Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Illinois

WRI analysis indicates that Illinois can reduce CO2 emissions by 35 percent below 2011 levels by 2020 using existing policies and infrastructure, which would align with moderately ambitious EPA standards.

• Illinois has the potential to reduce its CO2 emissions by 35 percent below 2011 levels by 2020, a figure that would meet or exceed moderately ambitious EPA power plant emissions standards, which WRI estimates would require reductions between 32 and 37 percent.
• Existing policy targets provide significant reduction potential: meeting the state's renewable energy standard (requiring 25 percent renewable electricity by 2025) could reduce 2020 emissions by 17 percent below 2011 levels, while meeting energy efficiency standards could provide a further 9 percent reduction.
• Available infrastructure offers additional CO2 reduction opportunities, including running existing combined cycle (NGCC) natural gas plants at 75 percent capacity to reduce emissions by 8 percent and increasing coal plant efficiency by 2.5 percent to reduce emissions by 1 percent, both relative to 2011 levels by 2020.
• The state can further its position toward stringent long-term standards by expanding the current renewable energy target beyond 2025 at a rate of 1 percent per year.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Illinois. https://www.wri.org/research/power-sector-opportunities-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions-illinois

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Illinois. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/power-sector-opportunities-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions-illinois.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Illinois |url=https://www.wri.org/research/power-sector-opportunities-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions-illinois |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendpower, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Power Sector Opportunities for Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Illinois}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/power-sector-opportunities-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions-illinois}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }