Supports Commitment to Renewable Energy, Job Creation

CHICAGO - March 6, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced an agreement between Rock Island Clean Line LLC and Flora, Illinois-based Southwire Company that will support wind turbine and transmission manufacturing in Illinois and create 1,450 union construction jobs under a project labor agreement in Illinois over a three-year construction period. The agreement supports Governor Quinn's commitment to growing the renewable energy sector in Illinois and continues Illinois' leadership in the green economy. The governor announced the agreement after delivering the keynote address at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Regional Wind Energy Summit held today in Chicago.

"Illinois is a leader in the renewable energy sector, and agreements like these are helping make Illinois even more competitive," Governor Quinn said. "These cutting-edge projects will help maintain Illinois' national leadership in wind energy and manufacturing, and create good paying, home-grown jobs."

Under the agreement, Southwire will supply the overhead transmission cable for the Rock Island Clean Line project. This project will consist of approximately 500-mile overhead, high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line that will deliver 3,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable power from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota to communities and businesses in Illinois and other states to the east. Construction of the Rock Island Clean Line could begin as early as 2014 and continue over the next few years.

"We are very pleased that Clean Line has chosen to work with Southwire as they prepare for the construction of the Rock Island Clean Line HVDC line.  Such projects help to address the infrastructure needs that are critical to delivering renewable power to the population centers in the Midwest," stated Charlie Murrah, President of Southwire's Energy Division. "Transmission cable demand of this magnitude enables Southwire to continue its 60+ year leadership position in energy cable manufacturing and to contribute to the vitality of communities in which we operate such as Flora, Illinois."

The Rock Island Clean Line will enable approximately $7 billion worth of investments in new wind energy projects to move forward, which today cannot be constructed due to the lack of transmission. The project will also allow Illinois greater access to low-cost clean wind energy and will deliver enough energy to power more than 1.4 million Midwest homes.

Clean Line President Michael Skelly said, "Clean Line Energy is committed to sourcing as many of the needed materials as possible from local companies in the Rock Island Clean Line project area. We are excited to work with Southwire on a project that will power Illinois homes and businesses with clean energy. We believe it is increasingly important to invest in energy infrastructure in order to contribute to local economies, create new jobs in America and improve energy security. We look forward to continuing to work with Illinois authorities, state leaders and communities as our project moves forward."

A study conducted by Illinois State University found that wind energy in Illinois supports local economies by generating $22.2 million in annual property taxes, and supports nearly 600 permanent jobs and over 13,000 construction jobs. According to the American Wind Energy Association, there are 2,743 MW of wind generation installed in Illinois, enough to power nearly 1 million homes, and 523 MW of new wind is now under construction. Illinois was the number one state for new turbines installed in 2011, with 404 turbines erected last year. The Chicago-area is home to the U.S. or global headquarters of 14 wind developers or manufacturers, more than any other U.S. city. Illinois is also home to hundreds of companies in wind component manufacturing, supply chain, or that provide services to the industry.

For more information on Illinois' renewable energy industry, visit the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's State Energy Office at www.illinoisenergy.org.

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Visits Piper Elementary to Show How Educational Technology
Can Help Students Achieve and Succeed

BERWYN - February 28, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today called on lawmakers, administrators, teachers and parents across Illinois to recognize the critical role technology plays in educating the next generation of students. Just a day after President Obama asked governors across America to protect and invest in education even during tough budget times, Governor Quinn championed his plans to continue investing in Illinois' education during a visit to Piper Elementary. The Governor was joined by Riverside Village President Michael Gorman, 2nd graders and their teacher Maureen Gorman, who demonstrated how their class uses technology to improve learning.

"The most valuable investment we can make is in the education of our children," Governor Quinn said. "Preparing our students for a 21st century economy starts with making sure their classrooms use the technology that will be vital to their success in high school, higher education and their careers."

Piper Elementary, part of District 100 in Berwyn, is making strong progress in narrowing the achievement gap that hurts too many Illinois students. District 100 is 79% Hispanic and 74% low income. However, Piper students are showing real progress thanks to strong parent and teacher cooperation and administrators investing in 21st century educational technology like smart boards, multimedia labs and tablet computers.

83% of Piper students met or exceeded standards in state testing in 2011 and District 100 as a whole rose to the top 49% of districts statewide, following three years at the mid-60% level. Piper has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind every since it was enacted - one of only 7 elementary schools of similar combined demographics and incomes to achieve this progress.

Governor Quinn has reiterated his commitment to education, jobs and economic growth in his proposed budget by maintaining funding for K-12 and higher education and increasing early childhood funding by $20 million, as well as a $50 million increase for the state Monetary Award Program (MAP), which provides college scholarships for needy students. Governor Quinn also recently announced $623 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding to help dozens of school districts statewide make critical repairs, additions and technology updates to classrooms. Combined with local dollars, the funding will allow school districts to complete projects totaling more than $1.2 billion. In his budget address, Governor Quinn renewed his commitment to continued capital construction funding for school construction.

In his recent remarks to the National Governors Association, President Obama challenged the states' chief executives to invest in American economy built to last by doing their part to ensure American students and workers have the education and training they need to be prepared for the jobs of the 21st Century. Governor Quinn intends to meet the President's challenge and urge lawmakers to pass his education blueprint, which will help avert teacher layoffs, make college more affordable through targeted tax relief and reigning in student loan rates, securing funding for Pell Grants and taking steps to double the number of work-study jobs over the next 5 years to help students who are working their way through school.

Funding Will Repair, Update and Build Schools to Serve Students

HAZEL CREST - February 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that  Illinois school districts statewide will receive a total of more than $623 million from Illinois Jobs Now! to construct new buildings or expand, repair and update existing ones. This capital funding will provide needed classroom space, while supporting an estimated 4,000 construction jobs throughout the state.

"In order for our students to compete for the jobs of tomorrow, we must ensure they are receiving a quality education in quality school facilities," Governor Quinn said. "This capital funding will help school districts across the state update their facilities and make critical repairs to improve the educational experience for our students,"

Thirty-one districts statewide were approved for the state funding this fiscal year after their projects were certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB).

The funding will allow districts to build new schools, add new classrooms, and make renovations to aging buildings. Other improvements will include renovations to existing classrooms, upgrades to aging facilities and additional technology updates. The capital funding, combined with local dollars, will allow school districts to complete projects totaling more than $1.2 billion.

The school districts that will receive funding include :

• Chicago Public Schools District 299, $114.67 million
• St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, $7.66 million
• Wheaton Community Unit School District 200, $14.46 million
• Harvard Community Unit School District 50, $13.81 million
• Peoria School District 150, $34.61 million
• Huntley Consolidated School District 158, $39.41 million
• Orland School District 135, Orland Park, $5.33 million
• Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95, $3.11 million
• Crete-Monee School District 201-U, $23.28 million
• Millstadt Consolidated School District 160, $4.29 million
• Knoxville Community Unit School District 202, $20.22 million
• Wilmington Community Unit School District 209-U, $9.28 million
• Berwyn North Elementary District 98, $7.59 million
• Wesclin Community Unit School District 3, Trenton, $18.87 million
• Stark County Community Unit School District 100, $3.69 million
• Virginia Community Unit School District 64, $12.26 million
• Skokie School District 69, $1.32 million
• Burbank School District 111, $9.87 million
• Shawnee Community Unit School District 84, Union County, $2.04 million
• Manhattan School District 114, $5.84 million
• Paris Cooperative High School, $24.22 million
• Homer Community Consolidated School District 33-C, Homer Glen, $4.54 million
• Warren Township High School District 121, Gurnee, $11.53 million
• Panhandle Community Unit School District 2, Raymond, $3.86 million
• Spring Valley Elementary District 99, $12.23 million
• Rochelle Community Consolidated School District 231, $12.32 million
• Ramsey Community Unit School District 204, $3.92 million
• Mt. Vernon Township High School District 201, $47.62 million
• Hazel Crest School District 152.5, $32.22 million
• Calumet Township School District 132, Calumet Park, $12.36 million
• Marion Community Unit School District 2, $56.62 million.

Governor Quinn also announced today that the state is making available $50 million in School Maintenance Grant Program grants. The dollar-for-dollar state matching grant program provides up to $50,000 in matching funds for the maintenance or upkeep of buildings or structures for educational purposes. The grant applications for districts will be available soon.

Before the passage of Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, Illinois had not had a major capital construction program in more than a decade. The Governor has made it a priority to invest in our schools and update our classrooms to provide Illinois students with the best quality education experience possible.

New Building Will Create 260 Jobs and Provide State-of-the-Art Forensic Capability for Area Law Enforcement

BELLEVILLE - February 10, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by state and local officials to break ground on the $37.8 million State Police Metro-East Forensic Science Laboratory in Belleville, a facility that will provide the Illinois State Police with enhanced crime-solving abilities.  As part of the Governor's ongoing commitment to improving public safety in Illinois, the facility will also give police agencies throughout the region a valuable tool for their criminal investigations. The project is creating approximately 260 construction jobs and is expected to be completed in 2013.

"Our law enforcement agencies must keep pace with scientific developments, so that they have all the tools available to investigate crimes and arrest offenders," Governor Quinn said. "This facility gives local authorities access to the very latest tools and technologies to help them conduct investigations more efficiently and put criminals behind bars."

The 64,100 square-foot forensic laboratory funded by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program will include state-of-the-art space and equipment for crime scene services, trace chemistry, drug chemistry, polygraph, latent prints, firearms and forensic biology/DNA testing. The facility will be located on land purchased in 2007 from Lindenwood University. The project is being administered by the Capital Development Board, which oversees all non-road state-funded construction projects.

"As forensic science technology continues to evolve and forensic scientists are able to provide investigators with more information, there is an increased demand for DNA analysis and other highly specialized testing on crime scene evidence," Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau said. "With this expertly-designed, state-of-the-art facility, our skilled scientists will be prepared to keep up with technology and demand, enhancing our ability to provide the best possible forensic science and crime scene services on behalf of the victims of southwest Illinois."

For more than two decades, the Illinois State Police has leased 15,000 square feet of renovated office space as its laboratory in Fairview Heights. The rented space can no longer accommodate the agency's technological changes, casework growth and staffing needs. Contegra Construction Company of Edwardsville is the general contractor, and began mobilizing for work on the site in November.

Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program is expected to create 439,000 construction jobs while addressing the state's infrastructure and vital facility needs.