Spatial dimensions of energy politics: Geography and equity in the Illinois energy transition

In 2021, Illinois passed the Energy Transition Act, popularly referred to as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), establishing clean energy goals with an emphasis on equity. CEJA outlines specific mechanisms to improve environmental justice and equity outcomes in the state-mandated transition to clean energy. This thesis interrogates how equity and justice are institutionalized in state energy policy in Illinois by focusing on the Illinois Solar for All program as a case study on the limitations of mapping for environmental justice and tracing the political processes that have shifted the scale of governance for renewable energy siting to the state level over time. Drawing on 23 semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and geospatial analysis, I explore how energy governance affects equity across changing landscapes and consider the implications of uneven governance on the future of energy politics in the Midwest. This research finds that uneven spatialization of energy politics in Illinois through institutionalization of environmental justice at the state level may create new and uneven landscapes in the energy transition.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Anderson, Shannon Rose

Contributors dc:contributor

• Johnson, McKenzie

• Energy Policy
• Energy Justice
• Environmental Justice
• Energy Transition
• State Policy

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Shannon Anderson

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120426

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120426