ELPC Awards

ELPC’s Mel Nickerson Honored by Illinois Recycling Association

June 6, 2011 ELPC Staff Attorney and Government Relations Specialist Mel Nickerson received the Illinois Recycling Association’s 2011 Award on June 6 for his outstanding work to achieve landmark e-waste legislation in Illinois over many years.

ELPC’s Brad Klein Honored by Interstate Renewable Energy Council

October 11, 2010 ELPC Staff Attorney Brad Klein received a Special Recognition Award by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council on October 11, 2o10.  The award was presented to Brad and five other individuals at the 2010 IREC Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.  The award recognizes “people and organizations that have made an extraordinary contribution to renewable energy and to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

“Brad has laid the groundwork and led the charge for dramatic improvements in interconnection procedures and net metering rules across the Midwest, always building coalitions and listening attentively to utility perspectives to find solutions.  In several states, Brad has worked closely with IREC, and he is recognized for his invaluable work on interconnection procedures in Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas.”

ELPC Receives President’s Award From American Institute of Architects Illinois

November 9, 2009 ELPC was honored to receive the President’s Award from the American Institute of Architects Illinois for extraordinary achievements in advancing livable communities.  ELPC’s Al Grosboll, left, and Melville Nickerson, right, accepted the award on behalf of ELPC at AIA Illinois’ annual conference from AIA Illinois President Tim McGinn, AIA.

In particular, the award recognizes ELPC’s years of leadership and advocacy to establish Energy Efficient Building Codes for residential and commercial buildings in Illinois.

US Green Building Council Chicago Chapter Presents ELPC with Natural Leader Award

May 16, 2009 In recognition of ELPC’s leadership on Illinois’ Energy Efficient Building Code and the Chicago Climate Action Plan, the Chicago Chapter of the US Green Building Council honored ELPC as a Natural Leader. ELPC’s Howard Learner and Jill Geiger, pictured center, accepted the award on behalf of ELPC from USGBC-Chicago Chapter Executive Director Doug Widener, left, and Board Chair Joseph Clair, right.

The “Intent to Matter” award was presented to ELPC at the Emerald Gala, USGBC’s annual celebration of the sustainable building movement, on May 16, 2009.

Howard Learner Receives Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2009 Distinguished Fellow Award

May 13, 2009 ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner was awarded the 2009 Distinguished Fellow Award from the prestigious Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC).  Learner was an LGC Fellow in the class of 1990 and is only the ninth person to receive this honor.  The Distinguished Fellow Award is presented each year to a Fellow who has made a significant leadership contribution to the community.

Chicago Magazine Honors Howard Learner with Green Award

April 15, 2009 In recognition of his work to make the planet ‘greener and better,’ Chicago Magazine honored ELPC President Howard Learner with a ‘Green Award’.

The April issue of Chicago Magazine included a profile of Howard that highlights some of ELPC’s successes, including bringing renewable energy and energy efficiency standards to Illinois, reducing mercury pollution in Illinois waters and working to bring high-speed rail to the Midwest.

ELPC Receives ShoreBank’s Green Neighbor Award

April 12, 2007 – To commemorate Earth Day, ShoreBank presented the Green Neighbor Award to ELPC for “best demonstrating how environmental progress and economic development are achieved together to help build strong, healthy communities.” ShoreBank’s Jean Pogge presented the award to ELPC’s Executive Director Howard Learner and a group of ELPC staff and board members at their annual Earth Day Reception.

Award For Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service

June 6, 2006 – ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner was awarded the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service from the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. We all congratulate Howard on this achievement and his continued commitment to the public interest.

Howard Learner Receives Distinguished Public Service Award

December 2005 – ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner was honored with the prestigious Distinguished Public Service Award by the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) at its annual luncheon on December 8th in a packed ballroom in Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel. PILI pursues equal access to justice by creating opportunities for law students and lawyers to provide public interest and pro bono work in Chicago.

The award recognizes Howard’s leading role on a wide range of public interest law issues and cases over his career. In his remarks, Howard recalled that in the beginning, ELPC ventured into uncharted territory. “When we said a decade ago that environmental progress and economic development can be achieved together, and we would put that into practice, the Environmental Law & Policy Center was a little out there. Today, sustainable development principles are widely embraced.”

Howard acknowledged his ELPC colleagues who work tirelessly and effectively on issues we deeply believe in.

ELPC Receives National Wind Advocacy Award

April 2004 – ELPC was honored with the Wind Energy Advocacy Award presented by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) at its Global WINDPOWER 2004 Conference. According to AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher, ELPC was awarded the Wind Energy Advocacy Award “…for providing a strong voice advocating development of renewable energy in the Midwest.”

In the award, AWEA referred specifically to ELPC’s outstanding contributions to raising the profile of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (requiring that a growing portion of electricity come from renewable sources) in legislatures and promoting wind power in the Midwest; playing a key role in the passage of the new $200-million Clean Energy Title in the 2002 Federal Farm Bill and in establishing a $250-million Illinois Clean Energy Community Trust; and publishing Repowering the Midwest: the Clean Energy Development Plan for the Heartland and Job Jolt.

ELPC Attorney Albert Ettinger receives River Hero Award

June 2003 – ELPC Senior Attorney Albert Ettinger has a new addition to his office – a mounted, wooden river paddle, honoring him as a National River Hero. He was given the award at the River Network’s River Rally this spring for his “substantial and inspirational contributions to the river conservation community.” Ettinger was nominated by his clean water colleagues. Congratulations Albert!

ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner presented with a Champion of Energy Efficiency Award

August 2002 – ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner was presented with a Champion of Energy Efficiency Award from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) at the group’s Summer Conference on Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Pacific Grove, California. Given every two years, the award, along with four others in separate categories, recognizes leadership and accomplishment in the energy efficiency field. Winners are selected based on demonstrated excellence in program implementation, research and development, energy policy, private sector initiatives, and international initiatives.

ACEEE described the decision to give the award to ELPC and Howard Learner in the following way:

As founder and director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago, Howard Learner has become a major force in energy efficiency policy in the Midwest and nationally. In 2002, he was instrumental in adding an energy title to the farm bill passed this spring, creating hundreds of millions of dollars in new support for efficiency in rural communities. Earlier, he helped write the seminal report Repowering the Midwest: The Clean Energy Development Plan for the Heartland. The solid research and analysis in this work helped members of Congress see the importance of adding the energy title. Howard also engineered the creation and funding of the Illinois Clean Energy Communities Foundation, an organization funded through $250 million from the proceeds of the sale of utility generating plants.

ELPC Winner of 1999 Sustained Excellence in Advocacy Award

November 1999 – In recognition of ELPC’s continued success in protecting natural resources in the Midwest, WPWR-TV Channel 50 Foundation has named ELPC the winner of the 1999 Sustained Excellence in Advocacy Award. This honor is accompanied by a $25,000 grant from the Foundation.

“‘ELPC is honored by the Foundation’s recognition of our effective environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation work. It inspires and encourages all of us who have worked together to build ELPC from a start-up in 1993 to a successful model today,’ said ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner. Kudos to the WPWR-TV Channel 50 Foundation for its awards recognizing the important role that advocacy groups perform in making the Chicago area a healthier, more just and more vibrant community for all who live and work here.”

In 1999 alone, ELPC succeeded in brokering the creation of the $250 million Illinois Clean Energy Community Trust to fund and promote clean energy programs, securing $250 million in new funds for the introduction of high-speed rail service between Chicago and St. Louis, and preventing the clear-cutting of more than 4,300 acres in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.