New Report says 91 Illinois Communities Have Achieved 100 Percent Renewable Electricity

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that a new report has found Illinois leads the nation in the number of communities using renewable electricity. The report shows 91 Illinois communities have achieved 100 percent renewable electricity, far more than any other state. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to protect our natural resources and ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

"Renewable energy benefits everyone, from energy customers to Illinois farmers to anyone who breathes our air," Governor Quinn said. "This new study confirms that people around the world can look to Illinois as an example of what can be done with renewable energy."

The report was released today by the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund, LEAN Energy US, the Illinois Solar Energy Association and George Washington University Solar Institute.

"This report shows the strong public demand for renewable energy across Illinois, and the potential for solar energy and wind power to drive sustainable development in communities from Carbondale to Evanston," Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center said.

The 91 communities that have transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity represent more than 1.7 million individuals. According to the report, demand for renewable energy from the state is more than six terawatt hours, a reduction in greenhouse gas comparable to taking more than one million cars off the road.

A 2009 Illinois law allows communities to buy their own electricity and more than 600 have done so, including the 91 who buy renewable energy directly or buy credits to help fund renewable energy development. Renewable energy includes such sources as solar, wind and biofuels.

The 91 Illinois communities that use 100 percent renewable electricity are Alton, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Bartonville, Beecher, Bethalto, Bolingbrook, Braidwood, Brimfield, Buffalo Grove, Carbondale, Cary, Champaign County, Channahon, Charleston, Coal City, Columbia, Crete, Creve Coeur, Decatur, Deer Creek, Dunlap, East Peoria, Easton, Edwardsville, Elwood, Evanston, Forest City, Frankfort, Glen Carbon, Glendale Heights, Godfrey, Granite City, Hanna City, Hartford, Havana, Henry, Homer Glen, Hopewell, Jacksonville, Kenilworth, Kilbourne, Lake Forest, Lemont, Lisle, Mackinaw, Manito, Marion, Marquette Heights, Marshall County, Mason County, McLean, Monticello, Morton, Normal, Norridge, North Pekin, Oak Park, Paris, Park Forest, Pekin, Peoria, Peoria County, Peoria Heights, Peotone, Plainfield, Riverside, Roanoke, Rockdale, Rolling Meadows, Romeoville, Roxana, San Jose, Shorewood, South Barrington, South Pekin, South Roxana, Sparland, Stanford, Stark County, Tazewell County, Toluca, Topeka, Urbana, Warrenville, Washburn, Washington, West Frankfort, West Peoria, Westmont and Woodridge.

To view the full report, visit gocleangolocal.org/illinoisreport/.

According to the Energy Information Administration, Illinois is fifth in the nation for the generation of electricity from wind power with more than seven million megawatt-hours in 2012. According to a study by the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University, the state's 23 largest wind farms created approximately 19,047 full-time equivalent jobs and supported approximately 814 permanent jobs in rural Illinois.

The Quinn administration has taken the lead in the use of renewable fuels, converting much of the state's vehicle fleet to Flex Fuel Vehicles and providing incentives for retailers to dispense biofuels. The state also offers an Alternative Fuel Vehicle rebate program, providing rebates for nearly 12,500 vehicle purchases since the program began in 1999.

U.S. Green Building Council Ranks Illinois Number One in the Sustainable Building Design Movement

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the U.S. Green Building Council has ranked Illinois number one among all 50 states in the sustainable building design movement. Illinois has more than 29 million square feet of certified green buildings, or 2.29 square feet for every resident. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to ensure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

"Both the public and private sectors in Illinois recognize that long-term investments in 21st century infrastructure should be done in ways that reduce energy consumption and protect the environment," Governor Quinn said. "Illinois is proud to be the nation's green buildings leader, and we are proof that a smaller environmental footprint can help us step toward energy independence."

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) highlights the regions around the country that are at the forefront of the movement for sustainable building design, construction and operation. Utilizing less energy and water, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

"In the face of the extraordinary global challenge of climate change, our national imperative to create resource-efficient and cost-effective green buildings has never been greater," USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi said. "Illinois has a strong base of dedicated individuals who are using LEED to transform its built infrastructure into high-performing spaces that promote the health of our planet and the people who use these buildings each and every day."

"Illinois' national ranking is the result of the robust network of businesses committed to sustainability working together with elected officials who understand the benefits of green building," said Brian Imus, executive director of the Chicago-based USGBC Illinois Chapter. "It's great to see passion from so many people making an impact and moving Illinois closer to the goal of everyone living, working and learning in a green and healthy building."

The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified throughout 2013. Illinois certified 171 projects representing 29,415,284 square feet of real estate, or 2.29 square feet per resident, in 2013. USGBC calculates the list using per-capita figures as a measure of the human element of green building, allowing for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and, accordingly, number of overall buildings.

A few notable projects that certified in Illinois in 2013 include :

·         The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, LEED Gold

·         Choices Mental Health Facility in Ottawa, LEED Platinum

·         300 North LaSalle, a 57-story, 1.3 million-square-foot tower in Chicago developed and managed by USGBC Platinum Member Hines, LEED Platinum

·         The Caterpillar Visitors Center in Peoria, LEED Gold

·         Engine Company 16 in Chicago, LEED Platinum

·         Lincoln Hall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, LEED Platinum

·         Powell Elementary School in Chicago, LEED Gold

·         Lincoln Land Community College Workforce Development Center in Springfield, LEED Silver

The full ranking of the top 10 states includes:

*Washington, D.C., is not ranked as it is a federal district, not a state.

Collectively, 1,777 commercial and institutional projects became LEED certified within the top 10 states in 2013, representing 226.8 million square feet of real estate. Worldwide, 4,642 projects were certified in 2013, representing 596.8 million square feet.

More than 20,000 projects representing 2.9 billion square feet of space have been LEED-certified worldwide, with another 37,000 projects representing 7.6 billion square feet in the pipeline for certification.

The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. Their LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. More than 57,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising 10.5 billion square feet of construction space in 147 countries and territories. In addition, more than 50,000 residential units have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system. Learn more at usgbc.org/LEED.

Here at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), we recently released some exciting news - that the U.S. has more wind projects under construction right now than ever before.

Here are some more highlights from our
Fourth Quarter 2013 Market Report -

• There is enough wind power under construction in the U.S. to power the equivalent of 3.5 million American homes, or all of the households in Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas - that's over 12,000 megawatts (MW) in total.
• Some of the states poised for major growth in wind energy include Texas, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and Michigan.
• U.S. manufacturing production capacity has ramped up dramatically, with major manufacturing facilities active in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota.

In contrast, however, the amount of wind power installed in the U.S. this past year is the smallest the country has seen in the past nine years - only 1,084 MW, a 92% drop from 2012.

The reason for this contrast is the lack of certainty about federal policy, particularly the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC) that help project developers finance wind projects.

Throughout 2012, the wind industry did not know if the tax credits would be extended, so business came to a halt - thus resulting in the small amount of new wind power installed last year.

When the PTC was extended at the beginning of 2013, the industry quickly rebounded, signing a record number of agreements to sell wind power, and starting construction on projects in at least 20 states.

We are once again without policy certainty.  Congress did not act on tax legislation in 2013, and so the PTC was allowed to expire for the fifth time in its history on January 1, 2014.

I urge you to write to your federal legislators today.  Show them both the disappointing year that the wind industry had in 2013, and the exciting year that is coming up in 2014.  Ask them to support extensions of the PTC and ITC, so that businesses in the wind industry can have the certainty they need to develop clean, homegrown, affordable power.

Prepared Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa

Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee

"Privacy in the Digital Age: Preventing Data Breaches and Combating Cybercrime"

Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding today's hearing to examine the well-publicized recent commercial data breaches.  We're still learning all the details, but it's clear these and other breaches have potentially impacted millions of consumers nationwide.

Today we have the opportunity to learn about the challenges that both industry and law enforcement face in combatting cyber-attacks from well organized criminals. The witnesses have a unique ability to provide us various important perspectives as we consider the government's role in securing sensitive data and crafting a breach notification standard.

I hope to learn where the committee's expertise could be helpful in combatting future attacks.   Furthermore, I'd like to use this hearing to explore areas of common ground, so we can determine what might be accomplished quickly.

In most cases, thankfully, businesses are able to prevent the relentless attacks against their networks.  This is due to comprehensive security programs coupled with law enforcement's diligent work.  However, the data breaches at Target and Neiman Marcus demonstrate that even companies with vast resources can suffer serious attacks with the potential to harm their customers.

One defensive tool that's been discussed is updating payment card technology.  Retailers and card issuers are preparing to transition away from decades-old technology.  This is a positive step in the right direction.  However, it's a bit troubling that it's taken so long to implement this technology.  Many fraudulent transactions might have been prevented had this occurred already.  But this alone won't provide complete security, as I'm sure we'll hear today.

Criminal hackers aren't quitters.  They continue to find ways to break into company networks.  As the Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned, attacks like those recently suffered will continue.  So companies must be vigilant in defending their systems, as well as in taking steps after an attack to warn customers and limit the damage.

Unfortunately, it may be days, weeks, or months before a business realizes it's been attacked.  And if a hacker can breach a large business's security system, then it's obvious that smaller businesses are threatened as well.  It's important we remain mindful of the differences in businesses and the resources they have available as we go forward.

It's been a couple of years since the committee last considered data security legislation.  In that time, we've learned a lot about this subject thanks to the broader cybersecurity conversation.  The proposals offered by the administration and Congress, along with other government initiatives, can be helpful for us as we consider how to proceed on legislation.

Currently, there are at least four pieces of data security and breach notification legislation in the Senate, with possibly more to come as other committees begin their work.  While these bills would establish national security standards, they take different approaches.  This offers us the chance to examine the effects of each, which is a good thing.

In the past, I've expressed concern with approaches that don't provide businesses the flexibility they need to secure their data.  We must avoid creating a one-size-fits-all security requirement, particularly if it fails to account for businesses of different sizes and resources.   An inflexible approach could lead to businesses focusing on merely completing a checklist of requirements in order to avoid liability, instead of doing what makes sense to secure customer information in their particular circumstances.

On this point, I hope to learn how the government can better partner with the private sector and law enforcement to strengthen data security.  The government has a strong interest to work together with industry, given the impact cyber-attacks have on the nation's economy.

Fostering a greater public-private approach to cybersecurity was recognized in last year's Executive Order from the President on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.  The Executive Order stated that strengthening cybersecurity can be achieved through government partnership with private business.

As a result of the Executive Order, we should review the National Institute of Standards and Technology ongoing partnership with owners of critical infrastructure.  This partnership will create standards, guidelines, and best practices for businesses to implement on a voluntary basis. 

There's already bipartisan support for this approach. Senators Rockefeller and Thune have introduced a bill to enshrine the National Institute of Standards and Technology role in creating a cybersecurity framework.  This is just one model for government action focused on securing critical infrastructure.  It's worth considering how this approach might work in this particular context.

The recent breaches also draw attention to the need for a uniform, federal notification standard.  There's been little suggestion that the public failed to receive news about these recent breaches.  However, we once again see the difficulties faced with a patchwork of state laws.  Companies must ensure compliance, while also investigating ongoing threats.

I've supported creating a federal notification standard to replace the laws in 46 states and the District of Columbia.  It makes sense.  If done correctly, it would ease compliance costs for businesses, particularly since the current laws are ever changing.  A federal standard would also ensure consumers are notified of breaches that could result in financial harm or identity theft. 

But if the standard for notification is crafted too broadly or the penalties for failure to notify are too harsh, there's a risk for consumer over-notification.  Businesses may choose to issue notice of even trivial breaches.  Just as there's a potential for harm when a victim is not notified of a breach, over-notification can lead to harm or apathy.

Further, a notification law must recognize the resources available to different businesses.  While companies like those before us today were quickly able to comply with existing law, many smaller businesses would face a more difficult experience.

There's widespread support for a national breach notification standard.  As a result, we should ask whether it's appropriate to separate this issue from other aspects of the ongoing data security debate.  This might provide the chance to take action quickly, as we continue work on other issues.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman.  I look forward to exploring these issues and working with you and others.