Abraham Lincoln statue in front of the Illinois State Capital Building in Springfield, Illinois
November 2025 Updates
Illinois Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA) Passes with Support For Thermal Energy Networks
The Illinois General Assembly passed SB25, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, during the state’s October veto session. This bill includes legislation that will advance thermal energy networks (TENs) in the state by setting up a TENs pilot program, administered by the Illinois Commerce Commission and Illinois Finance Authority, that will provide up to $20 million to advance neighborhood-scale TENs.
BDC and its allies worked hard to ensure the inclusion of TENs legislation in the CRGA. For example, Yami Newell, BDC’s Illinois State Policy Manager, testified before the Illinois Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee during its subject matter hearing on the upcoming energy omnibus bill. BDC and its allies also joined 200 other organizations for a Climate Day at the Capitol in Springfield, where they participated in legislative meetings and materials drop-offs, and then concluded the day with an energizing rally in the Capitol rotunda.
October 2025 Updates
BDC Organizes Tour of Geothermal Training Facility
Last week, BDC convened a tour of Local 150’s William E. Dugan geothermal training facility in Wilmington, Illinois—the only program of its kind in the nation. This training center provides Illinois’ union workforce with skills that will help them build geothermal infrastructure that can be used to power the state’s clean energy future, and it is an excellent example of how innovation and workforce development can intersect.
Seventeen guests attended the tour, including Illinois State Senator Patrick Joyce, Illinois State Representative Anthony DeLuca, staff from the Illinois Governor’s Office, and leaders from organizations that are part of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, including representatives from Faith in Place, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), the Illinois Environmental Council, and the Illinois Public Interest Research Group(PIRG). Their participation highlighted how several Illinois government, advocacy, and community organizations are jointly committed to accelerating decarbonization in the state.
Guests saw firsthand how geothermal technology and thermal energy networks (TENs) can transform the way buildings are heated and cooled. TENs are highly efficient, reduce pollution, and provide family-sustaining union jobs—benefits that BDC has emphasized in testimony before the Illinois Senate and in our Chicago Sun-Times letter to the editor. These networks can help stabilize energy bills, reduce strain on the electric grid, and support Illinois’ clean energy transition.
The tour comes at a critical moment as Illinois legislators prepare to consider the energy omnibus bill during the October veto session. By bringing together lawmakers, advocates, and community partners, this tour helped build momentum to advance TEN policies that will expand access to clean energy, strengthen workforce development, and ensure an equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
BDC is proud to showcase Illinois’ innovation through the Local 150 training facility and to continue advocating for TEN and other policies that deliver clean, affordable energy and economic opportunities to communities across the state.
September 2025 Updates
BDC Organizes Tour of Geothermal Training Center While Legislature Debates Power Bill
This month, the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) is bringing legislators to Local 150’s William E. Dugan Training Center geothermal training facility in Wilmington, Illinois. This site is the only training center of its kind in the country, preparing skilled union workers to design and install geothermal systems that could power Illinois’ clean energy future.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. As lawmakers prepare for their upcoming fall veto session, one of their major priorities is a power sector omnibus bill that is expected to include thermal energy networks (TENs) language. This legislation would enable the Illinois Climate Bank to finance TENs projects across the state, providing potential pilot projects with the support they need to move forward to large-scale implementation.
TENs provide a way to deliver climate-friendly, highly efficient, and affordable heating and cooling to Illinois residents while creating family-sustaining union jobs. From campuses and neighborhoods to entire city districts, these neighborhood-scale networked geothermal systems enable the sharing of clean thermal energy across multiple buildings and sectors.
By showcasing the Local 150 training facility, BDC and its partners are highlighting how Illinois’ workforce is ready to develop TENS and the importance of legislative action to accelerate the development of TENs in the state. With the right policy and financing tools in place, Illinois has the opportunity to lead the nation in building the infrastructure for a cleaner, more equitable energy system.
August 2025 Updates
ICC Staff Select Thermal Energy Network Project Proposals For Further Development
As part of the state’s Future of Gas proceeding, Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Staff included several proposals focused on thermal energy networks (TENs) on its preliminary short-list of decarbonization pilot projects that might demonstrate promising pathways for reducing Illinois’ fossil fuel use and supporting building decarbonization in the state.
The following TEN-related pilots have been identified for further development:
- City of Elmhurst, Elected Alderman Ward 7 – Public Works Committee
- Loyola University Chicago
- City of Chicago
The final list of Future of Gas pilot project proposals selected for future development will be released by the ICC this fall.
BDC is excited about Illinois’ growing enthusiasm for TENs projects, and believes this enthusiasm demonstrates the need for the Illinois Legislature to pass comprehensive statewide TENs legislation.
July 2025 Updates
Growing Momentum for the Illinois Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act
The Illinois Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act has secured strong support from labor and members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC), and the bill was moved out of committee and was positioned to advance in the legislature. However, while the original strategy was to move the bill independently, shifting dynamics required it to be folded into a larger power sector omnibus bill, alongside other energy priorities such as energy storage and efficiency.
Although the power sector omnibus bill (and thus the Illinois Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act) ultimately wasn’t called for a vote before the end of the legislative session, interest in the bill remains strong among lawmakers and the Governor’s Office. In addition, support has increased after revisions to Act that now allow more flexible implementation by allowing for broader thermal energy network (TEN) ownership models beyond utilities. The Illinois legislature’s veto session this fall is the most likely next opportunity to advance the bill, though it would require passage by a two-thirds majority for the bill to take immediate effect.
As we prepare for the next phase of the process of getting the Illinois Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act passed in Illinois, our key priorities include keeping the TENs language in the power sector omnibus package, further strengthening labor’s support for the bill, and securing more legislative champions for the bill. Communications efforts will focus on public education, lawmaker engagement, and messaging that highlights TENs as a cost-saving, job-creating, and health-improving solution. With careful coordination and strong coalition support, TENJA remains well-positioned for passage in the months ahead.
April 2025 Updates
BDC testified before the Illinois State House Energy and Natural Resources Committee in support of the Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act
Sponsored by Illinois House Representative Ann Williams, the bill, HB 3609, would allow Illinois’ investor-owned gas and dual-fuel utility companies to launch up to three thermal energy network (TEN) projects for residential and industrial customers.
In her testimony, Yami Newell, BDC’s Illinois Policy Manager, described the environmental, public health, job creation and retention, peak grid demand reduction, and consumer cost-saving benefits of neighborhood-scale TENs. HB 3609 has secured widespread support from key stakeholders, including the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, the Citizens Utility Board, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and IUOE Local 150. After Ms. Newel testified, the bill was passed out of committee and it will be sent to the Illinois House floor in the coming weeks.