Illinois is the 4th largest coal producer in the United States. The coal industry may seem to be declining due to plant closures across the state but, the industry is holding strong.
Illinois mines more coal now than it did 20 years ago. In 2003, mines produced just over 31 million tons of coal, in 2023 mines produced nearly 39 million tons. Illinois has a 200-year legacy of coal mining, is that something the state should try to hold onto?
Prairie Rivers Network, an environmental non-profit based in Champaign, Ill. is working to help communities across the state navigate the challenges and opportunities of this transition away from coal.
Amanda Pankau, director of energy and community resiliency, says they’ve been working with coal communities for decades. Pankau explains how the southern two-thirds of Illinois has thousands of acres of abandoned mine lands that the companies were never forced to clean up.
She said they’re working to make sure communities know about the dangers and environmental hazards caused by these abandoned mine lands. They focus on cleaning and preventing pollution from mines as well as supporting communities as they begin to navigate energy transitions.
"This is just listening to them on what their environment, water, energy issues are, what challenges do they want to overcome, what opportunities do they see and how can we be on their team working on those issues," Pankau said.
The Stewards Energy Communities AmeriCorps VISTA program, launched by Conservation Legacy, is a new initiative that will support organizations working in and with coal communities. They're deploying talented individuals to assist local organizations in addressing the economic and environmental challenges of moving beyond coal.
Prairie Rivers Network recently welcomed Alayna Moore, an Energy Community AmeriCorps VISTA member to their team. Moore is part of the very first class of Energy Community AmeriCorps VISTA’s. She’ll be working with Prairie Rivers Network in the Illinois Coal Basin to support economic growth and help control environmental damage as these communities work towards a future of cleaner energy.
SI Now, a southern IL regional economic development hub, also will host an Energy Community AmeriCorps VISTA. Teal Flowers with SI Now will help communities and businesses gain access federal, state, and local resources to create jobs and economically advance the region’s coal-impacted communities.
The coal industry is thriving in Illinois, so why are we seeing efforts towards a transition to clean energy?
Pankau said coal mines can have detrimental effects on the communities surrounding them.
"You know, you put a coal plant in a community they now have water and air pollution," Pankau said. "You put a solar farm in a community they're getting electricity generated with no local pollution."
She’s worked directly in coal communities and has seen the devastating environmental impacts they can cause. This is why she thinks the movement is so important.
"Coal mines across Illinois are polluting ground and surface water. Coal ash, at every single coal plant in Illinois is polluting ground water, " Pankau said.
Not to mention, coal is no longer the cheapest form of energy.
Each year Lazard, a global financial services firm releases their levelized cost of energy report. Their June 2024 report found both wind and solar to be cheaper forms of energy compared to coal. The only category where coal cost less than solar was for residential rooftops.
Illinois is taking steps to support a state-wide energy shift. In 2021, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, more commonly referred to as CEJA. Included in CEJA are the provisions to phase out carbon emissions from energy and transportation sectors.
While CEJA sets up for this transition in energy sources, it doesn’t mandate the closures of any coal mines. Pankau says that any closures of coal mines and coal plants in recent years have been at the decision of the coal companies themselves, not Illinois legislation.
Renewable energy is bringing forward brand new economic contributions. Since Illinois has started making transitions to clean energy thousands of jobs have been created.
According to Clean Jobs Midwest, just over 19,000 Illinoisans were employed at renewable energy jobs in 2023. Pankau said that in the same year about 4,200 Illinoisans were employed in both coal mining and coal-fired power plants.
"I'm not trying to downplay it and say 'we've got renewable energy jobs, therefore these 2,500 coal mining jobs don't matter,' they do matter."
Pankau said this is why the work of CEJA is so important. CEJA offers incentives and grant programs for all communities across the state, but coal communities have a variety of their own grants they can apply for.
The Energy Community Transition Grant is just one state grant that is offered to coal communities in the state. Pankau said that many southern Illinois towns have received this grant in the past two years.
"Cities, villages, counties, school districts, park districts, health districts, any taxing body can apply for this grant and the money can be used to address the impacts of coal plant closures," Pankau explained. "That might be funding infrastructure projects, it might be a workforce project, an economic development project, it might be a solar project."
The Rural Energy for America Program is a federal grant program that aids rural small businesses and farmers, two sectors really important to the economic future of coal communities in Illinois. Of all 50 states, Illinois has received the most funding from this grant program in the last few years.
Pankau said that while there is a history of both state and federal support of this energy transition, the future looks a little more uncertain under the Trump Administration. While she’s worried about continued federal funding to support these transitions, Pankau is confident in the work Illinois is doing.
"Illinois, despite what happens at the federal level, will consider to lead on clean energy, " Pankau said. " In addition to the state programs like CEJA, Illinois has secured significant federal funding over the last few years that is now in the hands of state agencies."
Pankau said this money is in the hands of the state and will be going to create additional grants and programs that will support coal communities through their energy transitions.
