CHICAGO (CBS) – Voters get the chance once again in a few weeks, to elect local and federal leaders who can impact the country’s course on climate change.

In Illinois, 74% of the public believe global warming is happening. The number is similar in the Chicago metro area but higher, 80%, in Cook County. Those figures come from the Yale Climate Opinion Maps. Researchers at Yale University have developed a way to estimate state and local level opinions based on national surveys.

The Climate Opinion data also show in Illinois, the Chicago Metro area, and in Cook County:

• 83-86% support funding research into renewable energy sources
• 76-80% support providing tax breaks for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.

Clean Energy investments in Illinois

Two years ago, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and nearly three years ago it passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Both pieces of federal legislation provided money to states and local municipalities to invest in clean energy projects.

One of those is NanoGraf in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.

NanoGraf just awarded a $60 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to stand up a battery material facility for electric vehicles in Flint, Michigan. This facility is set to produce 2,500 tons of NanoGraf’s proprietary silicon anode material per year, and create 200 construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs.

Illinois has received at least $2.6 billion in funding according to E2 for at least seven projects, including NanoGraf’s. The investments have generated more than 2,700 jobs statewide according to E2.

E2 is a nonpartisan group advocating for good economic and environmental policies.

Chicago’s Clean Energy plans

When IRA funding became available in 2022, Chicago leaders laid out an 11-page addendum on how to use clean energy funding as part of the city’s Climate Action Plan.

Some of the projects paid for with the federal tax dollars will take aim at reducing emissions and pollution, reducing the use of carbon in energy and transportation sectors and offering rebates and grants for improving energy efficiency in residential and commercial buildings.

The 2024 Priority Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Metropolitan Area outlines the use of IRA for clean energy investments.

Investments for homeowners

One of the slower IRA investment programs to roll out would provide $263 million in Home Energy Rebates to Illinois homeowners.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is applying for program through the U.S. Department of Energy.

The state is awaiting approval to begin implementation.

Tara Molina

Tara Molina is a general assignment reporter for CBS2 Chicago.

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