2025 Articles

Chair’s Column By Alan Jedlicka April 2025 A note from the chair.

Chair’s Report By Craig J. Sondgeroth June 2025 A note from the incoming chair on the year ahead.

Coast to Coast: Big News for Building Electrification By Daniel Carpenter-Gold November 2025 Two key decisions, Rinnai v. South Coast Air Quality Management District and Mulhern Gas v. Mosley, rejected arguments that challenged New York's all-electric requirement for new buildings. This perhaps demonstrates a shift from and the limitations to California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, which held that applicable federal law preempts state and local electric requirements.

Editor’s Note By Nick Oliver November 2025 A note from the Editor of the Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, and Transportation Section Newsletter regarding the current issue and what's to come in the field of energy regulation in light of new laws in Illinois.

EUTT Section Council Member Spotlight: Danny Chung April 2025 A spotlight on a member of the Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications & Transportation Section Council.

EUTT Section Council Member Spotlight: Ellen Schanzle-Haskins June 2025 A spotlight on a member of the Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications & Transportation Law Section Council.

Executive Orders, Department Memoranda, Hyperbole, Administrative Preferences, and Aspirational, Reasonable or Necessary Regulations and Actions—2025 By William J. Anaya April 2025 A breakdown of the Trump Administration's revisions to environmental law of interest to practitioners.

A Final Note from the Outgoing Chair By Alan Jedlicka June 2025 As my term as Chair of the ISBA’s Energy, Utilities, Telecommunications, and Transportation Council comes to an end, I would like to thank you all for your collaboration, friendship, trust, and encouragement. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Chair and to work together on the issues and initiatives that impact our various practice areas and the diverse sectors we represent.

Illinois Has a “Climate Bank!” What Does It Do? June 2025 The Illinois Climate Bank, created by the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, funds clean energy and climate projects across the state. It supports grid upgrades, solar for low-income communities, EV charging, energy efficiency loans, and small business financing. Backed by federal and state funds, the bank promotes job creation, emissions reduction, and energy equity. A second fund, the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund, focuses on underserved communities, while rural areas benefit from the Green Bank for Rural America.

ISBA 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference Photos November 2025 The Illinois State Bar Association hosted the 2025 Solo and Small Firm Conference: The Innovative Lawyer: Smart Strategies for Small Firms in the Age of AI on September 25–26 at the Embassy Suites in Naperville, IL.

LAWPAC Needs You! April 2025 The Illinois Lawyers’ Political Action Committee (LAWPAC) needs your help to fulfill its mission to support the legislative goals of the ISBA and Illinois’ legal community.

A Snapshot of State Appliance Standards in 2025 By 2050 Partners November 2025 A look into codes and standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy bills, and bolstering grid resilience. This article discusses current codes and standards that exist and expands upon opportunities for regulatory standards, opportunities for states, and appliance efficiency through building codes.

What’s Going on with Vehicle-to-Everything Laws in Illinois? By Nick Oliver April 2025 Welcome to “What’s going on with ____ in Illinois?” The author's goal for this new column is to provide an overview of emerging laws affecting the energy, utilities, transportation, and telecommunication industries in our state. For our first column in this series, the author focuses on the current state of vehicle-to-everything laws in Illinois.