Community Driven Community Solar (CDCS)
On June 3, 2024, the 90-day CDCS application window will open for the 2024-25 Program Year. Upon closing of the 90-day application window on September 1, 2024, projects will be reviewed and scored based on the scoring criteria as outlined in Appendix F of the Program Guidebook, with projects selected from the application pool in the order of highest to lowest score until the block capacity is fully allocated. A minimum score of 6 points must be achieved to be eligible for a REC contract in the CDCS category. Random selection will be utilized as a tiebreaker only for equally scored projects to fill available capacity, if any.
For the 2024-25 Program Year, capacity available for the CDCS category is 11 MW for Group A and 25 MW for Group B. Capacity will first be allocated to projects on the 2023-24 Group A and Group B Waitlists, and then to projects submitted during the 2024-25 Program Year application window. The waitlists are published and on the Block Capacity Dashboard page of the Program website. A minimum score of 10 points must be achieved to be placed on a waitlist.
Please Note: The EEC Designee(s)/Subcontractor(s) must be named at the Part I application. Applicants may demonstrate this commitment in the application by providing documents including but not limited to: letter of intent signed by all parties, contract, other legal agreement between parties, etc. As the addition of the EEC Subcontractor designation is new this Program Year and the application will not be available prior to June 3, 2024, the Agency will allow for EEC Subcontractors where an EEC application has not yet been submitted to satisfy this requirement. If this allowance is to be utilized, the named EEC Subcontractor application must be submitted and approved as an EEC prior to the scoring period for applications (which takes place after initial project application review per schedule outlined below).
Traditional Community Solar (TCS)
On June 3, 2024, TCS capacity for the 2024-25 Program Year will open. The Agency will begin accepting TCS applications on the first day of the Program Year with that “first day” application window ending at 11:59:59 p.m. CPT on June 3, 2024. For the 2024-25 Program Year, capacity available for the TCS category is 64 MW for Group A and 149 MW for Group B. Capacity will first be allocated to projects on the 2023-24 Group A and Group B Waitlists, and then to projects submitted on the first day of the Program Year. The waitlists are published on the Block Capacity Dashboard page of the Program website.
Due to the fact that there is a limited amount of capacity available in the Program for the development of TCS projects, the Agency has developed a scoring mechanism for if/when the annual block of capacity is exceeded on the first day of the Program Year. This scoring mechanism is outlined in Appendix E of the Program Guidebook.
A 20% developer cap for any affiliated family of project developers for this TCS capacity will apply. Waitlisted projects carried over from the prior Program Year are included in determining whether the developer cap has been met, with the capacity from previously waitlisted projects considered on the first day of the new Program Year. If further ordering is required across first-day submitted projects (for instance, ordering of projects featuring the same score where projects receiving that score span across selected and unselected capacity within that block), the Agency proposes only then to utilize a random selection process to create a rank-order within those equivalently-scored projects.
Should first day project applications not exceed category capacity, then all applicant projects otherwise qualifying shall be deemed acceptable and may qualify for a REC Delivery Contract. Should category capacity fill later in the Program year, then from that point forward, only projects meeting the scoring threshold of 5 points may be considered for an eligible spot on the waitlist for the TCS category.
Please note: TCS Siting Criteria 2C – Multiple projects in a given county or township that do not presently feature a Community Solar project either under contract or waitlisted may receive points in this category for the current Program Year. Project application reports will be used to verify this information and waitlists have been updated to include project address information for reference.
Please Note: The EEC Designee(s)/Subcontractor(s) must be named at the Part I application. Applicants may demonstrate this commitment in the application by providing documents including but not limited to: letter of intent signed by all parties, contract, other legal agreement between parties, etc. As the addition of the EEC Subcontractor designation is new this Program Year and the application will not be available prior to June 3, 2024, the Agency will allow for EEC Subcontractors where an EEC application has not yet been submitted to satisfy this requirement. If this allowance is to be utilized, the named EEC Subcontractor application must be submitted and approved as an EEC prior to the scoring period for applications (which takes place after initial project application review per schedule outlined below).
TCS Scoring Criteria Changes in the Portal
Part I Section 8 of the portal will update on June 3, 2024 to reflect the 2024-25 Program Year changes to the TCS Scoring Criteria. If a TCS application is started before June 3, 2024, the current, 2023-24 Program Year, scoring criteria language will be present in the Portal (Version 1). On June 3, 2024, the Built Environment and Equity Eligible Contractor Sections in the Portal will change to the 2024-25 Program Year scoring criteria (Version 2). For applications that are already in progress, Approved Vendors must re-select the claimed points for all TCS applications AND re-upload any scoring documents before submitting the application on June 3, 2024. There are no changes to the Siting and Interconnection Status Sections.
Before submitting a TCS application on June 3, 2024, please review the claimed points for all scoring criteria AND upload all scoring documents in Part I Section 8 of the Portal to ensure claimed points and documentation align with updates to the scoring criteria for the new Program Year (Version 2).
Please see the table below that outlines the changes that will occur in Part I Section 8 of the Portal:
| Criteria | Version 1: Scoring Criteria Before June 3, 2024 | Version 2: Scoring Criteria on June 3, 2024 |
| Built Environment – Maximum of 4 Points | A – Disturbed Land – 2 Points * Sited on “disturbed land” as defined by United States Geological Survey, “contaminated lands” as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or rooftops or other structures as outlined in the Commission’s Final Order. B – Brownfield Land – 2 Points * Sited on a brownfield, as defined in Section 1-10 of the IPA Act and further clarified in Section 5.4.2 of the Plan. C – Agrivoltaics – 1 Point * Commitment to utilize agrivoltaics. D – Pollinator Friendly Habitat – 1 Point * Commitment to pollinator friendly habitat, as defined in the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act (525 ILCS 55). E – Conservation Opportunity Areas – Subtract 2 Points Sited on Conservation Opportunity Areas as defined by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. (Subtract 2 points, unless the project received points for 1.d. and is sited in an Environmental Justice Community, an R3 area, and/or on a brownfield site, contaminated land, or rooftop or other structure) | A – Contaminated Land – 2 points * Sited on “contaminated lands” as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. B – Rooftops or Other Existing Structures – 3 points * Sited on rooftops or other existing structures. C – Brownfield Land – 2 points * Sited on a brownfield, as defined in Section1-10 of the Act and further clarified in Section 5.4.2 of the Plan. D – Agrivoltaics – 1 point * Commitment to utilize agrivoltaics. E – Pollinator Friendly Habitat – 1 point * Commitment to pollinator friendly habitat, as defined in the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act (525 ILCS 55). |
| Equity Eligible Contractors (EEC) – Maximum of 4 Points | A – EEC Certified Vendor & Contractual Commitments – 4 Points * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor and can demonstrate contractual commitments for all project development work to be performed by EEC certified Designees. B – Non-EEC Certified Vendor & Contractual Commitments – 3 Points * Project is developed by a non-EEC certified Approved Vendor and can demonstrate contractual commitments for all project development work to be performed by EEC certified Designees. C – EEC Certified Vendor & 50% or more EEC Designee – 2 Points * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor and the contractual commitments for EEC certified Designee(s) that work on the project represent 50% or more of the project’s REC Contract value. D – Non-EEC Certified Vendor & 50% or more EEC Designee – 1 Points * Project is developed by a non-EEC certified Approved Vendor and the contractual commitments for EEC certified Designee(s) that work on the project represent 50% or more of the project’s REC Contract value. | A – EEC Certified Approved Vendor & All Project Development Work – 4 points * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor and can demonstrate contractual commitments for all project development work to be performed by EEC certified subcontractor(s) and/or Designee(s) B – EEC or Non-EEC Certified Approved Vendor & 75% or more – 3 points * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor or a non-EEC certified Approved Vendor and the contractual commitments for EEC certified subcontractor(s) and/or Designee(s) that all project development work represents at least 75% or more of the project’s REC Contract value. C – EEC or Non-EEC Certified Approved Vendor & at least 50% to 75% – 2 points * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor or a non-EEC certified Approved Vendor and the contractual commitments for EEC certified subcontractor (s) and/or Designee(s) that all project development work represents at least 50% and up to 75% of the project’s REC Contract value. D – EEC or Non-EEC Certified Approved Vendor & at least 25% to 50% – 1 point * Project is developed by an EEC certified Approved Vendor or a non-EEC certified Approved Vendor and the contractual commitments for EEC certified subcontractor(s) and/or Designee(s) that all project development work represents at least 25% and up to 50% of the project’s REC Contract value. |
TCS Application Review and Scoring Timeline
Please note this schedule is tentative and will be dependent on both the quality and quantity of applications received.
- Application Review Period
- Applications undergo initial review by Program Administrator – Approximately four weeks
- Application Cure Period
- Approved Vendors cure deficiencies identified by Program Administrator – Approximately two weeks
- Application Scoring Period
- Program Administrator begins scoring process for all relevant applications (those submitted without deficiencies and those that successfully cure deficiencies during the two-week cure period) – Approximately three weeks
- Reminder: Any EEC Subcontractors utilized for scoring purposes must be verified prior to the commencement this scoring period.
- Scoring Cure Period
- Approved Vendors are offered a chance to review initial score and dispute and resolve any discrepancies – Approximately two weeks final scores will be posted publicly after the scoring cure period closes.
- Approved Vendors are offered a chance to review initial score and dispute and resolve any discrepancies – Approximately two weeks final scores will be posted publicly after the scoring cure period closes.
Final scores will be posted publicly after the scoring cure period closes.
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
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