The project workforce of each participating Approved Vendor and Designee must comprise a required minimum percentage of Equity Eligible Persons (EEPs). The MES requirement for the 2024-25 Program Year is 10% EEPs for an entity’s total project workforce. Definitions for Equity Eligible Persons, the minimum workforce percentages, key steps and dates for compliance, and other resources, are provided at the Program website’s Equity Accountability System page. Future Program year’s percentages can be found in the 2024 Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan. The Minimum Equity Standard is part of the Equity Accountability System that the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act directed the Illinois Power Agency to develop and implement.
Minimum Equity Standard Compliance Plans, reflecting how participating organizations plan to achieve compliance with the MES are due on June 3, 2024. If you haven’t already submitted a Compliance Plan for your organization, please do so at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/qvDmuW5Z74
A template displaying the MES Compliance Plan’s questions can be viewed here. Required data and information include:
- AV/Designee Information
- Estimated project workforce total
- Estimated project workforce demographic information
- Estimated number of Equity Eligible Person (EEPs) currently in your project workforce
- Number of EEPs your organization seeks to hire over the Program Year to achieve compliance
- Communication/outreach plan that will be used to increase the utilization of EEPs
Failure to submit an MES Compliance Plan by the June 3, 2024 deadline will result in escalation to the Program Administrator’s Consumer Protection Team consistent with Sections X.C-D of the Consumer Protection Handbook. Failure to comply may risk future good standing in the Program and may result in disciplinary action.
Key Dates
- April 10, 2024 – MES Compliance Plan for next Program Year (2024-25) opened for submissions
- May 1, 2024 – MES Year-End Report opens for submissions
- May 27, 2024 – Conclusion of the 2023-24 Program Year
- June 3, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Compliance Plan for the 2024-25 Program Year
- July 15, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Year-End Report for Program Year 2023-24
Additional Resources
- Additional resources on the MES and the Equity Accountability System can be found here: https://illinoisshines.com/equity-accountability-system/
- For any questions related to the MES Compliance Plan or Year-End Report, which is due at the end of each Program Year, please reach out to [email protected]. As noted in the March 6, 2024 MES Year-End Report webinar and previous communications, participating AVs and Designees will be required to certify all EEPs in their project workforce when submitting their Year-End Report. Information about EEP certification, including options at the Energy Workforce Energy Portal or through the collection of completed EEP Attestations, is available at the Program website
Thank you!
Illinois Shines Program
[email protected]
