Illinois

GreenLatinos Illinois organizes Latino/a/e communities across the state to win on climate action, clean energy affordability, and equitable public transit. Through the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and direct engagement with lawmakers, we make sure the voices of frontline communities — those carrying the heaviest burden of high energy costs and air pollution — shape the policies that affect their lives.

Core Issues

Clean Energy & Grid Affordability

Latino/a/e families pay a disproportionate share of income on utilities. We fight for policies that lower bills, expand weatherization and energy efficiency, and ensure clean energy benefits reach underserved communities.

Public Transit Equity

Accessible, affordable public transit is a lifeline. We advocate for integrated, unified, and safe transit systems that serve low-income riders and reduce vehicle emissions.

Air Quality & Environmental Justice

Illinois Latino/a/e communities are overburdened by fossil fuel pollution. We work to reduce dependence on polluting power plants and improve air quality in frontline neighborhoods.

Community-Led Policy

Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. We organize town halls, in-district meetings, and grassroots calls to ensure impacted communities inform policy from the ground up.

Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition

As an active coalition member and advisor to the Power Sector Negotiating Team, GreenLatinos Illinois co-hosts town halls, organizes in-district meetings, and participates in working groups to shape energy and transit policy alongside frontline communities.

By The Numbers

$120

saved per year

Projected annual utility savings for Ameren customers by 2030 under the CRGA Act.

40%

transit cuts prevented

NITA Act preserves public transit service that faced 40% cuts amid a fiscal cliff.

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Meet the leaders and volunteers driving environmental justice in Illinois. Learn about our local campaigns, events, and how to get involved.

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Illinois News & Events

GreenLatinos Illinois Celebrates Signing of the Clean Reliable Grid Affordability Act, A Win for Energy Affordability

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — GreenLatinos Illinois applauds Governor J.B. Pritzker for signing the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB25) into law today — a major win for climate action, energy affordability, and frontline Latino/a/e and low-income communities.

The CRGA Act tackles rising energy costs, strengthens grid reliability, and expands clean energy benefits to communities historically left behind.

Key impacts of the CRGA Act:

Cuts energy bills for families who already pay a disproportionate share of their income on utilities
- ComEd customers: up to $24/year saved by 2030
- Ameren customers: up to $120/year saved by 2030
Triples funding for low-income energy efficiency programs
Expands access to weatherization and energy-efficient appliances
Launches “Storage for All,” ensuring battery storage benefits reach underserved communities
Prevents blackouts by adding major wind, solar, and battery storage capacity
Reduces fossil fuel dependence, improving air quality in communities overburdened by pollution

As an active member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, GreenLatinos helped shape this law through town halls, in-district meetings, and community engagement to ensure impacted communities informed the policy from the ground up.

The law takes effect June 1, 2026.

Following the signing of the bill, GreenLatinos Illinois State Program Director, Lucy Contreras, released the following statement:

“Latino/a/e families have long faced the burden of high energy costs and pollution. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act takes meaningful steps to lower bills and expand clean energy opportunities, ensuring the families who need it most finally see relief. By modernizing our grid and expanding wind, solar, and battery storage, this law makes our energy system more reliable and helps communities keep the lights on during extreme weather, all while reducing reliance on polluting fossil fuel power plants.”

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About GreenLatinos

GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.

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GreenLatinos

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SPRINGFIELD, IL –– GreenLatinos Illinois aplaude a la Asamblea General de Illinois por la aprobación esta semana de dos leyes transformadoras: la Ley de la Autoridad de Tránsito del Norte de Illinois (NITA) y la Ley de Asequibilidad de la Red Eléctrica Limpia y Confiable (CRGA) (SB25). Estas leyes representan avances significativos en la acción climática, en las oportunidades económicas y en el acceso equitativo a la energía limpia y al transporte público, beneficiando a las comunidades latinas, afroamericanas, de primera línea y de bajos ingresos en todo Illinois.

La Ley CRGA brinda un alivio crucial a las familias que enfrentan dificultades para pagar facturas de servicios públicos elevadas, al tiempo que amplía el acceso a reembolsos para la mejora del aislamiento térmico de viviendas y la adquisición de electrodomésticos de bajo consumo, e incrementa significativamente el apoyo a los programas de eficiencia energética para personas de bajos ingresos. La ley también fortalece la infraestructura de transmisión, reduce los cuellos de botella en el desarrollo de la red eléctrica y maximiza el suministro de energía limpia en todo el estado.

Ante la amenaza de un abismo fiscal y posibles recortes del 40% en los servicios, la Ley NITA no solo preserva nuestro sistema de transporte público, sino que lo transforma al integrar mejor los servicios de CTA, Metra y Pace, establecer un sistema tarifario unificado y garantizar la accesibilidad mediante pases con descuento para usuarios de bajos ingresos. La ley también mejora la seguridad mediante el nuevo programa Embajador del Transporte y promueve un aire más limpio al reducir las emisiones vehiculares.

Como miembro de la Coalición por Empleos Limpios de Illinois, GreenLatinos se enorgullece de haber servido como asesor del Equipo de Negociación del Sector Eléctrico y de haber trabajado junto con los socios de la coalición para coorganizar asambleas públicas, organizar reuniones en los distritos y participar en grupos de trabajo regulares y llamadas de base para garantizar que las voces de las comunidades más afectadas por las desigualdades en energía y transporte ayudaran a dar forma a estas políticas.

Tras la clausura del período de sesiones de veto de 2025 de la Asamblea General de Illinois, Lucy Contreras, directora del programa estatal de Illinois, emite la siguiente declaración:

“Las familias latinas han enfrentado durante mucho tiempo la carga de los altos costos de la energía, la contaminación del aire y la falta de financiamiento para el transporte público. La Ley de Asequibilidad de la Red Eléctrica Limpia y Confiable toma medidas significativas para reducir los costos de la energía y ampliar las oportunidades de energía limpia, mientras que la Ley de la Autoridad de Tránsito del Norte de Illinois preserva y mejora el sistema de transporte público, vital para muchos en nuestras comunidades. Juntas, estas leyes brindan aire más limpio, energía asequible y transporte confiable para las familias que más lo necesitan.

En el futuro, GreenLatinos Illinois espera continuar colaborando con los legisladores de Illinois y con los miembros de la comunidad directamente afectados para asegurar que sus voces sean escuchadas y tenidas en cuenta durante las próximas sesiones legislativas. Reconocemos que quienes están más cerca del problema suelen estar más cerca de la solución, por lo que incluir estas voces es necesario no solo para impulsar una economía verde, sino también para mejorar la calidad del aire de nuestra comunidad.” —Lucy Contreras, directora del programa estatal de Illinois.

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Acerca de GreenLatinos

GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/as/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestras batallas por la justicia ambiental, de conservación y climática, e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:	MEDIA CONTACT:
10/31/25	Edder Díaz Martínez, Communications Director 602-832-6039 [email protected]

SPRINGFIELD, IL –– GreenLatinos Illinois applauds the Illinois General Assembly for passing two transformative pieces of legislation this week: the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act and the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act (SB25). These laws represent significant strides in climate action, economic opportunity, and equitable access to clean energy and public transportation, benefiting Latino/a/e, frontline, and low-income communities across Illinois.

The CRGA Act brings critical relief to families struggling with high utility bills while also expanding access to rebates for home weatherization and energy-efficient appliances, and significantly increasing support for low-income energy efficiency programs. The law also strengthens transmission infrastructure, reduces bottlenecks in grid development, and maximizes the delivery of clean energy across the state.

Amid threats of a fiscal cliff and potential 40% service cuts, the NITA Act not only preserves our transit system but transforms it by better integrating service across CTA, Metra, and Pace, establishing a unified fare system, and ensuring affordability through discounted passes for low-income riders. The law also enhances safety through a new Transit Ambassador program and promotes cleaner air by reducing vehicle emissions.

As a member of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, GreenLatinos is proud to have served as an advisor to the Power Sector Negotiating Team and worked alongside coalition partners to co-host town halls, organize in-district meetings, and participate in regular working group and grassroots calls to ensure that the voices of communities most impacted by energy and transit inequities helped shape these policies.

Following the close of the Illinois General Assembly’s 2025 Veto Session, Illinois State Program Director, Lucy Contreras, releases the following statement:

“Latino families have long faced the burden of high energy costs, air pollution, and underfunded transit systems. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act takes meaningful steps to lower energy costs and expand clean energy opportunities, while the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act preserves and improves the public transit system that is a lifeline for so many in our communities. Together, these laws deliver cleaner air, affordable energy, and reliable transit for the families who need them most.”

In the future, GreenLatinos Illinois looks forward to continue collaborating with Illinois lawmakers and directly impacted community members to ensure their voices are amplified and uplifted during future legislative sessions. We recognize that those closest to the problem are often closest to the solution, so including these voices is necessary not only to drive a green economy but also to improve air quality for our comunidades.” - Lucy Contreras, Illinois State Program Director.

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About GreenLatinos

GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.