The wind industry is one business that's booming in Illinois. Last year, the state added 632 megawatts of wind power, more than all but four other states. According to a report published this week by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), over 100 companies with more than 15,000 employees are now tapped into "Illinois' wind power supply chain," producing 1,800 megawatts of energy per year. The vast majority of those jobs are with small businesses like machine shops, welders, and metal fabricators. Chicago is also the corporate home to 13 major wind companies.

That growth was no accident. It was the direct result of state legislation in 2007 establishing a renewable energy portfolio standard (RES), which stipulates that 25 percent of the electricity sold in Illinois by 2025 must be generated by renewable energy sources. To keep the momentum going, ELPC is urging the General Assembly to continue its support for the RES. Lawmakers might also want to rethink their opposition to a measure (SB 3686) that energy industry lobbyists worked hard to stall this spring. If approved, the bill would have required that utility companies fulfilling their obligations under the standard procure renewable energy from Illinois sources before importing power from neighboring states.