Where there's a Will, there's a way

The suburban Daily Herald reports about Illinois being recognized as a rising star among states taking action on clean energy issues. The recognition came from a report by a coalition group called Environment America. They rated states based on their renewable energy, auto-emissions, energy efficiency and building code policies.

Illinois missed being rated a Gold or Silver star state but was named a rising star based on new laws that call for the state to "receive 25 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025, with 75 percent of that power coming from wind. The same legislation also requires steady increases in energy savings through energy efficiency improvements."

The Daily Herald article reported:

State Sen. Kirk Dillard said he believed the state needed to build on its progress "so that we can become a gold star state in the next report."

To that end, leaders with the Sierra Club called on the General Assembly to pass legislation mandating tougher emission standards for vehicles.

Once again, Springfield is ahead of the curve on the new energy requirements due to the clean energy agreement with the Sierra Club. CWLP is already receiving attention as a national leader due to its investments in wind energy and it has the potential to become a national leader for its energy conservation and efficiency programs as well.