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A few weeks ago, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition sat down with small business owners on the South Side of Chicago to learn more about what Illinois is doing to support community-based clean energy companies. The short answer? Not enough.

Right now, instead of supporting these small businesses, we’re spending nearly $1.7 billion each year to bail out fossil fuel companies. The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA, HB 804) will change that.

Watch Arthur Burton from AMB Renewable Energy, Wendell Terry of Terry Electric, William P. Davis with JitneyEV, and Stacey McIlvaine from SM Environmental Engineering explain the current outlook and their vision for a clean energy future in Illinois.

CEJA will create workforce development programs in the communities that need them most, prioritize equitable hiring and ownership, and increase solar projects in low-income and environmental justice communities. It’s a transformative investment that will ensure these small businesses can hire local talent and take advantage of one of the fastest growing job sectors in the world: clean energy.