Electric Vehicles Bring Green Jobs and Cleaner Air to the Midwest
After years of ELPC advocacy to advance electric school buses, this week we celebrated the announcement that they'll be made right here in the Midwest. Lion Electric is building a $70 million manufacturing plant in Joliet, IL to build electric school buses and trucks. This will bring 700+ jobs to the region, advance electric vehicle technology to fight climate change, and help improve our air quality for kids. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg this month in the transition to clean transportation.
At the federal level, Congress introduced key pieces of legislation, including the EV Freedom Act to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network within five years, and the Clean Commute for Kids Act to fund $25 billion in electric school buses. The Chicago Transit Authority rolled out new electric transit buses this month and Governor Pritzker also announced Illinois is reallocating Volkswagen settlement funding towards electrifying public transportation and school buses. Electric vehicles are good for jobs, good for public health, and good for our environment, talk about a win-win-win!
|
|
|
It’s been quite a year. Watch and learn more about the impact we’ve made together on behalf of the Midwest’s environment.
|
|
|
 CLEAN WATER
|
|
|
We had a major climate victory in the Michigan Line 5 case. For the first time, a Michigan agency will consider greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Michigan Environmental Protection Act analysis of the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline. We look forward to putting together a robust case about the climate impacts of Enbridge’s proposed tunnel and new pipeline.
|
|
|
 CLIMATE CHANGE
|
|
|
We look forward to working with Janet McCabe in her new role as Deputy Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency. This accomplished Hoosier (and former ELPC Senior Fellow) has spent her life dedicated to protecting clean air and water for all and accelerating climate change solutions. The full Senate confirmed Ms. McCabe with a bipartisan vote of 52-42.
|
|
|
 CLEAN TRANSPORTATION
|
|
|
Last Friday marked Amtrak’s 50th Anniversary, but it’s the next 50 years that are really exciting, as Amtrak’s bold vision meet with President Biden’s infrastructure plan. ELPC convened an alliance of business, labor, and civic groups in a recent letter to Illinois members of Congress, showing broad support for new and expanded rail service through Chicago and the Midwest.
|
|
|
 UPCOMING EVENTS
|
|
|
with Dr. Drew Gronewold, Associate Professor for Environment & Sustainability at the University of Michigan
When: May 13, 2021
Time: 12:00pm CT
|
|
|
|
with Sylvia Puente, President & CEO Latino Policy Forum
When: May 18, 2021
Time: 1:00pm CT
|
|
|
CONVERSATIONS WE'RE FOLLOWING
- Crain’s Chicago Business Op-Ed: This Earth Day, Let’s Recognize Progress and Accelerate Solutions
- ELPC Video: Our 2021 Earth Day Celebration!
- WCBU Peoria Public Radio: Illinois Adopts Rules On How Power Plants Close Coal Ash Ponds, Requires Public Input
- Toledo Blade: Cut Pollution for a Lake Erie Comeback
- ELPC Blog: Region 5 Redux: Midwest Water Enforcement under Trump Continued to Decline in 2020
- Des Moines Register: More Than Half of Iowa’s Power Now Comes from Wind, as State Nears 6,000 Turbines
- Chicago Tribune: Burning Natural Gas is Now More Dangerous Than Coal in Illinois, Study Shows
- E&E News: White House Says Clean Energy Standards Work. Is That True?
- ELPC Victory Blog: Protecting Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in the Great Lakes
- Popular Science: How Biden’s Jobs Plan Will Be Put to Work for the Environment
|
|
|
We're all in to protect the Midwest's environment.
Founded in 1993, the Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest's leading environmental legal advocacy organization. We advocate, innovate, and litigate to protect the Midwest's environment from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains.
|
|
|
|
