IPA Releases Draft Policy Study

In accordance with recently enacted Public Act 103-0580 (formerly Senate Bill 1699), the IPA released its preliminary draft version of its 2024 Policy Study on January 22.

Three proposals were analyzed through the draft Policy Study:

• A pilot program to establish one new utility-scale offshore wind project capable of producing at least 700,000 megawatt hours annually for at least 20 years in Lake Michigan that includes an equity and inclusion plan to create job opportunities for underrepresented populations. (HB 2132)

• A proposal for the deployment of energy storage systems through the development of energy storage credit targets for the Agency to procure on behalf of Illinois electric utilities using contracts of at least 15-years, including distributed energy storage programs through utility tariff filings approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. (SB 1587)

• A policy that requires the Agency to procure high voltage direct current (HVDC) renewable energy credit contracts of at least 25 years to support the development of a new HVDC transmission line capable of transmitting electricity at or above 525 kilovolts and delivering power in the PJM market.

To analyze potential impacts of these proposals, the IPA used its Planning and Procurement Consultant, Levitan and Associates, and subcontractors ENTRUST Solutions Group and GE Energy Consulting for conducting the modeling and analytical work necessary to conduct the Policy Study. Preliminary findings can be found in the draft Policy Study linked above.

The IPA is presently seeking public comment on the draft Policy Study. Comments are due to the Agency on Monday, February 12. Comments must be sent to the IPA by email to IPA.ContactUs@illinois.gov and will be posted to the Policy Study page on the IPA’s website.

The Agency will review public comments and publish a final Policy Study no later than Friday, March 1, 2024.

ICC Approves Community-Driven Community Solar Projects 

On January 3, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved REC delivery contracts for 23 new Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) for the 2023-2024 Illinois Shines Program Year.

The CDCS category within Illinois Shines focuses on supporting new community solar projects providing tangible benefits to local communities. These benefits include community ownership, wealth-building, and active engagement from local members, nonprofits, or public entities. Projects within the CDCS category must be located within the communities benefitting from the project, allowing for tangible engagement with a new solar project by community members. 

Of the 23 projects, 21 projects were selected from Group B (projects located in the PJM portion of Illinois) constituting 12.8 MW of new generation. Two projects were selected from Group A (projects located in the MISO portion of Illinois) constituting 1.5 MW of new generation.  

To learn more about this category, please visit the CDCS page on the Illinois Shines website.

IPA Announces New Office Space Relocation Plans

The IPA is thrilled to announce a pending transition to new office space at 180 N. Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago.

When the IPA moved to its current office space in 2018, the Agency had a staff of only 8 employees. Enactment of the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2017 and the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, and resultant implementation responsibilities, have driven significant IPA staff growth, and the IPA now has over 45 employees—with that number growing monthly. The Agency has outgrown its current office space, which can no longer accommodate its growing workforce.

In December, the Procurement Policy Board unanimously approved the lease for the IPA’s new offices. Those offices will feature 13,000 square feet of space offering IPA staff flexibility for both quiet work and team collaboration.

The IPA will provide regular updates on the office space relocation as details become available.

IPA Works to Address Barriers to Solar at Public Schools

The Public Schools category of the Illinois Shines Program aims to increase the educational and financial impacts of public school solar projects through a carveout supporting new solar projects located at Illinois public schools. Illinois Shines provides incentive payments that can help bring down the upfront cost of solar installation, resulting in cost savings for public schools and new educational opportunities for students and communities to learn about solar energy. 

However, since the opening of the Public Schools category in December of 2021, participation levels have been low. Currently, there is still over 160 MW of capacity available in the Public Schools category. Barriers include upfront financing, time needed for schools to get approval on projects from decision makers, incentive payment timelines, and lack of awareness of the program.

To increase participation, the IPA is engaging education organizations and solar companies to understand hardships, conducting targeted outreach to schools and district officials, and creating new informational resources to ensure the Program’s benefits are widely known.

Additionally, the IPA will be conducting its second Public Schools educational webinar on February 23 covering the following topics:



• Challenges and opportunities for schools to go solar;
• Public Act 103-0580, which went into effect on December 8, 2023, expanding the category to include Illinois public higher education institutions;
• The Public Schools Carbon-Free Assessment program to help schools reduce carbon emissions, manage energy use, and save money.

To learn more about how public schools can benefit from the Illinois Shines program, visit the Public Schools page on the Illinois Shines website.

New Grassroots Educators Join Illinois Solar for All

On November 3, 2023, Elevate Energy (the Illinois Solar for All Program Administrator) announced the new cohort of Grassroots Educators for the 2023-2024 Program Year.



As trusted members of their communities, Grassroots Educators engage and enlighten income-eligible and environmental justice residents throughout Illinois in education campaigns about the benefits of the Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) program.

The following organizations were selected to serve as ILSFA Grassroots Educators for 2023-2024 program year:

• A Just Harvest and Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO)
• Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Consumer Education and Research Fund
• Community Action Partnership of Lake County
• Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)
• Ecology Action Center
• Faith In Place
• Garfield Park Community Council
• Imani Works
• Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
• METEC
• Party Per Purpose
• People for Community Recovery (PCR)
• Plant Chicago



ILSFA Grassroots Educators are rooted locally and are well-positioned to create educational campaigns that serving their communities. To learn more about how Grassroots Educators can connect communities with the opportunities provided by ILSFA, visit the Grassroots Education page of ILSFA’s website.  

IPA Acting Director Speaks at Energy Storage Conference

Across January 29-30, the IPA Acting Director Brian Granahan spoke at two energy panels at the IEEE Electrical Energy Storage Applications and Technologies Conference (EESAT) in San Diego, California.

Brian’s first session was the conference’s keynote session titled The Scale of the Challenge, and his presentation focused on three items: basic background on the Illinois energy economy; the Illinois path to decarbonization and the aggressive deployment of new renewable energy projects; and the role of energy storage as part of that transition. Illinois was highlighted as exemplary of the challenges and opportunities facing many states through our nation’s effort to decarbonize our electricity supply. 

Brian’s second session was a panel discussion with state policymakers representing California, New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois titled State Policy Perspectives: Charting the Path for Energy Storage in Diverse Markets.  Panelists provided perspectives on how their individual states are approaching energy storage policy development and implementation. Brian’s presentation outlined the energy storage deployment approach outlined in Senate Bill 1587 and shared preliminary conclusions reached about that approach from the IPA’s draft Policy Study.