Quinn Signs Clean Energy Bill

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(L to R) State Sen. Donne Trotter (D-17), William Garth, Sr., publisher, Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. and chairman, QBG Foundation, Henry L. English, president/CEO, Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc., Ald. John Pope (10th), Jorge Ramirez, president, Chicago Federation of Labor and State Rep. Marlow Colvin (D-33) look on as Gov. Pat Quinn signs legislation to advance the Chicago Clean Energy project. The initiative is expected to create 1,500 jobs and save consumers more than $100 million over the next several years. (Photo by Thelma Sardin)
(L to R) State Sen. Donne Trotter (D-17), William Garth, Sr., publisher, Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Inc. and chairman, QBG Foundation, Henry L. English, president/CEO, Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc., Ald. John Pope (10th), Jorge Ramirez, president, Chicago Federation of Labor and State Rep. Marlow Colvin (D-33) look on as Gov. Pat Quinn signs legislation to advance the Chicago Clean Energy project. The initiative is expected to create 1,500 jobs and save consumers more than $100 million over the next several years. (Photo by Thelma Sardin)

by Thelma Sardin

Last Wednesday on Chicagos Southeast side, Gov. Quinn signed a piece of legislation expected to create 1,500 and save Illinois consumers more than $100 million dollars.

The Chicago Clean Energy project is a $3 billion green technology initiative that will be located on a brownfield site at 115th Street and Burley Avenue.

The projects purpose is to bring jobs & economic development, clean technology and consumer savings to Illinois. It will reportedly generate over $1.25 billion in state and local taxes providing local job training and hiring programs and will be privately funded.

Illinois tax payers have no reason to worry. The governor said citizens are not liable for costs.

Tax money is not a part of this deal. This is a private investment, said Quinn.

The initiative will remediate the brownfield site which is now contaminated and construct an alternative clean energy plant. The plant will then produce clean substitute natural energy through a process called gasification.

At the signing, the governor was joined by several public officials including. State Sen. Donne Trotter (D-17), State Rep. Marlow Colvin (D-33) and Alderman John Pope (10th).

Several community and civic leaders were on hand for the signing including William Garth, Sr., publisher, Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group, Inc. and Henry L. English, president/CEO, Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc.

Quinn, Trotter and Colvin ironed out the details of the measure during the recent spring legislative session in Springfield. Trotter and Colvin both sponsored the measure in the state legislature.

The governor thanked Colvin and Trotter for sponsoring the legislation. I outlined in a message to the legislature a blueprint for what I thought was the best way to go to create jobs, protect consumer s and help save our environment and improve our environment, said Quinn.

The first draft of the bill was denied by the governor.

[The] original bill, I felt didnt have consumer protections, Quinn said. The governor said the revised bill has rate caps.

According to a recent press release, the final legislation was revised from a previous measure considered earlier this year to include input from the governor, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Citizens Utility Board, local organizations near the project site and other stakeholders. The measure now proportionally allocates the natural gas produced at the facility to Illinois gas utilities.

Colvin thanked Quinn for his input on the bill; however, he did admit that they did not always see eye to eye.

I am going to thank you personally governor, for your leadership, your vision [and] your courage in taking the steps forward. We didnt always agree on how this should be done, but we always agree that jobs and securing our nations energy future was going to be important, Colvin said.

State Sen. Donne Trotter also gave remarks on the monumental measure.

Were gonna take black gold (coal), gasify it and turn it into a sustainable energy product. Thats historical he said describing the process of gasification.

Ald. John Pope (10th) highlighted the economic benefit of the project.

Todays announcement brings closer to reality, the opportunity to put thousands of local men and women to work, to provide not just jobs but good paying jobs at a time when jobs are important and needed more than ever, he said.

Tom Mara, executive vice president of Leucadia National Corporation, the company behind the Chicago Clean Energy project thanked community members during the signing.

Thank you for allowing us into your community. We understand your community is your home, said Mara.

To view the next steps for Chicago Clean Energy please log on to www.chicagocleanenergy.com. A detailed timeline is featured on the website.

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