State Overview

Illinois

National Solar Capacity Ranking: 15th

Data Current Through: Q3 2024

 

Illinois State Solar Overview

Illinois is a growing solar market that has benefited from a strong renewable portfolio standard that requires they generate 25% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025. The amount of solar capacity installed in Illinois is expected to grow by more than 1,700% over the next five years.

SEIA Illinois State Policy Priorities

  • SEIA continues to actively advocate for “Path to 100” HB2966/SB 1781 in Illinois, which increases the RPS from 25% by 2025 to 40% by 2030 and increases REC procurement from 10 million by 2020 to 45 million by 2030 with 50/50 split from solar and wind.
  • SEIA is an intervening party in the Part 466/467 Interconnection Rulemaking before the Illinois Commerce Commission to advocate for changes to the Rule that will ensure a uniform, fair and transparent process for distributed generation and community solar projects in the state.
  • SEIA is an intervening party in the Ameren DG Rebate investigation as well as the Ameren Rider NM investigation before the Illinois Commerce Commission to prevent the end of retail net metering for residential customers before a successor DG tariff is put in place.
  • SEIA is actively working with the Governor’s Office to craft legislation related to its recently released Eight Governing Principles for a Clean Renewable Illinois which focuses on increasing focus on substantially increasing utility accountability and transparency, creating new clean energy jobs in Illinois, reducing harmful emissions and maintaining low energy costs for consumers and industrial users.
  • SEIA is actively engaged in discussions with the Illinois Power Agency and other relevant government agencies to address current prohibition of door-to-door marketing and sales of distributed generation due to COVID-19.
  • SEIA is participating in discussions with the Illinois Department of Revenue to discuss potential concerns related to property tax exemptions for solar projects financed by a third party PPA.
  • SEIA successfully prevented Commonwealth Edison from starting an administrative service on its website that would exclude community solar projects who did not opt-in to the service for a fee

 

Just The Facts

  • Solar Installed (MW):

    3,512

  • National Ranking:

    14th (13th in 2023)

  • Enough Solar Installed to Power:

    544,566 homes

  • Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar:

    2.27%

  • Solar Jobs:

    5,975

  • Solar Companies in State:

    373 (76 Manufacturers, 114 Installers/Developers, 183 Others)

  • Total Solar Investment in State:

    $6.2 billion

  • Prices have fallen:

    37% over the last 10 years

  • Growth Projection and Ranking:

    11277 MW over the next 5 years (ranks 6th)

  • Number of Installations:

    98,411

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Illinois State Solar Policy Resources

Illinois Energy Storage Policy and Market Overview

Illinois is investing in the procurement of energy storage assets and a robust market. The state codifies energy equity into program design, offers various streams of funding, and is actively pursuing an energy storage procurement target.

Illinois employs unique market expansion and deployment strategies. Notably, the state pursued aggressive demonstration through the Coal-to-Solar and Energy Storage Initiative. Additionally, the state institutes regulatory adaptation and has directed electric utilities serving more than 200,000 customers to adopt energy storage targets by 2032 (Energy Transition Act – SB 2408). Battery storage will be a monumental part of grid reliability in Illinois and regulators are taking steps to advance the market and energy storage benefits.

Legislated utility rebates and state grants are alleviating upfront energy storage costs for a variety of customers. The state has taken significant strides to advance energy storage through customer net metering, large-scale procurement actions, and inclusive grant opportunities. The active development of state legislation (HB5856/SB3959) supporting a procurement target, and VPP programs could vastly grow the market, lower customer rates, and improve grid stability.

 

Illinois Energy Storage Policy Resources