'It's just been a slow rollout': Climate jobs grants could finally be coming for eager contractors

As the two-year anniversary of the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act approaches, the state is continuing to implement several workforce development and grant programs. For some, that rollout hasn't been fast enough.

As the statewide transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy picks up pace, some small businesses have been eagerly awaiting the programs, many of which are specifically designed to assure the equitable growth of the clean energy sector by creating jobs, developing the workforce and providing funding opportunities.

According to a June webinar, the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity sometime this month plans to open applications for the Equitable Energy Future Grant Program, which will provide seed funding and predevelopment opportunities for eligible contractors to start work on renewable energy projects to the tune of $34 million a year.

Additionally, the department recently announced it is launching funding for 13 training hubs across the state. While a department spokesperson previously said the goal was to have some of the hubs running by the end of last year, that timeline has since been moved later.

Set to be implemented by the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the programs include preferential support for communities that have historically faced economic barriers and environmental damage, as well as for citizens who have had experience in the foster care system or who are returning from incarceration.

The idea behind prioritizing those communities is "knowing that communities (already) with additional resources and privileges may have easier access to the new economy that's developing," said John Delurey, the Midwest deputy programs director for nonprofit advocacy group Vote Solar.

"They may naturally have pathways into this clean energy future we're building, other communities may not," Delurey said. "We specifically built the programs to support those communities to try to make that transition - which again is inevitable and mission critical - as equitable as possible."

Delurey said creating jobs isn't enough to support the massive scale of the transition; building skills and supporting business ownership are also needed.

Troyce Polk, who founded solar developer Selenium Energy in 2017 with the mission of getting affordable solar power into Chicago-area communities - especially for low- to moderate-income residents - has been "waiting on bated breath" as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act programs slowly develop.

"Being a part of those communities, my goal is to help not only the residents partake in the energy savings and some of the benefits that come along with renewable energy and solar, but to actually be a conduit for jobs for returning citizens," Polk said.

In particular, Polk has looking forward to the Equitable Energy Future Grant Program.

"When Gov. Pritzker rolled out the renewable energy plan for Illinois approximately two years ago, I was initially very excited," Polk said. "Since then, it's just been a slow rollout of everything. There's just been a lot of frustration for myself and our business, as well as a lot of other small, renewable energy businesses in this space. The capital or seed money that those programs and grants would provide are essential to getting in the game."

Polk recently won a bid to complete 100 installations in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. The residential solar pilot program, which includes two other projects in Waukegan and the Carbondale-Marion area, is administered through the Illinois Power Agency.

Because Selenium Energy is required to complete the installations before receiving payment, Polk is facing challenges in securing operating capital.

"As a business owner, you need operating capital to pay your employees or for equipment procurement, and those grants, from my understanding, would have helped ease that burden tremendously," he said. "It's a good problem to have, but trying to run a business on a shoestring budget is especially frustrating when there's been money set aside for this very purpose, and you just can't reach it."

Polk added that solar power is just beginning to boom in Illinois, and he's competing with "goliath" national energy companies to secure future bids.

The training hub locations, meant to help bolster a diverse workforce as well as support energy workers and communities facing plant closures, will include the South and West sides of Chicago, Waukegan, Decatur, Carbondale and Alton, among others.

Designed to foster long-term careers in the renewable energy, electrification and energy efficiency industries, the program is anticipated to enroll 1,500 participants during its first year.

"CEJA goes beyond creating a handful of programs - it is designed to create an entire ecosystem which has required a thoughtful and deliberative process to ensure the state meets its goals," department spokesperson Eliza Glezer said in an email in April. "The program design, stakeholder engagement, and application selection represent the longest part of the process, and (the department) is well-positioned to launch all remaining programs this year."

• Jenny Whidden is a climate change and environment writer working with the Daily Herald through a partnership with Report For America supported by The Nature Conservancy. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.