Illinois Power Agency wins regulatory approval for more than $1.1B Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan
Last week, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) signed off on a more than $1.1 billion plan from the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) that will allow it to procure new renewable generation over the next two years.
This investment was called for in the company’s 2022 Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (LTRRPP), as required by Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). That law added several new requirements for utilities, including greater equity considerations, and pushes to meet a statewide 100 percent clean energy goal by 2050. Accordingly, the IPA’s proposal covered the procurement of renewable energy credits for Ameren Illinois, Commonwealth Edison Company, and MidAmerican Energy Company.
With approval, the LTRRPP expanded IPA’s Adjustable Block Grant Program to include six means of procurement:
- Small Distributed Generation
- Large Distributed Generation
- Community Solar
- Public Schools
- Community-Driven Community Solar
- Equitable Eligible Contractor Categories
“A reliable electric grid is vital to the health and safety of all Illinoisans. The IPA’s long-term renewable resources procurement plan will result in more clean energy capacity, which is needed to modernize Illinois’ electric grid and ensure the power stays on,” ICC Commissioner Michael Carrigan said.
Among the new enhancements are expanded income self-reporting mechanisms to reduce income barriers and increase participation in the Illinois Solar for All program. The Commission directed IPA to look into the effects of this for the next LTRRPP and consider expanding it further for income verification if no evidence of abuse is found.
“Equity and consumer protections are baked into every facet of this plan,” ICC Chairman Carrie Zalewski said. “The goal of the Illinois Solar for All program is to provide a minimum of 25 percent of the program incentives to projects located in environmental justice communities. The new plan requires disclosure forms and communication with customers that are accessible and aims to be easy to understand.”
Among other measures, the LTRRPP also added new layers of consumer protections. In compliance with CEJA, IPA further altered a self-direct program for customers to earn credits for certain bill charges levied in support of the Illinois RPS for utility-scale solar and wind. To qualify, customers must have peak demand of at least 10,000 kW, and corporate parent companies can now aggregate amount demands across Illinois to meet the qualifying threshold.
