On June 3, 2024, the 90-day project application window opened for Community-Driven Community Solar (“CDCS”) for the 2024-2025 Program Year, allowing Approved Vendors (“AVs”) to submit CDCS applications until 11:59 p.m. CPT on September 3, 2024. Capacity available for the CDCS category was 13.78 MW for Group A and 31.48 MW for Group B. After capacity was allocated to the projects on the 2023-2024 waitlist, there was 0 MW of capacity available for Group A and 0 MW available for Group B. A total of 17 applications were received during the application window, including 7 project applications totaling 15.57 MW AC for Group A, and 10 project applications totaling 34.74 MW AC for Group B. In accordance with the CDCS scoring guidelines previously published in both the 2024 Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan (pg. 173) and the Program Guidebook (pg. 141), the Program Administrator has scored all CDCS projects submitted during the 90-day application window. These scores will be used to determine which projects will be placed on a waitlist once the random selection takes place. The scores have been posted on the Program website at the Community-Driven Community Solar page within the Project Category Hub.
Next Steps
While the Program Administrator has carefully reviewed project applications to determine scores and applied scoring criteria consistently across all project applications, an AV may appeal decisions made by the Program Administrator on the scoring of their projects. Any appeal of CDCS scores will need to be in accordance with the appeal process outlined in the Program Guidebook (pg. 36). An AV has two weeks from November 8, 2024 to file an appeal. Submitted appeals must be received by the Program Administrator at [email protected], by 11:59 p.m. CPT on November 22, 2024. As the determination of appeals may influence a project’s final score, and thus possibly the final selection of projects, all appeals must be reviewed by the Agency within a distinct timeframe. The Agency intends to have all submitted appeals determined by December 6, 2024, subject to the quantity and substance of appeals submitted.
Following the resolution of scoring appeals, if any, final scores will be posted. At that time, the Agency will announce if a random selection process is necessary to break ties between projects that received the same scores and where those scores would impact project selection, or waitlist placement. The Agency expects that random selection of projects within tied score brackets will be necessary based on the current scoring, but this process cannot occur until the appeal process is complete and all scores are confirmed. The Agency intends to hold the random selection reordering event December 11, 2024, again dependent on appeal determinations and final scores. Projects that have a minimum score of 10 points will be placed on a waitlist for the 2024-25 Program Year.
Projects that received a score less than the required 10 minimum points to be placed on the waitlist may reapply during the 2025-26 Program Year 90-day application period, expected to open June 2025. The AV will need to submit a new application, thus new application fees will be applied.
Please see the Community-Driven Community Solar page within the Project Category Hub for more information about the CDCS category.
Schedule of Next Steps
- Appeals due to Program by November 22, 2024
- Determinations on appeals from Agency to Approved Vendors expected to be closed out by December 6, 2024
- Random selection event is expected to be on December 11, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CPT. Register for the event here: https://energy-solution.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yLyHUCbOTPa_c7gqCKVTXA
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]
