Clean Energy Jobs Are Growing in Southern Illinois

For more than a century, Southern Illinois coal built middle-class lives. Miners here supported families, bought homes, and sent kids to college without a four-year degree. The industry has changed, but the work ethic hasn’t. Now there’s a new opportunity.

Why? Data centers, electric vehicles, and manufacturers consume massive amounts of electricity. Extreme weather can also put additional stress on the grid. The state needs new sources of electricity fast, which means jobs across Southern Illinois.

Those jobs start with training. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) Workforce Hub program offers Southern Illinois residents free training for careers in solar installation, HVAC, and other clean energy fields. No experience required. Financial support included.

The Opportunity

Illinois (and the rest of the U.S.) has an electricity problem. Data centers, electric vehicles, manufacturers, and extreme weather are driving demand up, while old power plants retire. The state needs new power generation fast and that means jobs.

A December 2025 report from three state agencies projects power shortfalls starting in northern Illinois by 2029 and in the Ameren service area covering downstate by 2031. The price impact is already here. Ameren paid roughly $30 per megawatt-day to purchase electricity from the regional grid a few years ago. In 2025, that cost hit $666.50.

To meet the demand, Illinois will need multiple sources of power. Nuclear plants and natural gas facilities are good options, but they take years to build. Solar is the fastest way to bring new capacity online. Solar costs have dropped 57% over the last decade, making it one of the most affordable options too. That means construction and installation work starting now.

Clean Energy Jobs in Southern Illinois Today

According to the Climate Jobs Institute at the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois already has between 4,380 and 6,132 clean energy jobs:

Energy efficiency, which includes high-efficiency HVAC systems, is the largest category.

Clean energy companies across Illinois employ almost 133,000 people, and that workforce is growing nearly five times faster than the state economy. The problem is employers can’t find enough qualified workers to fill open positions.

What Jobs Are Available?

Clean energy covers dozens of career paths. Here are the roles most relevant to Southern Illinois:

Solar Installation

Solar installers assemble, install, and maintain photovoltaic systems on rooftops and ground-mounted arrays. The work is physical and outdoors, and involves installing mounting systems and panels, connecting electrical wiring, testing systems, and performing repairs. Southern Illinois has 89.4 megawatts of planned solar projects in the pipeline, which translates to roughly 188 new jobs from projects already in development.

Wages: The median annual wage for solar photovoltaic installers was $51,860 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure has been increasing, and many installers earn overtime as companies rush to complete commercial and utility projects before federal tax credits phase down in 2027.

HVAC and Energy Efficiency

HVAC technicians install and maintain heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, with high-efficiency systems and heat pumps representing a major growth area as buildings upgrade to reduce energy costs. The work includes installing equipment, performing maintenance and repairs, diagnosing problems, and helping customers improve efficiency.

Wages: The median annual wage for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $59,810 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experienced technicians and those with additional certifications often earn more.

Not sure which path fits you? Compare solar and HVAC careers.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

As electric vehicles become more common, technicians are needed to install and maintain charging stations. Clean vehicle sector jobs in Illinois jumped 14% in a single year, adding over 2,000 positions statewide.

The CEJA Workforce Hub Program

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, signed into law in September 2021, created workforce training programs to help Illinois residents enter clean energy careers. Carbondale is one of 14 regional Workforce Hubs across Illinois, operated by Man-Tra-Con Corporation.

What the Program Offers

Training includes clean energy fundamentals, employability skills, and job-specific instruction in solar installation, HVAC, or other specializations. Participants earn industry-recognized certifications including OSHA 10 and First Aid/CPR, plus occupation-specific credentials. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on practice and worksite experience.

Most training programs run 12 to 16 weeks, with classes meeting about 4 hours daily. Schedules vary by cohort and specialization, making it possible to manage other responsibilities during training. The program is free with no tuition, no cost for materials, and no experience required.

Job Placement

After completing training, Man-Tra-Con’s team works directly with graduates to connect them with employers. The program has already established relationships with clean energy employers across the region, and provides job placement assistance including resume help, interview preparation, and direct employer connections, with follow-up support continuing for 12 months after program completion.

Support Services

CEJA recognizes there are a lot of obstacles that can prevent people from completing training, so the Workforce Hub provides support services such as transportation assistance, childcare assistance, technology and equipment access, emergency bill payments, attendance-based stipends, and tutoring and academic support.

Who Qualifies

If you live in Southern Illinois, there’s a good chance you qualify. The program serves residents from R3 (Restore, Reinvest, Renew) communities – nearly 97,000 people in the region – plus many others through additional equity investment pathways and those facing barriers to employment.

Not sure if you’re eligible? Contact Man-Tra-Con!

Our Energy Heritage

Southern Illinois has an energy history stretching back more than 200 years. The region’s first coal mine was dug in 1810 near Murphysboro. At its peak, 76 of Illinois’s 102 counties had coal mines.

What Mining Meant Here

Coal wasn’t just an industry. It was economic and social architecture. A miner could earn $80,000 to $100,000 or more annually with a high school diploma. In many rural counties, these were the only jobs that let a single-income family build a middle-class life. Many of those same skills translate directly to clean energy work.

Because coal plants and mines are massive physical assets, they paid substantial local property taxes. In some Southern Illinois school districts, a majority of the budget was tied to a single energy facility. When a plant closes, the impact shifts from paychecks to the quality of children’s education.

Towns like Carbondale carry the industry in their names. Communities were built by generations of families, including Italian, Polish, and Hungarian immigrants who came specifically for mining work.

Also see: From Coal Country to Clean Energy

What Changed

Coal’s decline in Southern Illinois resulted from market forces that shifted over decades. Natural gas from fracking in the 2010s made coal-fired electricity more expensive to produce, and natural gas overtook coal as Illinois’s second-largest power source in 2023. Many Southern Illinois power plants were built in the 1970s, and maintaining aging equipment while meeting environmental standards became financially unsustainable. The Baldwin Power Plant, for example, went online in 1970. By 2024, building new utility-scale solar became cheaper than simply operating an existing coal plant.

Coal provided 46% of Illinois electricity in 2009. By 2024, that dropped to 14%, a loss of over 9,100 megawatts of coal-fired capacity. Meanwhile, Illinois mined roughly the same amount of coal in 2023 as in 1998, but with 1,748 fewer miners. The industry mechanized, employing fewer people even as production held.

These changes came from economics, not mandates. Plant closures have largely been decisions by private companies responding to market conditions.

What’s Coming

Planned Projects

Southern Illinois has several significant development in the pipeline:

• 89.4 megawatts of planned solar submitted to state and federal agencies for 2024-2028
• Coal-to-solar conversions at existing plant sites, including Baldwin, Coffeen, Newton, and the retired Joppa plant
• Battery storage paired with new solar facilities

Perry County leads the region in planned solar, followed by Jefferson and Jackson counties.

State Goals

Illinois has set clean energy targets: 40% renewable energy by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 100% clean by 2050.

As of 2024, Illinois generates about 54% of electricity from nuclear, 31% from fossil fuels, and 15% from renewables. Renewables were just 0.23% of Illinois electricity in 1990.

These state targets have local consequences. For Southern Illinois, clean energy development brings jobs, property tax revenue, and economic activity that stays in the region. 

How to Get Started

Step 1: Submit an inquiry. Fill out the CEJA Inquiry Form to express interest. Staff will contact you with information about upcoming training cohorts and next steps.

Step 2: Complete the application. You’ll go through screening to confirm eligibility and identify any support services that would help you succeed.

Step 3: Start training. Programs typically run 12 to 16 weeks and include classroom instruction, hands-on practice, and worksite experience. You’ll earn certifications while receiving stipends and support.

Step 4: Transition to work. After completing training, Man-Tra-Con’s team connects you with employers. Support continues for 12 months after program completion.

Training cohorts form throughout the year. Contact Man-Tra-Con to learn about current openings and upcoming start dates.

About Man-Tra-Con

Man-Tra-Con Corporation has served Southern Illinois since 1979, providing career guidance and employment services through federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding. In 2024 alone, Man-Tra-Con served 413 WIOA participants while managing eight grant programs and $3.4 million in funding.

Man-Tra-Con’s track record speaks for itself: 77% employment rates for dislocated workers, 76% employment rates for adults, and 74% credential attainment rates that consistently meet or exceed state benchmarks.

As the CEJA Workforce Hub operator for the Carbondale region, Man-Tra-Con now extends clean energy training beyond its core five-county WIOA service area to reach residents across Southern Illinois. The CEJA program works with employers, unions, community colleges, and community organizations to build pathways into clean energy careers.

Counties served by the CEJA program: Jackson, Williamson, Jefferson, Franklin, Perry, Saline, Union, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Pulaski, and Alexander counties.

Take the Next Step

Clean energy jobs are growing in Southern Illinois. Training is free. Support is available.

Learn more about the CEJA Program, submit a CEJA Inquiry, or contact Man-Tra-Con to learn more.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2024); Illinois Power Agency 2025 Resource Adequacy Study; Climate Jobs Institute Southern Region Data Packet (January 2025); Illinois Clean Energy Dashboard; Clean Jobs Midwest 2024; U.S. Energy Information Administration; CEJA Workforce Hubs Program Manual 2024-25.