Lawmakers in the Illinois State House have passed what’s considered a pretty ambitious renewable energy standard calling for the state to buy up to 25% of its renewable energy sources by 2025. According to a press release posted on the Environmental Law and Policy Center web site, wind power is seen as the main source for clean power:
“Developing wind power, a ‘no-CO2’ energy source, can help to solve our global warming problems,” said Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Renewable energy is a win-win-win—it’s good for farmers, good for rural economic development and good for the environment.
Experts say Illinois has enough wind power capacity to be a leader in the U.S. Plus, since the state is a hub for power transmission lines, so there is a cheap, efficient to get the power onto the grid.
About 5,500 megawatts of wind power are under development in Illinois. That would be enough to power 1.7 million homes.