Organizations across the country understand what clean energy means for jobs, economic growth and the environment. This week more than 70 industry associations and advocacy groups are calling for an extension of the 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for renewable energy. This tax credit rewards homeowners and businesses that are doing their part to speed our transition to clean energy and has already created hundreds of thousands of jobs and added billions in private investment to our communities. From homebuilders to bird watching enthusiasts, associations across the country are now calling on Congress to protect the ITC and pass the Renewable Energy Extension Act, a five-year extension of this critical policy. Learn more here. 

Congratulations to the newly announced 300 SolSmart Communities in the U.S. We are proud to say Illinois leads the pack with 41 SolSmart communities, more than any other state. SolSmart designees are communities that have demonstrated streamlined local procedures to make it easier for homes and businesses to install solar energy systems. Congratulations again to all the communities making a difference to increase solar energy in our country! Check out more information here.

The Illinois Supreme Court has rejected ComEd’s Petition for Leave to Appeal the Second District’s decision to allow munis and coops to participate in the Adjustable Block program. The Second District’s order will now stand and ComEd, to the extent they disagree, will need to seek a legislative solution or argue the issue in the pending LTRRPP update.

Read more about the decision on the Petition for Leave to Appeal on page 21 of the PDF here.

Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2019 Midwest Energy News 40 Under 40 Awards, including the President and Founder of Simpleray Solar Tyler Anderson! Midwest Energy News’ 40 Under 40 awards program highlights emerging leaders throughout the region and their work in America’s transition to a clean energy economy. See the list of recipients here.

Section 1-56(b)(2)(D) of the Illinois Power Agency Act requires the development of a Low-Income Community Solar Pilot Project sub-program as part of the Illinois Solar for All Program.  

To meet this requirement, as provided for in the Illinois Power Agency’s Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, the Illinois Power Agency (“IPA”) will be conducting a competitive procurement event for Renewable Energy Credits (“RECs”) from Low-Income Community Solar Pilot Projects under 15-year contracts starting in Fall 2019.  Projects selected through the Illinois Solar for All Low-Income Community Solar Pilot (“Low-Income Community Solar Pilot RFP”) will receive a $/REC price determined through a competitive bidding process and the RECs will be purchased by the IPA.  

Preliminary proposal requirements and draft contract terms for the Low-Income Community Solar Pilot RFP will soon be made available on the procurement administrator’s website (https://www.ipa-energyrfp.com/community-solar-pilot/) . 

Please note that this is one of two low-income community solar sub-programs under Illinois Solar for All; for non-pilot low-income community solar projects, the IPA is also administering a Low-Income Community Solar sub-program. Please see https://www.illinoissfa.com/programs/community-solar/ for more information. 

Please be advised the following was posted on the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services website on April 5, 2019. 

RFI – City of Chicago Municipal Electricity Supply, including Renewable Generation Resources.

All questions should be submitted to electricitysupply@cityofchicago.org by April 19, 2019.

The IPA and the Program Administrator announce the allocation of the remaining 25% of Program capacity (approximately 166.5 MW). The Agency has allocated the remaining Adjustable Block Program capacity in a manner which it believes best accommodates the considerations applicable to its allocation. The discretionary allocations for each Group/category along with the Agency’s rationale for this decision can be found in the Allocation of Adjustable Block Program Discretionary Capacity Rationale document.

The Agency and the Program Administrator appreciate the hard work and massive commitment of resources provided by Approved Vendors and other parties in preparing the project applications received during the program’s launch. While we understand that not every stakeholder will agree with this allocation of discretionary capacity, it is the product of attempting to balance competing concerns against the backdrop of a limited budget. Not all applicant projects can be supported in the program’s first phase, and we hope to support many additional projects in future years.

The Illinois Power Agency (“IPA”) and Program Administrator announce that Block 2 for the Group B, Large Distributed Generation (“DG”) project category (i.e. DG projects from 10 kW-2MW) is closing. Block 2 will remain open for the next 14 days per the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan’s “soft closing” concept which states that blocks will be “held open until the later of (i) 45 calendar days after opening, or (ii) when the block is filled (in which case the block would be held open for an additional 14 additional calendar days after it is filled).”

Block 2 will close Friday, April 5, 2019 at 5:00 PM Central Prevailing Time. Assuming available capacity, projects in batches submitted during this 14-day window will receive Block 2 pricing if the project application is approved by the Program Administrator, with approval subject to the availability of capacity within this category (capped by the combined capacity of Blocks 2 and 3) plus any discretionary capacity allocated to Group B, Large DG that is announced. Once the 14-day window has concluded, Block 2 will be considered closed and Block 3 will open, to the extent that any Block 3 capacity remains available. Once the combined capacity of Blocks 1-3 has been reached, batches will be considered on a first come/first served basis, and will be deemed eligible for any Block 4 discretionary capacity allocated to the Group B, Large DG category on that basis should the Agency allocate discretionary capacity to Group B, Large DG.

Consistent with the process described in the paragraph A.2 of the Program Guidebook, all Group B, Large DG projects that applied to the Adjustable Block Program in the first 14 days after Program opening (January 30, 2019) will receive Block 1 pricing if the project application is approved. Because the capacity of project applications received during those 14 days (approximately 97 MW) was at least 100% and under 200% of Block 1 capacity, Block 2 in the Group B, Large DG category opened automatically after the first 14 days.

The IPA expects to announce its allocation of discretionary capacity next week, which will provide additional Program capacity at Block 4 pricing.

As a reminder, Group A, Large DG, and both Group A and Group B, Community Solar categories will be subject to the lottery procedures, with each of those three lotteries scheduled for April 10, 2019. Groups A and B, Small DG remain open in Block 1.

The Illinois Power Agency and the Adjustable Block Program Administrator announce that the Adjustable Block Program lottery will be rescheduled from March 21, 2019 to April 10, 2019.

Based on processing the Part 1 project applications submitted during the first 14 days of the Adjustable Block Program, the Program Administrator has determined that additional time will be required to ensure a complete and comprehensive review of all applications prior to the lottery required for each of three Group/category combinations (Group A – Large DG; Group A – Community Solar; Group B – Community Solar), while still providing the 14-day cure period for projects that require additional information or clarification. The initial review of applications has required a more complex and extensive review and approval process than originally anticipated, and the Program Administrator seeks to ensure that there is adequate time to obtain all information required to ensure that every application submitted in time for the lottery is adequately reviewed and each project is duly qualified for participation.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for this delay, but believe that through the additional time allowed by an April 10, 2019 lottery date, no additional delays are likely to be required.

Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is seeking qualified firms to submit proposals for the design, procurement, and installation of new, residential and commercial, direct-owned and power purchase agreement photovoltaic systems at a per-watt price lower than the prevailing single system market rate.

The group buy is being led by Midwest Renewable Energy Association. The goal of the group buy is to increase solar education and installations in Champaign and Piatt Counties through a group purchase involving free information sessions and a competitive selection process.

Between 2013 and 2018, the MREA facilitated twenty-two Solar Group Buy programs around the Midwest, reaching over 6,000 individuals with our Solar Power Hour information sessions, and leading to more than 7,400 kW on over 1,000 properties. Among those property owners who received proposals from partnering contractors, an average 42% purchased a PV system. To date, the average system size is 7.5 kW.

The group buy is conducted with the support of the City of Monticello, Piatt County, City of Savoy, City of Urbana, Prairie Rivers Network, Parkland College and associated municipalities and community groups with wide publicity and awareness in the area.

Click here to go to the RFP announcement page where you can download the Request for Proposals. NOTE: The website will be updated soon, so if the link stops working, please email Peter Murphy at peterm@midwestrenew.org.

RFP Announced February 22, 2019

RFP Questions Due/Posted March 8, 2019

RFP Proposals Due March 15, 2019

Firm Selected April 1, 2019