Pritzker Focuses on Business Development, Clean Energy Jobs at Joliet…

: Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at the grand opening of a new Lion Electric assembly plant in Will County. The Canada-based company specializes in medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, including electric school buses. (Credit: Illinois.gov)

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has spent much of his time in recent weeks promoting the state’s electric vehicle industry and touting the impact of his signature Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, including during a weeklong trade mission to the United Kingdom.

On Friday, Pritzker was in Joliet where he joined other elected officials and local dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of a new Lion Electric assembly plant, the first new automotive factory in the greater Chicago area since 1965.

Lion Electric announced plans to build its new facility in May 2021, just as state lawmakers were negotiating the final details of CEJA. The Canadian-based company specializes in medium and heavy-duty all-electric vehicles, including electric…