June 10, 2022

Duckworth Highlights Jobs & Supply Chain Benefits of Clean Energy Investments During mHUB Tour

 

[CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with officials from Chicago’s mHUB and toured the technology and manufacturing innovation center. The visit comes as the mHUB-led 2025 Clean Tech Economic Coalition (CTEC) is competing as the only Illinois finalist in the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC). During the tour, Duckworth discussed her support of their application and her legislative efforts to support clean energy in the state and nationwide, as well as emphasized that energy innovation can help create a future that’s more sustainable and an equitable economy that’s more resilient to the supply chain disruptions that cause price spikes on everyday essentials while supporting local, good-paying jobs. Photos from the tour are available here.

“I’m proud that mHUB is helping Illinois create a cleaner future for working families and their children, creating Made in America jobs and helping insulate our country from supply chain disruptions that cause higher prices on everyday essentials,” said Duckworth. “Those are some reasons I’m supporting them as they compete for this substantial investment through the American Rescue Plan. From good-paying, local jobs to sustainability to strengthening our supply chains—investing in clean energy has a positive ripple effect for hardworking Illinois families and our nation.”

“The Clean Tech Economy Coalition (CTEC), supported by Illinois’ federal, state, and city officials, brings together 17 partnering organizations to ensure Illinois emerges as a national and global leader in creating an equitable clean tech future,” said mHUB CEO and co-founder Haven Allen. “Senator Duckworth’s visit to experience disruptive hardtech solutions at mHUB illustrates our state’s continued interest in building economies around clean energy innovation. This type of synergy at the public, private, and community level is a strength of CTEC and its Build Back Better Regional Challenge proposal.”  

mHUB leads the Illinois Clean Tech Economy Coalition proposal which was awarded $500,000 in December 2021 through Phase 1 of the BBBRC. Senator Duckworth wrote to Commerce Secretary Raimondo in March 2022 supporting their Phase 2 BBBRC application which could bring up to $100 million back to Illinois to help establish a clean tech cluster in the Midwest.

The Coalition a group of government, education and technology leaders who aim to create an equitable approach to clean energy and technology in Illinois. More information on mHUB’s application can be found here and here.

The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge is a two-phase competition funded through the American Rescue Plan, which Duckworth helped champion. The Challenge will ultimately award 20-30 regional coalitions between $25 and $100 million to implement 3-8 projects that support economic and workforce development.

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