Much has been going on with the IPA and the IPA 2012 Draft Procurement Plan. In the past month the IPA (Illinois Power Agency) released their draft plan that contained no provisions for distributed generation (DG) solar (small scale, on-site installations). Several parties intervened and commented on this oversight, so DG language was added to the plan.
Then the IPA director, Mark Pruitt, was replaced by appointee Arlene Juracek, a former ComEd VP, and the plan changed again. In the comments she filed last week, she recommended that the DG procurement be removed from the 2012 Plan. However, she said “The IPA remains committed to the inclusion of distributed SRECs in future Plans, but finds that detailed workshops would be beneficial to the development of the issue, prior to the Commission’s consideration of the Plan. The IPA recommends that all issues raised by the responding parties be considered in workshops to be held during January 2012 through May 2012. In these workshops the IPA will further evaluate, and take input on, whether a procurement plan should include a standard offer contract in a manner that is consistent with the IPA Act and the PUA."
Responses to the comments can be filed through this Friday, October 28th. The ISEA and ELPC will continue to push for a solar DG procurement. We will specifically ask the ICC to direct parties to engage in a workshop process that is designed to result in a 2013 DG solar program and produces a written report/study to identify and quantify the grid benefits of DG solar in Illinois. We will also ask the ICC to allow the IPA the flexibility to administer a pilot DG procurement in 2012 if it is determined that this would help prepare the state for the full roll-out in 2013.
READ all Comments & Objections
Where can you help… After all responses are in, the ICC’s Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will issue a final plan recommendation in the form of a Proposed Order. We will circulate the Proposed Order to you and it would be helpful for you all to write letters to the ICC, supporting the inclusion of a DG program, specifically asking for a workshop process in 2012 to design a program to be included in the 2013 Plan, with the option of a pilot program starting in 2012. The ICC Commission itself will then review all parties’ comments, modify the ALJ’s Proposed Order and issue final approval of the 2012 Plan.
Please let the ISEA and ELPC know if you have any questions or comments. We will email you in mid-November with a summary of the ALJ’s Proposed Order and instructions on how to submit your letters.
