Chicago, IL – Yesterday, the Illinois Commerce Commission issued a decision to implement a program intended to spur over 200 MW of community solar in the next two years. The yearlong stakeholder process leading up to this decision resulted from Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act, a 2016 omnibus energy law that paved the way for community solar and an Adjustable Block Program to provide the financing structure for solar development in the state.
Community solar refers to local solar facilities shared by individual community members, who receive credits on their electricity bills for their portion of the power produced. The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), a coalition of over forty businesses and non-profits working to expand access to clean, local affordable energy through community solar, issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s decision:
“Today’s decision by the Illinois Commerce Commission paves the way for Illinois to be a leading state for community solar. It also lays the foundation for the community solar industry to invest, create new jobs, and serve millions of Illinois residents across the state who have been waiting for their chance to realize the benefits of solar energy,” said Jeff Cramer, executive director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access. “We appreciate the hard work of the Illinois Commerce Commission and its Staff, the Illinois Power Agency and the diverse set of stakeholders who provided feedback on this monumental effort. We look forward to continuing our work together as we move into the implementation phase and hope to see the program launch near the end of 2018.”
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About CCSA: Founded in February 2016, CCSA is a business-led trade organization that works to expand access to clean, local, affordable energy nationwide through community solar. Community solar refers to local solar facilities shared by individual community members, who receive credits on their electricity bills for their portion of the power produced. Community solar projects provide American homeowners, renters and businesses access to the benefits of solar energy generation unconstrained by the physical attributes of their home or business, like roof space, shading, or whether or not they own their residence or building. These programs can also expand access to solar energy to low-income households. For more information, visit the website at www.communitysolaraccess.org, follow the Coalition on Twitter at @solaraccess and like the Coalition on Facebook at www.facebook.com/communitysolaraccess.