Illinois job growth in green energy sector best in the Midwest

One year after the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act, Illinois now leads the Midwest in new clean energy jobs.

According to a report by issued by E2 and Clean Energy Trust in September, almost 120,000 people work in the clean energy industry in Illinois, up 4.8 percent from 2015, and with growth six times faster than overall job growth in the state. Illinois also continues to lead the Midwest in overall number of clean energy jobs, including renewable energy generation, advanced grid production and maintenance, energy efficiency, clean fuels and advanced transportation.

The Future Energy Jobs Act is also good news for consumers, who will see $4 billion in reduced energy bills over the 10-year period proscribed by the law. The act includes millions of dollars to assist low-income residents, including valuable solar panel installation jobs training.

For more information, see the complete report at E2’s website here.

The Grant-Grusecki family lights up their neighborhood for a cause

• Holiday Season

The Grant-Grusecki family of Park Ridge has a special holiday tradition that is guaranteed to light up your world – literally. 

The family puts on an annual Christmas light show, which features thousands of lights that are synchronized to music.

Viewers can enjoy five music and light shows by tuning into 98.1 FM. The family also features and illustrated show on the chimney and roof of their home that is in sync with the music.

The shows include a special tribute to the military, Michael Bublé’s “Holly Jolly Christmas””, Prince, “Beauty and the Beast” and Darlene Love’s “All Alone on Christmas.”

The family also sets up lawn displays and a sled for visitors to take photos with. But don’t worry, you can still hear the music from speakers on the lawn while you’re at those attractions.

Read more …

Experience the holiday magic by visiting Santa's best friends at Snowman's Reindeer Farm

• Tourism
• Holiday Season
• Canton
• Reindeer
• Snowman's Reindeer Farm
• Christmas

Your kids won’t have to sneak to the window when they hear Santa’s sleigh land on your roof in order to see his reindeer this season, thanks to Snowman’s Reindeer Farm near Canton.

Scott and Tracy Snowman’s family farm, just ten minutes from historic downtown Canton, is currently home to four reindeer – Sven, Snowball, Mistletoe, and Kringle. Open Friday through Sunday during the holiday season, with extended hours beginning the Wednesday before Christmas, admission to the farm is free, though the reindeer experience itself is $5 per person. While you’re there, take a few minutes to see Santa and take pictures with the Jolly Elf, free of charge.

Snowman’s Reindeer Farm opened in 2015, after several years of research that began as Scott and Tracy were working on illustrating their 2011 children’s book, “’Twas the Night Before a Green Christmas.”  Their first reindeer, Klaus and Nutmeg, joined their farm family in September and were visited by several thousand guests the first holiday season. Sven joined the family shortly after and Snowball (2016), Mistletoe (2016), and Kringle (2017) were all born on the Snowman farm. Now in its third year of operation, Snowman’s Reindeer Farm employs about ten people from the Canton area, as well as a similar number of Snowman family members.

Read more …

Renewable energy industry thriving in Illinois

A recent report by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) shows that the renewable energy sector is thriving in Illinois. This is good news for both the environment, which benefits from lower carbon emissions, and the economy, which benefits from the continued growth of the green energy sector.

In recent years, Illinois policymakers have taken steps to encourage research, development and growth of renewable energy. The first step toward this goal is to ensure that Illinois’ workforce has the skills to build and maintain a renewable energy infrastructure.

The Future Energy Jobs Act went into effect in June of 2017. This new law helps position Illinois as a leader in zero-carbon electricity by dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars to renewable power development including funding for wind power, large-scale solar power, and rooftop and community solar programs. The Act also provides job training for the thousands of new jobs expected in the fields of energy efficiency, energy innovation and renewable power.

Due to this large-scale investment in renewable energy, green power is on track to deliver an increasingly large share of electrical power. According to estimates by the ELPC, solar energy is expected to contribute an increasingly large share of power to the grid. By 2030, experts predict that Illinois’ stock of solar panels will have grown by 4,000 percent.

The solar energy industry in Illinois shows a particularly promising growth trend. Reports indicate that over 6,000 people are employed by the more than 350 companies that make up the state’s solar industry. As solar power continues to grow across the state, even more economic activity is sure to follow.

Efforts to encourage broader use of efficient and renewable energy technologies are already underway. Local governments can now establish a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Program, which is a tool to encourage homeowners and businesses to invest in energy efficiency.

Read more …