a local hospital for treatment, where she was later pronounced dead, according to police.
Several other passengers were aboard the school bus when the collision occurred. Police said no additional injuries resulted from the crash, and arrangements were made to safely reunite the other passengers with their families.
Frankfort School District 157-C confirmed in a Sept. 9 statement provided to STN that Menias was a student at Grand Prairie Elementary School.
“It is with profound sadness that we share that our school community has experienced an unimaginable loss,” the district stated. “Tragically, the bus accident that occurred yesterday has resulted in the passing of one of our Grand Prairie Elementary students.”
The district extended its condolences to Menias’ family and friends, saying the entire District 157-C community was devastated and mourning alongside them.
District officials said schools remained open Wednesday to receive students and employees as they processed Menias’ death together. Additional support resources were made available throughout the district, including social workers, psychologists, and other trained personnel.
The district added that more mental health professionals would be available as needed to offer individual assistance to students and staff experiencing grief, anxiety, or other emotions related to the collision.
“Our hearts remain with the student’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and all those who have been affected by this tremendous loss,” the district stated.
Police described Menias’ death as a tragedy with far-reaching effects on the community.
“This tragic incident has had a profound impact on those involved, their families, and our community,” the department stated. “We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this heartbreaking event.”
Police also asked the community and media to respect the privacy of those involved and allow their families time and compassion during the period of grief.
Authorities have not said what happened immediately before the collision. The police release did not identify the bus driver. No charges have been announced at the time of this writing.
Illinoisans and Minnesotans are buying about the same amount of waterfront property in Wisconsin.
A long-running resentment in Wisconsin is how Illinois residents behave when visiting the Badger State. Another common belief is Illinoisans buy up all the vacation property in Wisconsin, particularly near water.
But that’s exaggerated.
Wisconsin Property Map, an independent project, posted an article examining state property transfer records for sales of waterfront property.
The article stated that from 2021 through mid-2026, Minnesotans bought 9.5% of Wisconsin waterfront property, compared with Illinoisans’ 9.4%.
Wisconsin Watch did its own analysis and found nearly the same figures, with Minnesota edging Illinois by no more than 1 percentage point.
Illinoisans might gain resentment partly because of the type of property they buy.
They bought 17.6% of every $1 million-plus lakefront sale during the period, according to the article.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
WARRENVILLE, Ill. – Summit School Services is proud to introduce James (Jim) Wojciechowski Jr. as its new senior vice president of safety. Jim will lead the safety team in advancing comprehensive safety strategies, programs, policies, and training initiatives, while providing strategic direction to drive effective implementation, continuous improvement, and regulatory compliance across the Company.
As an experienced safety professional, Jim brings with him an extensive career in safety leadership and has a proven track record of success in steering measurable improvements in safety performance and operational excellence. Prior to joining Summit, Jim served as the Senior Vice President of Safety and Industrial Engineering at RATP Dev USA, where he advanced crucial core business processes through his leadership and implementation of enterprise-wide safety initiatives. He also served in similar capacities at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Amtrak, overseeing and developing effective safety systems and programs, and is a proud military veteran, which he cites as the key reason for his interest in joining the student transportation industry, sharing the following:
“I experienced a great sense of purpose when I served in the military. I feel that same exact sense of purpose when it comes to student transportation because our mission is about more than providing a ride; we are serving communities.”
Regarding stepping into his new role at Summit, Jim looks forward to the rewarding nature of the industry and working collaboratively across departments to continuously expand and advance the company’s safety processes and initiatives – helping to ensure we provide safe, reliable student transportation that communities trust and families depend on.
Jim Wojciechowski Jr.
“I feel a profound sense of purpose as I join Summit as its safety leader,” said Jim Wojciechowski Jr., Senior Vice President of Safety, Summit School Services. “We specialize in transporting our children, the future of our country. This comes with a responsibility and commitment that must never waiver. I look forward to contributing to our thriving business by ensuring we are never satisfied with the status quo and systematically analyzing, identifying, and acting to mitigate safety risks proactively and effectively.”
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome Jim to Summit School Services,” said Tim Wertner, CEO, Summit School Services. “It is an honor to work with a military veteran who possesses a deep sense of duty and high regard for safety. Since joining, Jim has taken the time to meet with our teams, learn about their work, and see firsthand the dedication they bring to serving students every day during his trips to our local bus facilities. His leadership and expertise in enhancing safety management systems and fostering proactive, accountable safety cultures will undoubtedly further strengthen our organization and support our continued growth. I look forward to Jim’s leadership and the positive impacts he will make not only for Summit, but also for our students, the communities we serve, and the student transportation industry as a whole.”
About Summit School Services
Summit School Services sets the standard for safe, reliable student transportation across North America. As the parent organization to trusted local operators including Durham School Services, Stock Transportation, and Petermann Bus, Summit supports over 360 school districts. Driven by our five values: Safety, Care, Transparency, Communities, and Culture, we deliver transportation that works consistently, reliably, and without disruption.
Tom Ritter and his son, Cory, had worked together with their families every harvest season for the past 20 years.
“My daughter loved to ride in the semi during harvest with my dad,” said Cory. “I remember seeing them leave the field together, and just the time that he took and the importance that he put on spending that quality time with family.”
But last year’s harvest was different; instead of Tom and Cory working together, tragedy hit the family on Aug. 20.
“Someone drove by and saw the semi was overflowing. The corn was still coming out, but it was overflowing, and thought this isn’t good and started knocking on doors,” Cory said. “My mother’s house is just a couple of doors in town, and they knocked on her door, and she called me and had a feeling we knew what happened.”
The area around the Ritter family farm in Blue Mound, Illinois, was surrounded by neighbors, police and firefighters trying to find Tom.
It turned out that he had gone inside the grain bin to fix a piece of equipment. While he was working on it, the grain suddenly shifted and began to move, trapping him.
“I still have the mental image of all these neighbors that just showed up. It was a hot day, sweating and scooping as hard as they could, trying to see if we could save him,” said Cory.
Tom was found against one of the walls of the grain bin. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it.
Half of grain bin accidents are still fatal
A recent report from Purdue University shows these types of accidents are up. In 2024, 34 grain bin entrapment cases occurred compared to 27 in 2023, representing a 25% increase.
Dr. Salah Issa, an assistant professor and extension specialist at the University of Illinois, said data on grain bin accidents is hard to come by.
“The way we collect this data is mostly through news clippings. It’s hard to put a pin on where they’re occurring exactly, like if there is a type of grain bin where they occur more frequently than others,” he said.
According to Issa, grain storage in the 1960s was very different from today’s systems. Storage facilities were generally smaller and less mechanized before the widespread use of the large steel grain bins and grain-handling equipment common on many farms today. The earliest documented grain bin entrapment case occurred in 1964.
When a farmer is trapped in a grain bin, the odds of survival are poor. Historically, 70% of accidents were fatal, Issa said.
That fatality rate has come down, but it remains high.
”Strong efforts in training for rescue personnel have contributed to the reduction of the severity,” Issa said. But he adds that about 20 to 40 people die in grain bins annually, about half of all accidents.
“Fifty percent is pretty bad.”
Issa said weather and spoiled grain play a role in most accidents. Grain can get too wet and clump at the bottom, or crust on top — creating a false sense of security for workers who walk on the surface.
“This happened a while ago, with a father and son,” he said. “A young boy went inside a grain bin that had a crust that had formed. The kid runs across the grain bin, and nothing happens, and the farmer runs after him, and when he reaches the middle, it breaks and he falls through it and ends up losing his life.”
Grain can also build up on one side of a bin and collapse like an avalanche, burying a worker.
Young and older workers are at the highest risk; about half of accidents involve people older than 60 and younger than 21.
“In 2010, we had a really bad case where three boys under the age of 20, I think one or two of them were 14 or 15, they ended up drowning,” Issa said.
Regulatory gaps leave many farms without oversight
Grain bin safety training is offered by universities, industry groups and safety organizations across the country. Still, reaching every farming operation remains a challenge.
Farms with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from federal safety standards, and the lack of oversight also extends to young family members who help on the farm.
The Ritter family poses for a portrait. Tom Ritter and his son, Cory, worked alongside their families during harvest season for more than 20 years. Cory Ritter said spending quality time with family was one of his father’s greatest priorities. (Courtesy of Cory Ritter)
“It’s a devastating issue, and it should never happen,” Issa said. “Because of the frequency rate, it’s very easy to run into the thought that this is not going happen to me until it ends up happening to you.”
Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, said more regulation would help, but that added rules and costs would likely face pushback from farmers.
“Most farmers don’t appreciate a more regulatory framework, and it is difficult to implement and expensive to implement,” he said. “All the more reason before we get to that point that we expand on our efforts to educate farmers, to use voluntary incentives to put these things in place — and that really is important.”
As for Cory, he is unsure about regulation because every farm has its own unique situation.
“I don’t know if I’m for regulation because every farm is different, every situation is different,” Cory said.
For him, it’s more about slowing down and paying attention.
“Is it a dangerous job on the farm? Yes. Is it the most dangerous job on the farm? I don’t know. But it’s just, it’s all about people thinking twice, and that’s what it really takes,” he said.
New safety tools help, but prevention remains the best defense
Issa said that 95% of these incidents are preventable and that prevention starts by installing systems in or near grain bins that can safely break up clumps and address grain-flow problems from outside the bin.
An alternate solution that Issa and his team have researched is using compressed air to break up grain clumps from outside the bin, though the method can be time-consuming because it only breaks up clumps near the outlet, and the use of high-pressure compressed air requires strict safety precautions.
Issa said that as a last resort, if someone needs to enter a grain bin, all equipment should be shut off and disconnected from its power source. The equipment should also be locked and tagged so it cannot be turned on while someone is inside the bin. He added that workers should wear a harness and have a spotter outside the bin watching them.
“I have a story of three people who went into repair a grain bin, and a trucker came by not knowing they were in there and pulled out grain, and they ended up drowning,” said Issa.
California and Indiana have their own state workplace safety programs that enforce grain bin safety regulations. In California, if someone needs to enter a grain bin, written authorization from a supervisor is required, or a supervisor must be present during the entire operation. California’s regulations also require multiple safety procedures to be followed before entering the bin.
“They will have to install anchor points on the grain bin if the grain bin is older. If it’s newer, then there are anchor points there already,” said Issa. “When they’re installing the anchor points, they should work with a structural engineer so they can tell them how much weight this can support. They need an anchor point that supports at a minimum 1,000 pounds of force, but actually more is recommended.”
In Nebraska, farmers can rent a robot called Grain Weevil that can be used while filling grain bins to help prevent fines — damaged kernels that tend to cluster in the center — from building up and causing grain to spoil faster. The robot can also break up crusted grain while the bin is being emptied, reducing the need for farmers to enter the bin.
As for Cory Ritter, he continues honoring his dad’s legacy by prioritizing family while juggling everything else. In the middle of a day packed with work and interviews for this story, he still made time to watch his daughter compete in a high school track competition before leaving on a six-hour drive for work that stretched into the early morning hours.
“I remember what my dad told me: The job will get done. The important thing is to come home to your family every night,” said Cory. “It all starts with the personal responsibility of slowing down and thinking about what you’re doing, and that’s why I wanted to share this story, so that other people can think about that.”
And doing things even if they are hard.
“It’s hard to drive past this (the grain bin) and still see these holes inside, but I looked at it in the fall, especially as all the harvest traffic goes by this road to our local co-op,” said Cory. “I told myself it’s a reminder for everybody how fast accidents can happen and that take time to slow down and be safe.”
You’ve driven past cornfields. You’ve eaten corn. But did you know corn is older than the pyramids and is grown on every continent except Antarctica?
Join Farm Foundation for Inside Food & Ag: Corn – from Ancient Grass to Global Powerhouse and discover the fascinating story behind the crop that’s all around us. Through living demonstrations, surprising facts, and an interactive food demonstration, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most important crops.
Thursday, September 24 | 2–6 p.m. Farm Foundation Campus, Libertyville, IL
Registration is $25 per person and includes an engaging educational program, interactive demonstrations, and light appetizers and beverages.
You’ll never look at your dinner plate the same again.
ILLINOIS – BusGates, the makers of LED stop arm extensions, is expressing support for the school bus safety provisions included in the BUILD America 250 Act, a federal transportation package that advances new national efforts focused on roadway safety, enforcement, and public awareness.
The legislation includes provisions aimed at reducing illegal school bus passing through expanded public safety messaging, strengthened enforcement initiatives, and increased coordination between federal, state, and local transportation safety stakeholders.
“Illegal school bus passing is a preventable safety issue,” said Trevor Clatfelter, CoFounder at BusGates. “The reality is that improving visibility around the bus is one of the most practical ways to address it. We support federal efforts that elevate this issue and move us toward solutions that actually change driver behavior when kids are getting on and off the bus.”
Despite longstanding state laws requiring motorists to stop for school buses as they load and unload children, illegal passing remains a significant national safety concern. The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) estimates there are more than 43 million illegal school bus passings annually, placing children at risk during routine pickup and drop-off.
The dangers associated with illegal school bus passing are well known among transportation professionals. Cindy Morris, a veteran driver for the Ball-Chatham School District in Illinois featured in a recent video campaign, shared firsthand concerns about motorists routinely disregarding traditional school bus warning signals during loading and unloading operations.
BusGates is a mission-driven school bus safety technology company focused on reducing illegal school bus passing by enhancing the visibility of the current stop arm on buses. The system uses bright, flashing LED light extensions that easily retrofit onto current stop arms, helping to improve driver awareness during student pickup and drop-off. This new technology helps deter illegal passing behavior at the point of risk and supports safer student transportation.
The BUILD America 250 Act also reflects broader federal priorities around roadway safety and transportation innovation, including expanded safety programs and new frameworks for emerging vehicle technologies.
“From our perspective, effective student transportation safety requires a layered approach,” said Dan Thompson, CoFounder at BusGates®. “Enforcement and public awareness are important, but they have to be paired with tools that work to help prevent dangerous situations before they happen.”
BusGates continues to engage with transportation stakeholders at the federal and state level as policymakers advance initiatives aimed at improving school transportation safety outcomes.
BusGates LED Stop Arm Extensions are being used by school districts in 26 states including: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, as well as in Canada.
About BusGates:www.busgates.com BusGates is on a mission to reduce vehicle “drive-arounds” at bus stops across America and make getting to and from school safer for students. BusGates stop-arm extensions are a simple, cost-effective solution to a major problem – cars ignoring stopped school bus warnings putting students at risk. BusGates stop-arm extensions easily retro fit to the existing school bus stop signs. They offer additional visibility and stick out further from the bus to make drivers more aware and reduce illegal “drive-arounds” by up to 95%.
As long-distance transmission line capacity emerges as a bottleneck for Illinois’ clean energy transition, state lawmakers and advocates are drafting legislation to establish state incentives for power line projects.
One proposal under consideration would allow independent transmission developers to access subsidies through the state’s Renewable Energy Credit (RECs) program, the same mechanism that has fueled the state’s solar boom.
“Merchant transmission developers are essentially building a road — generators pay to put their electricity on that road and send it to customers,” said James Gignac, Midwest senior policy manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists, a member of the coalition working with legislators on an energy bill building on 2017’s Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA.
The Illinois legislation being prepared for this spring’s session would create another source of revenue for such projects, lowering the cost burden on wind and solar developers looking for a more direct route to power customers. Unlike projects funded by utility ratepayers, merchant lines do not need to go through the lengthy planning and financing process overseen by regional grid operators such as MISO and PJM.
“These [high voltage, direct current] lines can serve a different purpose,” Gignac said. “It’s an overlay or additional feature of the transmission system. They can provide important benefits that supplement the [regional transmission organization] plan.”
A regional need
CEJA mandates that almost all of the state’s fossil fuel generation cease by 2045. Especially with the boom in data centers, some are worried Illinois won’t be able to meet its energy needs with renewables and nuclear if coal and gas plants close.
“Transmission is a huge part of the equation, it will be important in helping us take inefficient coal and gas plants off-line, and it will help bring on extraordinary amounts of clean energy,” said Christine Nannicelli, Sierra Club Beyond Coal senior campaign representative.
In December, MISO, which manages the grid for most of Illinois and a large part of the central U.S. spanning from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, approved a batch of 24 long-distance transmission projects on top of 18 interregional transmission lines approved in 2022. But these lines will likely take a decade or more to build, given lengthy bureaucratic processes.
Merchant lines can be constructed much more quickly, as they do not need to be studied and deemed necessary through the regional transmission organization process. They just need to be interconnected to the regional grid system, as well as receive certain approvals in the states they pass through. Illinois advocates have also proposed that legislation designate merchant lines as public utilities, giving them an easier path to eminent domain powers.
Merchant lines including the Grain Belt Express, which would stretch from Kansas through Missouri to the Illinois-Indiana border, have faced opposition from landowners concerned about the routes and eminent domain. Merchant lines also introduce competition for utility companies, which have pushed for legislation in various states to limit such competition.
Some advocates argue competition can be good for ratepayers and the environment. Merchant lines could bring renewable power into Illinois from other states, and also make it easier for new renewables to be built in Illinois and connected to the grid. There can be long delays for new wind and solar farms to get approval to be connected to the MISO grid. These renewables could connect to merchant lines without delay.
Grain Belt Express developer Invenergy, based in Chicago, is among the backers of a transmission incentive bill.
Another merchant transmission line seeking to deliver power to Illinois is SOO Green, a proposed 350-mile underground cable between Iowa and Illinois following a railroad right-of-way.
Both projects would facilitate sharing power between MISO and PJM grids, a necessity especially as extreme weather events increase, experts say. Last May, the twoorganizations for the first time agreed to coordinate on their long-range planning,
The Clean Grid Alliance, a national organization, advocates for grid expansion both through the regional transmission organizations’ planning processes, and through merchant lines. The alliance supported a proposal during the last Illinois legislative session that would have created RECs for merchant transmission. Clean Grid Alliance vice president of advocacy Jeff Danielson said he does not know of any other states that have created RECs for this purpose.
“We encourage states to help in any way possible to get the electric interstate superhighway built,” said Danielson. “It really is up to the states to secure their own economic future around a resilient and commerce-friendly grid. Whether it’s a REC concept, direct power purchase agreements, permitting reform, we encourage all of it. We literally need to build the transmission everywhere all at once.”
Financial lift
Since projects like Grain Belt Express and SOO Green cover multiple states, it may seem unfair for one state to carry more of the financial burden by offering subsidies. But Danielson said that may be necessary to tip the balance and make sure transmission gets built; and other states should follow Illinois’s lead.
“There’s the idea it will just get built,” without state action, Danielson said. “But it won’t, it hasn’t. Merchant lines are incredibly difficult to build. A governor has to understand the value to his state, his colleagues in other states have to understand this is what’s going to drive economic growth. Every time they’re in a meeting they should be saying, ‘We have to get to yes.’ It’s a shared opportunity and shared responsibility.”
A March 2024 study by the Illinois Power Agency estimated that credits for the SOO Green line would cost ratepayers $430 million per year, while reducing utility bills to save them $178 million per year. The line would also add $414 million in economic benefit to the state’s economy, the agency found.
The Laborers’ International Union of North America is among the labor unions supporting a transmission-incentives bill. The union’s Midwest governmental affairs director, Sean Stott, noted that Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express, for example, is projected to create 1,500 construction jobs in central Illinois.
“They’ve made a commitment to employing residents of central Illinois to do that work, including members of the Laborers union,” he said. “Any time you do that, you’ll have money in the pockets of workers. It would definitely generate a significant amount of economic activity in the local community.”
He doesn’t think union members would resent the additional charges on electric bills to fund transmission incentives.
“There are no free lunches in life, there would be a small charge, however they would receive by virtue of an influx of lower-cost power, downward pressure on their electric bills,” he said.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association also supports such legislation.
“We’ve seen warnings for the last couple years both in PJM and MISO of potential brown-outs,” said association president Mark Denzler. “When there are challenges, the first folks they ask to reduce load are industries. Transmission projects are one place where the state has the ability to work on making sure we have reliability.”
The legislation might also include a component known as “next generation highways,” allowing transmission lines to be co-located with highways, a situation currently prohibited under Illinois law. Minnesota last year passed similar legislation.
“We want to at least allow utilities the option to consider that,” said Gignac. “It’s something states can do, allowing some flexibility in the location of transmission lines.”
Danielson framed the relationship to highways as symbolic on a larger level.
“We have never thought about our grid in an integrated interstate commerce way like we thought about the highway system in the 1950s, and we really need to,” he said. “Because resilience to weather events and connecting economies through clean energy and 24-7 internet commerce are going to be the reasons Midwest states and the U.S. in general are going to be an economic leader in the future.”
The last time President Donald Trump took office, Illinois had just passed the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA), creating an ambitious renewable electricity mandate, solar incentive programs, green job training and equity provisions to propel the state’s clean energy economy.
That progress is offering both a blueprint and a source of hope for Illinois clean energy and environmental justice advocates as they try to keep the state’s clean energy transition on track during a second Trump presidency.
“The state policy is designed to be responsive to a lack of federal climate leadership, to the need for Illinois to step up into a position of climate leadership,” said Vote Solar deputy Midwest program director John Delurey, who added that since the 2024 election “I’m at the point where I can channel my existential dread into state-based action.”
Illinois lawmakers expanded on FEJA with the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) in 2021, and advocates expect another state energy bill in 2025 to prioritize energy storage and otherwise further clean energy goals, including planning for the mandatory closing of almost all fossil fuel generation by 2035.
“With CEJA we’ve mapped out an ambitious climate plan, and we’re in a strong position to further those goals even under a Trump administration,” said Madeline Semanisin, Midwest equitable building decarbonization advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This is not the first Trump administration. States and cities are more prepared this time to accelerate initiatives at the state and city level.”
That’s not to say the state won’t be affected by a president who is hostile toward clean energy policy. Several federal tax credits and grants that have helped accelerate progress in Illinois could be at risk under Trump, and a rollback of federal environmental regulations or enforcement could prolong pollution from coal ash, power plants and other sources.
James Gignac, Union of Concerned Scientists lead Midwest senior policy manager for the Climate & Energy program, said he thinks of the state’s clean energy outlook in terms of headwinds and tailwinds, which will continue to shift based on economic and political factors beyond the state’s control.
“States for many years have not been able to rely on the federal government for climate action, whether due to politics or the Supreme Court,” Gignac said. “The election results will make it harder to achieve the goals that Illinois has established. It doesn’t fundamentally change the energy policy path that the state is on, it just makes it even more urgent that state legislators pass additional policies.”
Tax credits and grants
Federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal programs have helped Illinois and individual cities and counties carry out their clean energy goals. Illinois was awarded more than $430 million in a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for implementation of the state’s goals on industrial decarbonization, clean energy, clean transportation and freight, climate-smart agriculture, and building energy efficiency.
Illinois was also awarded $156 million in federal Solar for All funds to bolster solar and equity goals including workforce training, residential solar deployment, and community engagement.
Illinois advocates and experts said they expect federal funds that have already been awarded to be paid out, and they don’t expect the Trump administration and Republican-dominated Congress to make major changes to the IRA or infrastructure law, especially given the financial impact those laws have had in Republican-dominated areas.
“We have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars for small businesses and farmers” paid out through the federal Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), not to mention federal IRA funds, that “overall are benefitting Republican districts” during the Biden administration, noted Angela Xu, Illinois Environmental Council municipal engagement manager.
Even if new federal funding windfalls are not available in the future, advocates say the funds awarded during the Biden administration will have lasting impact, combined with state-level programs and funding sources that will continue, and market forces that are making clean energy increasingly competitive.
“President-elect Trump has indicated his intention to roll back IRA programs, but keep in mind that when President Trump was elected last time, he and the Republican-led Senate and House were hellbent publicly on rolling back Obamacare, and that didn’t happen,” said Environmental Law & Policy Center executive director Howard Learner.
“The IRA has supported smart, sensible renewable energy development in red states and blue and purple states,” he added. “There’s no question if President Trump tries to cut back and constrain the IRA, it will have some impact on the pace of renewable energy development and other climate change solutions. On the other hand, it’s very hard to keep better technology from growing. When new technologies come to the market and they are better and cleaner and economically sensible, they tend to accelerate and capture more market share.”
Illinois Shines, the program creating lucrative Renewable Energy Credits for distributed solar, is funded through ratepayer payments — so it is not dependent on federal funding. That doesn’t mean it is immune from federal action, since the federal Investment Tax Credit and the global solar market influence the viability of projects in Illinois.
“There are levers they can pull, through an act of Congress they can change the ITC, which is an important part of the value stack for renewables,” said Delurey, of Trump and his allies in Congress. “And they could deploy tariffs which make the landscape a lot more complicated. The U.S., thanks to the IRA, is making its way towards onshoring and bringing a lot of manufacturing back stateside, but we’re not quite there yet.”
If the tax credit is reduced or solar panels get more expensive because of tariffs, Illinois’s incentives “would probably have to be adjusted accordingly,” Delurey said, with bigger incentives for each project.
“It would just mean fewer megawatts and kilowatts in Illinois. We’d still be deploying solar, but it is sensitive to the price of clean energy.”
Environmental justice
Advocates agree that the Biden administration’s Justice 40 mandate, that 40% of the benefits of many federal climate and other programs go to disadvantaged communities, is likely to be ended or ignored by the Trump administration.
Lower-income and marginalized communities could also be affected by understaffing, delays or rollbacks in federal programs like LIHEAP, which provides energy bill assistance, and energy efficiency rebates for low-income households.
“We can put things in state legislation that supports these communities,” including in the Illinois energy bill being drafted for introduction in 2025, Semanisin said. “Justice 40 is a framework we can incorporate in state legislation as well, to prioritize people who have been historically underserved.”
During his first administration, Trump made significant rollbacks to coal plant wastewater protections, and to the 2015 federal rules governing the storage and cleanup of coal ash. Both are big issues in Illinois, where eight coal plants are still operating, and coal ash is stored in 76 ponds, landfills and other sites, according to an Earthjustice analysis.
Earthjustice senior attorney Jenny Cassel said experts anticipate Trump will again try to weaken the Clean Water Act and coal ash protections. Meanwhile it’s likely the EPA under his administration will do little to enforce the coal ash regulations, which was largely the case before the Biden administration made coal ash a priority.
Illinois passed its own state coal ash rules in 2019, after lobbying by activists who wanted to make sure the rules were at least as strong as federal rules and covered legacy ponds not included in federal rules at the time. In 2024, the federal rules were expanded to cover legacy ponds as well as historic ash and coal ash landfills, but that provision is being challenged in federal court. The state rules do not cover ash historically dumped or scattered around, and they also do not cover inactive coal ash landfills.
Meanwhile the implementation of the Illinois coal ash law has been extremely slow. The law requires each site to get an operating permit with pollution limits that can then be enforced, but so far only two permits at one coal plant site have been issued, Cassel said.
“We keep hearing excuse after excuse” from the Illinois EPA that issues the permits, Cassel said. “‘We don’t have enough people, they’re tied up in administrative hearings, conditions are changing,’ every dog-ate-my-homework excuse in the book.”
“At the federal level, there’s any number of potential ways they could attempt to roll back the [coal ash] rules, or weaken areas that haven’t been fully defined,” she added. “That’s certainly what they did in round one. Illinois will really have to step up into the vacuum of protectiveness we expect at the federal level.”
Local action
Chicago — site of the 2024 Democratic National Convention — has long been a target of Trump’s ire, and Chicago officials during his last administration and today are outspoken about countering Trump’s agenda.
Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar said the city will continue its work on solar, electric vehicles and building decarbonization, as well as centering environmental justice in planning, zoning and enforcement decisions.
“So much of everyone’s local regulations hinge on things like the Clean Air Act and federal standards; there is going to be this question of federal preemption, what home-rule authority do we have?” Tovar said. “Those are still outstanding questions. Every rollback will present its own set of challenges for cities and states. What I am at least grateful for in being in the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago is we do have such robust climate leadership at the state and local level.”
The city’s environmental justice ordinance requires a holistic look at pollution — from traffic and other sources — when industrial development is proposed. That could help protect communities even if federal pollution limits are relaxed. The city has also launched an interdepartmental environmental justice working group, involving “every department that touches air, land and water,” as Tovar said.
The city program Green Homes Chicago funds energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying single- and multi-family homes, which could help fill the gap if federal home rebates are reduced, Tovar noted. Chicago Recovery Plan funding from federal pandemic relief and city bond issuances could help compensate for any funding that might be lost if IRA is undermined, she added.
“The role of cities and states becomes even increasingly more important right now,” Tovar said. “We have an ability to really demonstrate leadership in this moment. For cities like Chicago that have already made some progress, it’s up to us to ensure we’re sharing best practices and working together to really create those safeguards and fortify basic environmental and health protections at a local level. We’re certainly going to maintain our commitment, make sure we are rolling out our programs, and unwavering in our pursuit of environmental justice.”
Two community-based geothermal pilot projects, each led by equity-focused nonprofits, have advanced to the second phase of funding through a U.S. Department of Energy program.
Blacks in Green, a community organization based in Chicago, and Home Energy Efficiency Team, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting an equitable transition to clean energy, were included last week in a set of five projects across the country that have been awarded a total of more than $35 million from the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office to implement geothermal installations.
The five project teams advancing to the next phase of the DOE project were among a cohort of 11 projects participating in the initial phase of the program, where coalitions selected project sites, assessed geothermal resource and permitting needs, conducted feasibility analysis and local engagement, and identified workforce and training needs. The selected projects’ range of sizes, technologies, and innovations will provide potential templates for other communities considering implementing geothermal systems.
Three of the five projects are located in urban or suburban areas; two are in rural communities. The other three recipients are the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the University of Oklahoma, for a project in the town of Shawnee; and GTI Energy, for a project in Hinesburg, Vermont.
Tapping into Chicago’s alleys
Blacks in Green, located in West Woodlawn, a predominantly Black community on Chicago’s South Side, serves as the lead for a coalition which was awarded $9.9 million for its Sustainable Chicago Geothermal pilot. Other coalition partners are the City of Chicago, University of Illinois, The Accelerate Group, Citizens Utility Board, Climate Jobs Illinois, dbHMS, GeoExchange, and Illinois AFL-CIO.
The pilot, also located in West Woodlawn, utilizes alleys to circumvent the need for vast open plots for subterranean loop fields that form the heart of a geothermal array. Locating the bulk of geothermal loop lines in alleyways also sidesteps the underground congestion of existing utility infrastructure typically located underneath city streets.
It’s among an assortment of elements in the Sustainable Square Mile approach that advances BIG’s vision for energy justice through clean energy and microgrid/VPP systems owned and managed by the community, said Naomi Davis, BIG’s founder and CEO.
“BIG launched in 2007 with a goal of increasing household income and community resilience against the harms of climate crisis at neighborhood scale using the new green economy — so we’re grateful for this chance to make it manifest,” Davis said in a news release.
Along with installation of the needed infrastructure within the multiblock footprint, year two of the West Woodlawn project will focus on community outreach and job programs. Once construction is complete, the geothermal system will provide heating and cooling, not to mention lower utility bills, for potentially more than 200 households.
“The Sustainable Chicago Geothermal project will be a transformational investment in the West Woodlawn community. The effort to eliminate harmful emissions from homes and businesses, while lowering energy burden, has proven to be a community-wide challenge, and requires a community-wide solution,” said Andrew Barbeau, president of The Accelerate Group and principal investigator of the Blacks in Green project, in a news release.
The need to reconstruct the alleyways after installation of the geothermal array also presents the opportunity to replace asphalt or concrete with permeable pavers. This would work to promote climate resiliency through mitigation of urban flooding, a persistent occurrence in many of Chicago’s South and West Side communities, said Nuri Madina, the director of Sustainable Square Mile, who serves as point person for the pilot.
“All of our programs are designed to create multiple benefits,” Madina told the Energy News Network in September.
A first-of-its kind project in suburban Boston
Home Energy Efficiency Team, commonly referred to by the acronym HEET, in partnership with Eversource Energy; the city of Framingham, Massachusetts; and engineering consultant Salas O’Brien; was awarded $7.8 million toward construction of a utility-based,community-scale geothermal system.
“We are honored to receive this funding from the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office as part of the Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling initiative, and to show how geothermal energy networks can be interconnected to increase efficiency, build resilience, and decarbonize at the scale and speed we need to achieve our climate goals,” said Zeyneb Magavi, executive director for HEET, in a news release.
The proposed plans by HEET and its partners would connect to the first Framingham geothermal network, which was commissioned earlier this year. Once approved by the state Department of Public Utilities and upon completion, it would represent the first utility-owned community geothermal network to connect to an adjacent operational loop, establishing guidelines for the interconnection and growth of geothermal networks.
“This innovative project not only showcases Framingham’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions but also sets a precedent for other communities across the nation. By harnessing the natural heat from the earth, we are taking a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy sources. Our collaboration with HEET and Eversource exemplifies the power of partnerships in driving forward clean energy initiatives,” said Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky in a news release.
“So instead of feeding natural gas into these buildings, we could feed geothermal water,” Magavi said. “And then we could meter that and sell that. It’s no different than when you pay your water bill.”
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