State Overview
Illinois
National Solar Capacity Ranking: 11th
Data Current Through: Q4 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
Data References:
SEIA/Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, Solar Market Insight 2024 Year-in-Review
IREC, National Solar Jobs Census
Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly
SEIA, National Solar Database
Just The Facts
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Solar Installed (MW):
5,441
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National Ranking:
11th (4th in 2024)
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Enough Solar Installed to Power:
857,452 homes
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Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar:
2.46%
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Solar Jobs:
5,975
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Solar Companies in State:
331 (67 Manufacturers, 96 Installers/Developers, 168 Others)
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Total Solar Investment in State:
$8.8 billion
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Prices have fallen:
42% over the last 10 years
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Growth Projection and Ranking:
10,158 MW over the next 5 years (ranks 8th)
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Number of Installations:
111,318
Illinois State Solar Policy Resources
- DSIRE incentives database Illinois– Search a public clearinghouse for specific solar energy incentives in Illinois and across the United States
- Illinois Commerce Commission– Learn about the governing body that regulates the electricity rates and services of Illinois public utilities
- Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity– Find a wide variety of information on state government energy programs, policy, projects, energy-saving strategies and energy-related statistics
- Illinois State Legislature– Track pending legislation affecting solar energy, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Illinois
- Illinois Solar Panels Overview– Learn about the history of solar policy in Illinois along with up-to-date pricing information on EnergySage
- Solar Panel Cost in Illinois– Learn about the history of solar policy in Illinois, along with up-to-date pricing information on EnergySage
- Solar Rebates & Incentives in Illinois– Check out EnergySage’s list of key solar incentives in Illinois to see what programs you can benefit from
- S. Energy Information Administration – Illinois State Profile– Explore official energy statistics, including data on electricity supply and demand, from the U.S. government
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
- Energy Storage Program – Energy storage progress, background information, reports, and working group webinars.
- Energy Storage Report –Illinois Commerce Commission report on energy storage technology, legislation, costs & benefits, barriers to market growth, and policy recommendations.
- Illinois Distributed Generation Rebate – Legislation establishing utility rebates for distributed generation. Check out how to apply for rebates with ComED and Ameren
- Coal-to-Solar and Energy Storage Grant – Grant funding aimed at transitioning coal power plants to solar and storage facilities.
- Coal-to-Solar and Energy Storage Initiative – Information, regulations, and mandates for firms procuring RECs through the Catalog of State Financial Assistance.
- Illinois CEJA Grant Programs – Funding opportunities for energy equity, community solar, energy transition, and more.
- DSIRE Illinois Energy Storage Policy Database – Clearinghouse for financial incentives, regulations, and rebates for energy storage and lithium-ion technologies in Illinois and across the United States.
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Energy Storage Policy Database – Map of Procurement, Regulatory, Demonstration, Incentive, and Interconnection policies in Illinois and across the United States.
- Energy Storage Cost in Illinois – Up-to-date storage and solar-plus-storage pricing and find installers in Illinois on EnergySage.
- Illinois Commerce Commission – Governing body that regulates the electricity rates and services of Illinois public utilities, search for regulatory dockets, programs, and initiatives.
- Illinois General Assembly – Pending, passed, and historical legislation affecting energy storage and battery systems, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Illinois.
Ashmore Township
Prairie Wolf Solar
Prairie Wolf Solar in Ashmore Township was developed by National Grid Renewables and came online in 2021. This 255 MW project produces enough electricity to power 40,390 homes.
Romeoville
Crate and Barrel Solar Plant
Walmart, Target, and Lineage Logistics have all gone solar in Illinois. Crate & Barrel's 3 MW project in Romeoville is one of the largest corporate projects in the state.
Herrick
Dressor Plains Solar
At 135.5 MW, Dressor Plains Solar in Herrick is among the largest solar installations in Illinois. Completed by D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) in 2021, this solar project has enough electric capacity to power more than 21,462 homes.
