ELPC has received the highest rating from Charity Navigator, the independent non-profit rating agency. This 4-star “exceptional” rating means that ELPC’s fiscal management “exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause.” Only 12% of non-profits have attained this rating for three consecutive years. Click here for more details.
Learn about other awards and honors received by ELPC.
AIA Honors ELPC for Leadership on Green Building Code
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.
Learn about other awards and honors received by ELPC.
U.S. Green Building Council Names ELPC a “Natural Leader”
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.
Learn about other awards and honors received by ELPC.
Chicago Magazine Names ELPC’s Learner a Green Leader
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.
Learn about other awards and honors received by ELPC.
The 500 freight trains that pass through Chicago each day create major delays that slow down both freight and passenger rail traffic. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency program, or CREATE, is the plan that will help speed up rail traffic through Chicago.
CREATE received new funding through Illinois’ recent capital bill that will move the project forward. This is an important victory for the freight rail industry the Midwest high speed rail network.
As ELPC Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker told the Associated Press, “CREATE and high-speed rail for the Midwest are inextricably linked. To make high-speed rail work, we need to clear up congestion in Chicago.”
The Federal Railroad Administration announced in an interview this week that the Midwest and California are leading the competition for $8 billion dollars of stimulus funding for high speed rail plans. Eight Midwest states have collaborated on a plan for a new high speed rail system in the Midwest which will update three existing routes, placing Chicago as the network hub. This rail plan is one of the most developed of the plans to be submitted to the FRA, with initial deadlines for plan applications set in early July. Read the article in Businessweek to learn more about FRA guidelines and other regions’ high speed rail plans.
WTTW’s Chicago Tonight program highlighted efforts to get a Midwest High-Speed Rail Network going as part of its Chicago Matters series. “This is a big deal,” ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner says as he describes the new economic stimulus funding for high-speed rail. “This is a potential fundamental change in the transportation infrastructure of the Midwest.” Watch the full Chicago Tonight segment.
The opening of ELPC’s new office in Iowa created a stir in the media and focused attention to what Iowa can do to grow the green economy and help solve global warming. Reporters paid extra attention to Iowa’s unique opportunity to use federal stimulus funding to develop fast, convenient rail transportation between Chicago and Des Moines.
On the day that ELPC celebrates the opening of its new Iowa office, Executive Director Howard Learner lays out a plan for Iowa’s future in an OpEd in the Des Moines Register. He points out that Iowa is well-positioned to be a leader in the growing green economy, specifically with three major opportunities in energy efficiency, wind power and high-speed rail development.
“Energy, environmental, employment, economic and national-security goals are converging. President Barack Obama and Congress are moving toward realigning our nation to accelerate clean-energy development to create new jobs and achieve significant greenhouse-gas pollution reductions. Clean-energy development is a win-win-win for job creation, economic growth and better environmental quality.”
Appearing on WISN TV’s Upfront With Mike Gousha, ELPC’s Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker explains some of the benefits high-speed rail will bring to the Wisconsin and the Midwest, including new jobs, economic development and more convenient travel. ELPC has worked for 15 years to bring high speed rail the to Midwest. Our work took a great step forward when the Economic Stimulus Act invested $8 billion in for high speed rail.
We’re doing handsprings at the ELPC office! The breakthrough $9.3 billion of high-speed rail development funding in the economic stimulus legislation results from the Environmental Law & Policy Center spending years building the coalitions, making the policy, economic and environmental case, and briefing and gaining support from then-Congressional candidate Rahm Emanuel, then-Congressman Dick Durbin and then-Senator and then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama. The long-delayed vision of modern, fast, comfortable and convenient higher-speed rail passenger service linking Midwest cities and structural transportation reform for the nation is now moving forward.
On April 23, 2009, ELPC held a webinar briefing on new developments and funding affecting the Midwest High-Speed Rail Network
Please take a look at the attached ELPC press release, and a recent Politico.com story that underscores how President Obama and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel drove forward this new federal high-speed rail development program at the Conference Committee stage of the economic stimulus legislation. ELPC’s investment of time with them over the years has paid off wonderfully for the public and for transportation innovation for the Midwest and the nation.
The New York Times reports that a good chunk of the $8 billion for high-speed rail included in the economic stimulus package may benefit the Midwest.
ELPC’s President Howard Learner is quoted stating that the Midwest high-speed rail network is the US rail system that is most ready to go. The Midwest high-speed rail network would connect Chicago with 11 metropolitan areas within a 400 mile radius. For 15 years, ELPC has built support for high-speed rail in the Midwest, meeting with high-speed rail’s most influential backers, including President Obama, Senator Richard Durbin and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
The final version of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act now before Congress includes an unprecedented $8 billion investment in high-speed rail. In addition, Amtrak will receive $1.3 billion to rebuild trains and improve its capacity.
“We commend President Obama and Congress for helping to get America moving again with modern trains,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Investing in high-speed rail projects will put people to work quickly, create new economic opportunities, increase mobility and reduce traffic congestion and pollution.”
The $8 billion made available through the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be awarded competitively to states to improve passenger rail service, primarily on those corridors where 110 mph service is proposed. Funds can also be used on conventional rail projects that relieve congestion. The Midwest is very well positioned, with federally designated high-speed rail corridors radiating out in a hub-and-spoke network from Chicago to St. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities.
“The Environmental Law & Policy Center has long called for the development of a Midwest high-speed rail network. Governors and state Departments of Transportation have embraced high-speed rail as modern, fast, comfortable and convenient. We have done the homework and prep work. These projects are now ready to build,” said Learner. “We look forward to working with the states to meet Congress’s challenge to rebuild America with cleaner transportation.”
“Congress has moved on the right track toward economic recovery,” said Learner. “Investing in modern, high-speed rail is an important down payment on America’s transportation future.”
In his recent State of the State address, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland listed passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland as a key part of the plan to stimulate economic growth and make Ohio stronger. He received a standing ovation from the audience as he said:
“We will work toward the restoration of passenger rail service between Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. Our goal is to link Ohio’s three largest cities by passenger rail for the first time in 40 years. This will be a first step toward a rail system that links neighborhoods within a city, and cities within our state.”
Ohio’s Department of Transportation and Amtrak have begun planning for rail service that would connect the state’s 3 largest cities by 2010. The state has requested federal stimulus funding for this project and for development of the more extensive Ohio Hub System. ELPC is working with partner organizations such as All Aboard Ohio to organize the already strong grassroots support for smart, efficient passenger rail transportation in Ohio.
