The Politics of Climate Change in Illinois

Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, on the politics of carbon regulation in Illinois. She explained how the Illinois legislature works, outlined the federal Clean Power Plan, then stayed before the Supreme Court, and described the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill's renewable portfolio, energy efficiency, and cap-and-invest provisions. Her central argument was strategic: environmental advocates should frame climate policy around jobs and savings to win Republican co-sponsors. A student co-president of the campus environmental group introduced her. Audience Q&A covered labor coalitions, nuclear power, pipelines, and community solar.