Clean energy investments are win-win-win
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I’ve been working to share the message of Illinois’s strength all across the globe.
Earlier this year, I led an official visit to Sweden and the Netherlands to meet with leaders in their energy sectors and see firsthand some of the innovative renewable energy technologies and practices their organizations are helping pioneer.
Part of my visit was also focused on learning more about how our partners are working to both tackle the climate crisis and help people keep more of their hardearned money, as well what we can do to bring those innovations back to America so they can improve the lives of — and create good-paying jobs for — working families right here at home.
Leaving that official visit in Sweden and Netherlands underscored what I already knew to be true: If Illinois — and our nation — want to cut global emissions to protect the health of current and future generations while saving taxpayers money, it is critical that we partner with our allies who share similar goals so we can learn from each other and lead by example.
The Netherlands and Sweden have a lot to teach the world about recycling, waste management and energy production with their innovations in eliminating single-use plastics, recycling EV batteries and reusing materials to extend the lifecycle of goods, instead of discarding massive amounts of potentially-valuable or reusable waste to landfills like many nations, our own included, still do.
Thankfully, I know Illinois — a hub of agriculture, manufacturing, energy, transportation and technology — is up for the task of bringing the United States into a more sustainable future. With our great state being home to multiple major airports, strong agricultural infrastructure, world-class research labs and institutions, several fresh water sources and a robust, highly-skilled workforce, we are also the ideal location for international partners that are looking to expand their green energy investments in the U.S. and help deliver cleaner, lower-cost energy alternatives right here in our state. And thanks to the adoption of responsible and sustainable precision farming methods by our farmers, Illinois can lead the nation in green energy.
If we can secure those investments, we’d be helping lower both the average family’s energy bills and the pollutants in the air that they breathe. We’d also create good-paying jobs that would help grow our local economies and, crucially, we’d also make significant progress toward averting the consequences of the climate crisis. I can imagine that future so clearly for Winnebago County, and I am actively working to make it a reality so that our whole state can benefit too.
That’s why I’m in Rockford today to talk about clean energy projects — like the efforts from clean energy developers like Monarch Energy — and am excited to support these kinds of investments in our state to drive our green economy forward.
With this city’s proximity to an international airport, Monarch is considering building a facility that would use the emissions from nearby landfills that are already overburdened with waste from metro areas, converting them into American-made Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) that could then be used at Rockford International Airport.
Right now, most SAF comes from biofuels or biomass derived fuels—which can be made with plants, crops or waste — creating the perfect opportunity for the region to lead efforts to transition our country to a greener economy. By repurposing that waste into renewable energy, we can simultaneously decrease the burden of overflowing landfills, which are not a longterm, sustainable solution for the waste management needs in the area. And SAF wouldn’t just strengthen our economy — it would also bolster our national security by allowing us to decrease our reliance on foreign oil from places like Russia and the Middle East, replacing it with cleaner, American-made renewable fuels.
And those aren’t the only benefits we could see if we successfully replicate these innovative waste-toenergy systems in our state. As co-founder of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus, I’m also eager to realize the environmental justice and quality of life improvements that a greener future could bring to hardworking families in and around Rockford.
Far too often, disadvantaged communities and working communities of color bear the brunt of industrial toxins and waste that pollute their air, land and water, damaging the health of children and adults alike in those communities while also driving away the kind economic opportunities all Americans deserve. The same smart policies paired with innovative waste and energy technologies that help strengthen both our economy and our national security could also help alleviate the injustices these communities have faced for too long.
Clean energy investments are a win-win-win. And I’ll keep working to achieve it for Rockford, for Winnebago County and for our whole state.