The Illinois Power Agency today begins the rollout of a refreshed branding of the Illinois Shines Program, a state-administered solar incentive program supporting the development of new photovoltaic distributed generation and community solar projects in Illinois.
To date, the Program has been known under two names: the Adjustable Block Program, the Program’s statutorily-defined name (used by participating entities, utilities, community organizations, and others, with website www.IllinoisABP.com) and Illinois Shines (used primarily for interactions with the general public, with website www.IllinoisShines.com). The continued growth of the Program provides a great opportunity to unify all branding under one name: Illinois Shines.
This brand refresh will be rolled out gradually, and over the coming months stakeholders will begin to see newly branded Illinois Shines materials. The brand’s appearance is being modernized with a visual update, including a new logo featuring the sun shining on a stylized solar panel, an updated and expanded color palate, a modern typeface, supporting artwork and iconography, and more. The new branding reflects the Program’s promise to consumers, participants, and other stakeholders who are committed to the growth of an equitable, clean energy economy throughout Illinois. This is also reflected in the Program’s new tagline, Building Our Solar Future.
A centerpiece of this brand refresh effort will include combining the Program’s two current public-facing websites into a single, all-inclusive website to better share Program information. The new website will be hosted at www.IllinoisShines.com, and will be released in advance of the 2023-2024 Program year which commences on June 1, 2023. All currently available resources on the www.IllinoisABP.com website will be available on the new website, and links will automatically redirect to provide a seamless experience to users. Additional enhancements and resources for consumers and Program participants alike will continue to be added to the website following its release.
This new website release will only impact the external, public-facing portion of the Program website and will not impact the Program portal where applications are submitted. Users can expect a cosmetic update to the external site that will re-organize resources for both consumers and Program participants, providing for an improved user experience, as well as provide better access to information that relates to each of the six Program categories with distinct Program category hubs for category-specific resources and news. As the release of this website update approaches, the Program Administrator will keep stakeholders informed so that changes are not abrupt. At this time, no disruptions are anticipated.
The Program Administrator acknowledges that currently there is an application backlog is actively being worked down. Stakeholders can be assured that this brand refresh work is not taking away from any other vital responsibilities as it relates to application processing or other Program Administration work. The Program Administrator appreciates the continued patience and feedback of stakeholders as we aggressively work to improve operations and meet expectations.
In operation since January 31, 2019, after being established by the Future Energy Jobs Act, the Illinois Shines Program significantly expanded in late 2021 through the enactment of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Public Act 102-0662). The Program was developed, and is managed by, the Illinois Power Agency, and is administered through its third-party Program Administrator, Energy Solutions.
For additional information on re-branded Program materials for participating entities, and for support for media outlets and journalists interested in the Illinois Shines re-brand, including fact sheets, logos and photos, Program collateral, and more, please contact the Program Administrator at [email protected] or (877) 783-1820.
