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Day two of David Pecker testimony wraps in NY Trump trial; Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban; ND sees a flurry of campaigning among Native candidates; and NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites.

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The Senate moves forward with a foreign aid package. A North Carolina judge overturns an aged law penalizing released felons. And child protection groups call a Texas immigration policy traumatic for kids.

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Illinois Ranks 5th Nationally for Energy-Efficiency Jobs

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Tuesday, September 17, 2019   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Energy-efficiency jobs are booming in Illinois, and the pace is not expected to slow down anytime soon. According to a report released Monday, Illinois added more than 2,500 energy-efficiency jobs in 2018. That's a nearly 3% increase.

Robert Keefe is executive director of E2, which released the findings. He explained nationally, energy-efficiency jobs grew by 3.4% in 2018, and are projected to increase 7.8% in 2019.

"The number of people that work in energy efficiency are more, believe it or not, then there are waiters and waitresses in America; more than there are people in the legal profession - lawyers, judges, etc.,” Keefe said. “And energy-efficiency jobs employ more than twice as many people as does the fossil-fuel industry."

Energy-efficiency jobs encompass 29% of all energy-related jobs in Illinois, and the state ranks fifth nationally for the number of jobs in the energy-efficiency sector.

There are more than 15,000 energy-efficiency businesses operating in Illinois, with a majority involved in construction or manufacturing. And Keefe noted energy efficiency is truly driven by policies and standards set at the state and federal level.

"The Trump administration wants to roll back our energy-efficient lighting program. They want to reduce the EnergyStar program,” he said. “That's bad news for American consumers and businesses and it's bad news for the 300,000-plus energy-efficiency companies across America that are employing 90,000 people in Illinois alone."

Energy-efficiency jobs cannot be exported, and include home weatherization and the construction of energy-saving appliances and lighting, as well as high-tech design, software and professional services.


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