The Illinois Shines 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program concluded Monday, March 10, 2025, with an in-person graduation ceremony for mentees. The event capped an eight-week Mentorship Program during which mentees completed virtual training courses and participated in live, interactive sessions with experienced AV mentors and the Program Administrator’s subject matter experts. The Mentorship Program was held from January to March 2025, and followed a successful Pilot Program in Program Year 2023-24. In Fall 2024, the Program accepted Mentorship Program applications from AVs and Designees who are EECs, minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, disability-owned or considered a small business to participate, as well as from experienced AVs willing to serve as mentors. In total, the Mentorship Program included 49 participants, including 20 mentees, 16 mentors, and 13 subject matter experts.
The Mentorship Program was created as part of the Equity Accountability System (“EAS”), which was developed in response to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (“CEJA”) directive to help historically underserved communities participate in and benefit from the growing clean energy economy in Illinois. Other EAS features in Illinois Shines include the Equity Eligible Contractor (“EEC”) category and the Minimum Equity Standard. The EAS has also led to the development, under the Illinois Power Agency, of the Small and Emerging Business Hub, and the Energy Workforce Equity Portal to connect job seekers and employers, and other initiatives.
The 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program comprised:
- 28 virtual online courses (covering four hours of content and 70 knowledge checks) to assist mentees in navigating Program requirements, such as Annual Reporting, REC performance evaluation, prevailing wage requirements, Community Solar subscriber verification, consumer protection requirements, and more.
- Eight live virtual sessions (covering eight hours) including panel discussions and breakout rooms, allowing mentees to hear from experienced AVs on critical topics and to engage them with specific questions relating to project development, partnership strategies, risk management, financing, interconnection, sales and marketing, and more, where mentors could offer lessons learned, advice, and best practices.
The graduation ceremony included Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Shines staff, and solar contractors from Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for all training programs. Illinois Power Agency Director Brian Granahan offered remarks, celebrating the mentee’s milestone and thanking mentors, and underscoring the significant role of the Mentorship Program and the Equity Accountability System in fulfilling CEJA’s directives and the Agency’s prioritization of ensuring equitable access and opportunity while advancing clean energy development. The event facilitated networking to allow attendees to continue connecting with industry peers and building relationships to support their continued growth in the solar sector. The Program will soon publish the 2024-25 Mentorship Program Final Report.
Illinois Shines AVs and Designee interested to participate in the 2025-26 Mentorship Program as either a mentor or mentee may contact the EEC Sector Strategist, Conner Rettig, at [email protected]. Additional Mentorship Program information and resources can be found at the Mentorship Program page on the Program’s website.
Illinois Shines congratulates the graduating mentees and thanks all mentees and mentors for their dedication and engagement to the Illinois Shines 2024-25 Program Year Mentorship Program.
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]