New Illinois Bill Threatens Ratepayers, Workforce Diversity, and Clean Energy Goals

[Springfield, IL] — [October 31, 2025] — Last week, the Illinois General Assembly passed a sweeping energy and infrastructure bill—spanning more than 1,000 pages—with less than 24 hours for legislators to review or debate its long-term consequences. The bill’s passage represents a missed opportunity to advance Illinois’ clean energy and workforce goals in a responsible, cost-effective, and inclusive manner.

“This bill puts politics before people,” said Alicia Martin of ABC Illinois “By mandating union-only Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and adding new, unclear compliance provisions, lawmakers have created serious risks for ratepayers, small contractors, and the broader clean energy transition.”

PLA Mandates Will Worsen Workforce Shortages and Raise Costs

The bill’s mandate that all covered projects use PLAs directly impacts the very workers who keep Illinois building. By restricting which contractors can bid on public work, the measure ultimately limits opportunities for thousands of skilled tradespeople who have already proven they can complete these projects safely, on time, and with high quality. When fewer contractors are allowed to compete, it doesn’t just drive up project costs — it means fewer job opportunities for Illinois workers, and higher costs for ratepayers and consumers.

What’s most troubling is that the bill sets aside $7 million in grants to help Equity Eligible Contractors navigate the added costs and compliance burdens created by these mandates. That funding essentially confirms what workers already know: these provisions create barriers, not opportunities. Instead of opening doors for the hardworking men and women who make up Illinois’ construction workforce — including those employed by small, women-owned, veteran-owned, and minority-owned firms — this bill risks shutting them out of projects they’ve long helped to deliver.

Hurting Workforce Diversity and Opportunity

Illinois has made commendable strides toward widening the pipeline of construction talent—particularly through greater recruitment of women, veterans, and people of color. Unfortunately,

this legislation risks reversing that progress by creating new and unclear compliance requirements without adequate review or guidance. These provisions could unintentionally:

•Limit access to job opportunities for graduates of workforce development and pre-apprenticeship programs;

•Slow project timelines due to workforce constraints and reduced bidder participation; and

•Undercut Illinois’ clean energy deployment goals through avoidable and costly delays.

“These outcomes serve no one—not workers, not the economy, and not the climate,” Martin added. “Illinois can’t afford to jeopardize its clean energy leadership with policies that make it harder and more expensive to get projects built.”

A Better Path Forward

Rather than rushing through a thousand-page bill without sufficient review, the legislature should have taken the time to:

•Complete a full economic and workforce impact analysis;

•Identify and address unintended barriers to hiring and training; and

•Ensure that ratepayer and taxpayer investments deliver on their promises.

“Our shared mission to build a high-road energy economy can only succeed if the workforce requirements are practical, inclusive, and aligned with ongoing development efforts,” said Martin. “We urge lawmakers to revisit this issue in the spring session and work collaboratively toward a solution that benefits all Illinoisans.”