On behalf of the Illinois Shines program, the Illinois Power Agency and Program Administrator welcome stakeholders to Program Year 2025-26. This Program Year includes new capacity for project categories to continue the expansion of solar development in Illinois, and brings new requirements and Program features, updated Program documents, new REC prices and contracts, stakeholder resources, and more.
This message is designed as a quick reference tool to link stakeholders to some of the many critical and updated Illinois Shines resources newly available for Program Year 2025-26, final block sizes, and more. Resources can be found at the Program website’s Program Documents page, Program Year Webinars page, or elsewhere at www.IllinoisShines.com.
Updated Program Documents
- Program Guidebook – April 18, 2025 version (with May 5, 2025 corrections)– effective June 2, 2025
- Consumer Protection Handbook – published April 18, 2025 – effective June 2, 2025
- Contract Requirements effective June 2, 2025 – Distributed Generation and Community Solar
- Program Year 2025-26 REC Prices – effective June 2, 2025
- REC Payments Calculator
- 2024 15-Year REC Delivery Contract and 2024 20-Year REC Delivery Contract – on which PY 2025-26 projects will be placed
- Updated AV Application – effective June 2, 2025
- Updated AV Renewal Application – effective June 2, 2025
- EEC Application for Approved Vendors, Designees, and Subcontractors– effective June 2, 2025
Other Program Requirements and Resources
- Welcome to Program Year 2025-26 webinar – May 22, 2025 – recording, presentation slides, Q&A
- REC Contract and 2025 Annual Report resources including:
- Minimum Equity Standard (MES) resources including:
- Minimum Equity Standard (MES) 2025-26 Program Year Compliance Plan Open for Submissions; Due June 2, 2025 Announcement
- Guide to the Equity Accountability System and Illinois Shines
- Program Year 2024-25 MES Year-End Report questions sample
- Program Year 2024-25 MES year-End Report questions sample for Equity Eligible Contractors
- Program Year 2024-25 MES Year-End Report form – portal link sent via email to stakeholders May 30, 2025
- Program Year 2025-26 MES Compliance Plan questions sample
- Program Year 2025-26 MES Compliance Plan submission form
- MES Compliance (April 15, 2025) webinar recording, presentation, and Q&A
- Community Solar Updates and Reminders for Program Year 2025-26
- Prevailing Wage Hub
Final Block Sizes Included Reallocated Capacity from the 2024-25 Program Year and Following Capacity Awards for Waitlisted Projects
Illinois Shines features annual blocks of capacity that remain open until block capacity is exhausted for the Program Year, and unused or uncontracted capacity is redistributed after the close of a Program Year. A memo outlining the steps the Agency has taken to reallocate remaining capacity from the 2024-25 Program Year for use in the 2025-26 Program Year, and other important information, can be found here.
The following table summarizes the results of the aforementioned allocations and the amount of capacity that will be available at the 2025-26 Program Year opening on June 2, 2025. For a more detailed explanation of the calculations for the final block size and waitlist allocations please reference the Final Block Determinations Calculation Workbook on the Block Capacity Dashboard web page.
Please note that all 2025-26 TCS Group A and Group B capacity and all EEC CS Group A capacity has been awarded to projects on the 2024-25 Waitlists. All TCS projects submitted during the 2025-26 Program Year will be reviewed, scored, and added to the Waitlists if they meet the 5-point waitlist minimum score. All EEC CS Group A projects submitted during the 2025-26 Program Year will be added to the EEC CS Group A waitlist.
| Block | Group | Category | Tier (Public Schools only) | Size kW (Public Schools only) | 2025-26 Program Year block prior to uncontracted capacity reallocation (MW) | 2025-26 Program Year final block size (MW) | 2024-25 Program Year waitlist (MW) | 2025-26 Program Year opening available capacity (MW) |
| CEJA Category | Group | Tier | 2025-26 block + reallocated uncontracted 2024-2025 capacity | Final block size – 2024-25 waitlist | ||||
| Small DG | N/A | DG | 142.00 | 164.82 | 22.82 | 142.00 | ||
| Large DG | N/A | DG | 142.00 | 142.00 | 0.00 | 142.00 | ||
| TCS | A (30%) | CS | 64.00 | 64.00 | 194.92 | 0.00 | ||
| TCS | B (70%) | CS | 149.00 | 149.00 | 258.64 | 0.00 | ||
| CDCS | A (30%) | CS | 11.00 | 34.07 | 23.07 | 11.01 | ||
| CDCS | B (70%) | CS | 25.00 | 56.99 | 31.99 | 25.00 | ||
| EEC | A (30%) | CS (75%) | 36.00 | 46.52 | 101.69 | 0.00 | ||
| DG (25%) | 12.00 | 12.18 | 0.18 | 12.00 | ||||
| B (70%) | CS (75%) | 84.00 | 108.53 | 30.76 | 77.77 | |||
| DG (25%) | 28.00 | 28.00 | 0.00 | 28.00 | ||||
| Public Schools | N/A | CS (25%) | Tier 1, 2, and EJC (70%) | <250 kW (25%) | 4.68 | 6.19 | 0.00 | 6.19 |
| 250 – 1000 (50%) | 9.36 | 12.38 | 12.38 | |||||
| 1000-5000 (25%) | 4.68 | 6.19 | 6.19 | |||||
| Tier 3, 4 (30%) | <250 kW (25%) | 2.01 | 2.65 | 2.65 | ||||
| 250 – 1000 (50%) | 4.01 | 5.31 | 5.31 | |||||
| 1000-5000 (25%) | 2.01 | 2.65 | 2.65 | |||||
| DG (75%) | Tier 1, 2, and EJC (70%) | <250 kW (25%) | 14.04 | 18.57 | 0.00 | 18.57 | ||
| 250 – 1000 (50%) | 28.09 | 37.15 | 37.15 | |||||
| 1000-5000 (25%) | 14.04 | 18.57 | 18.57 | |||||
| Tier 3, 4 (30%) | <250 kW (25%) | 6.02 | 7.96 | 7.96 | ||||
| 250 – 1000 (50%) | 12.04 | 15.92 | 15.92 | |||||
| 1000-5000 (25%) | 6.02 | 7.96 | 7.96 |
For available Office Hours support, please see the May 30, 2025 Program announcement found at https://illinoisshines.com/program-updates/. For assistance at any time, please contact the Program Administrator at [email protected] or (877) 783-1820.
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]