REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS (D-7th), Senator Mattie Hunter, join Governor Pritzker in hailing Nexamp’s solar expansion, opening a second headquarters in Chicago. With Hunter ushering the bill through the Senate and Davis including wording to include poor people and communities, Pritzker said it will “create a ripple effect of job creation” and the building of a skills bank for Illinois
Representative Danny Davis (D-7th) and Illinois Senator Mattie Hunter (3rd) joined Governor J B Pritzker Monday, January 22, and officials from Nexamp in announcing the opening of Nexamp’s second headquarters in Chicago. The company will invest $2 billion in Illinois to expand solar and wind investments in low-income communities.
At a press conference at 101 N. Wacker Drive, Pritzker, joined by Nexamp CEO Zaid Ashai, Chicago’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Kristin Richards, Representative Margaret Croke (D-12th), Chicago Urban League President Karen Freeman-Wilson, and others said, “Illinois’s commitment to sustainable energy wouldn’t be possible without innovative companies like Nexamp and their decision to open a Chicago headquarters underscores the role Illinois is playing in the national solar conversation.”
“As solar energy companies like Nexamp expand throughout the Midwest, we see a ripple effect of job creation and skills-building that, just like clean energy itself, will benefit communities and generations for years to come,” Pritzker stated.
In an interview with the Chicago Crusader, Hunter said, “I was one of the sponsors of the legislation to bring organizations to Illinois. They put together their program exactly the way we intended it to be in that legislation.”
She said officials from Nexamp are currently in public schools identifying youth to train, and they are partnering with city colleges, recruiting students to train in the expansion of solar energies, and are working with community partners including the Chicago Urban League which already has a solar energy program. Hunter’s bill passed in 2021.
Davis told the Chicago Crusader his role in the passage of the bill was “making sure that there were tax credits for low-income buildings and low-income communities that would be a part of this solar expansion in Illinois.
“We were pleased to be a part of making sure that there were federal tax credits that would benefit low-income families and low-income communities,” he said.
Overall, Davis said, “The solar expansion is a tremendous development for the state of Illinois. It’s all a part of a state and federal bill and when all of this gets implemented, it will create jobs and economic development, opportunities throughout the state of Illinois in rural communities for farmers and urban communities like low-income people.
“It will provide job training for kids in high school, and college students. The job training will be available for young people and as a former Chicago public school teacher and a university professor I was very intrigued by factors,” said Davis.
Agreeing was Ashai who praised Pritzker’s leadership in the passing of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021 that was supported by Senator Hunter.
“The state is far more than just an attractive market for solar generation for Nexamp,” he said. “It’s a state which shares our vision of a cleaner, more equitable energy future powered by a diverse, equitable, and skilled workforce.”
“The State of Illinois continues to build upon its reputation as a national leader in clean energy by drawing in the country’s largest community solar provider to open their new headquarters in Chicago,” said Representative Margaret Croke (D-Chicago).
“I’m thrilled to see our state continue to have success in bringing in new businesses to call Illinois home, and Nexamp’s Illinois expansion will help push the state toward its goal of 100 percent clean energy.”
According to the governor, community (or “shared”) solar allows individuals, companies, or municipalities to benefit from clean, renewable solar energy without requiring them to install panels on their property.
Customers subscribe to community solar farms, receive credit for the energy generated and save on their electricity bills. These savings are particularly impactful for low-to-moderate-income residents facing high energy costs.
