Sustainable Springfield

09/05/2026

Feeling confused about energy storage? Not sure why it matters or whether it’s good or bad? This is your chance to get the real facts and ask the questions that matter to you and your neighbors. September 10 from 6-7:30PM.

Expert panelists will break down how battery energy storage systems work, how they support a more reliable and affordable grid, and what benefits they bring to our communities. They’ll also cover how the new statewide framework, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), impacts storage projects, what the safety record and standards actually are, and what the new Illinois law requires at the local level.

https://tinyurl.com/Battery-Storage-101

Join the and for a virtual session that will cover what energy storage is and how it can support Illinois communities.

09/04/2026

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD FOR THE MAHOMET AQUIFER RECHARGE AREAS!

Almost exactly a year ago, we celebrated the passage of state legislation protecting the Mahomet Aquifer from carbon sequestration. Now, One Earth Energy, an ethanol plant on the edge of Gibson City, is close to receiving U.S. EPA approval to inject 90 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the recharge area of the Mahomet Aquifer.

Three draft permits were issued on August 18, and the U.S. EPA has laid out a public engagement process that falls woefully short, with a hearing on September 22nd in Gibson City and public comments due the following day (9/23).

This timeline is not acceptable. Our partners at Eco-Justice Collaborative have created a petition to extend the public comment period by 10 days to allow for a proper evaluation of the draft permits and to develop formal written comments.

Sign the petition today and stand up for clean water! https://ecojusticecollaborative.org/demand-epa-extend-its-comment-period-for-one-earths-carbon-storage-project/

09/03/2026

🚨Big Tech is racing to build data centers across IL and they're snapping up dangerously large amounts of water & energy without paying their fair share.

We need the POWER Act to establish nation-leading guardrails that protect our water, energy, ratepayers, & communities from data center harms.

Join us at the Capitol on Nov 18 to get this bill across the finish line!

‼️ RSVP today! https://forms.gle/xhy5ppZs4aPhkgZt8?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=power_veto&utm_id=POWER+Act+Veto+Lobby+Day+2026

09/01/2026

BREAKING: American energy storage surges in Q2, deploying more capacity and discharging more electricity than any quarter in history.

Here are the biggest takeaways:
- 20.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of new capacity in Q2, bringing total installations in the first half of 2026 to 30.8 GWh
- Utility-scale energy storage capacity has nearly doubled from 88 GWh to 165 GWh in the first 18 months of the Trump administration
- More than 74% of the energy storage capacity installed in Q2 was built in states won by President Donald Trump in 2024.
- Arizona led the country with 6.2 GWh of new storage installations in Q2, the strongest quarter for any one state on record.
- Battery energy storage supplied more electricity to the grid in the first eight months of 2026 than in all of 2025.

Dive into the data of SEIA's Energy Storage Market Outlook: https://seia.org/news/largest-quarter-on-record-for-energy-storage/

08/28/2026

90 minutes is not enough to prepare comments on highly technical permits. Demand the U.S. EPA extend its comment period by 10 days!

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

"Without the renewable energy credits, this project is not financially viable."

08/25/2026

I hope someone can attend this webinar! Let us know if you attend. Energy Storage 101

Join the Illinois Environmental Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, Citizens Climate Lobby, Faith in Place, Greenlight America, and Sierra Club for a virtual session that will cover what energy storage is and how it can support Illinois communities. In this hour-long virtual discussion with expe...