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CLEAN ENERGY
Chicagoland is emerging as a national hub for the transition to a decarbonized economy, where clean energy developers, climate tech startups, and industrial manufacturers converge to build what’s next.
By The Numbers:
$18.4B in green economy output in 2022 – up nearly 180% since 2016, the 3rd-fastest growth rate among the top 10 U.S. metro areas
500,000+ employed across Chicagoland’s green transitioning economy in 2022 – 3rd in the nation, behind only New York and Los Angeles
$140M+ in average annual growth capital raised by Chicagoland climate and cleantech startups since 2020
788 patents held by Chicago-area companies in clean and climate technology, with another 150 pending
Powering the Industrial Decarbonization Effort
Chicagoland’s green economy – spanning nuclear and renewable generation, energy storage, alternative fuels, and carbon capture – employed 65,334 people and generated $18.4 billion in output in 2022, led by renewable and nuclear generation.
As the nation’s second-largest manufacturing hub, Chicagoland sits directly inside the industries the U.S. Department of Energy has identified as hardest to decarbonize – manufacturing, food and agriculture, and construction.
Capital Flowing to Climate Tech
Chicagoland’s climate and cleantech startups have attracted $1.12 billion in private capital across roughly 300 deals, with climate tech accounting for 25% of investment dollars – the highest proportion of any comparable market in the Midwest, the U.S., or globally.
Federal programs reinforce that momentum, including $394 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act and 147 SBIR/STTR awards to Illinois companies in 2022, while local investors like Energize Capital deploy growth capital directly into the sector.
A Coordinated Research Engine
Chicagoland’s universities and national laboratories – including Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, Northwestern, UIC, UChicago, and UIUC – make more than 200 climate and clean technologies available for commercialization, from battery storage to hydrogen fuel cells.
Argonne alone employs 3,723 people and drew $1.1 billion in FY2022 funding, and the region’s research base has produced 788 active patents in clean and climate technology, with 150 more pending.
A Talent Pipeline Built For The Transition
Chicagoland’s talent pool includes nearly 1.2 million workers whose skills could transition into green economy jobs – the 3rd-largest such pool among top U.S. metro areas. The region ranks 5th nationally for environmental degree graduates, and 20 community colleges, including City Colleges of Chicago and Triton College, offer sustainability certificate and degree programs.
Companies Choosing Chicago
Invenergy, the country’s leading privately held developer of large-scale renewable energy, is headquartered in Chicago and expanding its flagship office at 1 S. Wacker, having added 900 Chicago employees in five years to support 200+ renewable projects worldwide.
Celadyne, one of Chicago’s first hydrogen technology companies, develops patented membranes and electrolyzers for industrial decarbonization, backed by local investors like Energize Capital.
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