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  • 03 Jun 2015 1:25 PM | Anonymous

    Written by Courtney Hanson (Midwest Outreach CoordinatorUnion of Concerned Scientists)


    The Union of Concerned Scientists has released an analysis showing that most states are already making significant progress toward cutting carbon emissions from power plants, and that can in turn help them meet their Clean Power Plan goals. The analysis shows that, through decisions already made such as the retirement of uneconomic coal plants, and compliance with existing renewable electricity standards and energy efficiency resource standards, many states all across the country are well positioned to reliably and affordably achieve the 2020 emissions reduction benchmarks. 31 states are on track to be more than halfway toward meeting the 2020 benchmarks set out by the EPA, and 14 of those states are on track to surpass those benchmarks.

     

    Illinois findings:

    • Illinois is on track to be 82 percent of the way towards meeting its 2020 benchmark because of its renewable electricity and energy efficiency standards and announced coal plant closures (we assume announced coal retirements occur and existing standards are met in all states).
      • The renewable portfolio standard requires utilities to produce 25 percent of their electricity from renewables by 2025.
      • The energy efficiency portfolio standard requires utilities to reduce energy demand by 2 percent each year compared to the previous year’s sales.
      • Eight coal generating units will retire between 2012 and 2020. These units generate 9,204 gigawatt-hours of electricity or 12 percent of the state’s coal-fired generation.
    • Illinois, along with 22 other states, is leading the country, as these states have already taken steps to achieve more than 75 percent of their 2020 benchmarks.
    • Illinois can meet its mandatory 2030 emissions reduction requirement a number of ways, including:
      • Creating a regional program that allows Midwest states to work together to reduce emissions. Illinois state regulators and utilities are considering this approach.
      • Strengthening the state’s renewable electricity and energy efficiency standards.  A recent UCS analysis found that requiring utilities to generate 35 of their electricity with renewable resources by 2030 and reduce energy consumption 20 percent by 2025 would reduce the typical residential customer’s electricity bill 11 percent, or $10 a month, in 2020 and 23 percent, or $22 a month, in 2030.

     

    Please see UCS Senior Energy Analyst Jeremy Richardson’s blogpost with the key findings from the UCS analysis, and links to a table summarizing state progress toward the 2020 benchmarks and a slide deck (note that the 2020 benchmarks are NOT a mandatory target in the draft CPP). 

     

    Additionally, see Senior Analyst Jeff Deyette’s blogpost highlighting the irony that many of the states suing the EPA over the Clean Power Plan are actually already taking steps that would put them most or all of the way toward meeting the 2020 emissions benchmarks.

     

    The UCS Press release is here: http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/most-states-on-track-to-meet-cpp-benchmarks-0500

  • 21 May 2015 2:31 PM | Anonymous

    ISEA rocked Earth Month and beyond! Since the beginning of April, ISEA volunteers and Solar Ambassadors, Policy Committee and Staff have participated in over 30 events!

     

    ISEA Solar Ambassadors have supported and participated in over 20 events and educated an estimated 2,195 people on the advantages of being powered by the sun! Solar Ambassadors are ISEA members who advocate for solar energy and engage with the public to increase awareness, understanding, support and use of clean energy. The Solar Ambassadors spread the word about the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill at all of these events.



    Carrie Woodruff is a ISEA Solar Ambassador

     

    The ISEA Policy Committee teamed up with the Solar Ambassadors to host six Legislative Solar Socials at homes powered by solar this spring. Attendees had the opportunity to meet Illinois Clean Jobs Bill co-sponsors, view a solar installation and learn about the benefits of living with renewable energy! ISEA held events in Evanston, Chicago, Joliet, West Chicago, Wilmette and Champaign.

     


    Representative Carol Ammons at a Legislative Solar Social

     

    Over 50 ISEA business and individual members turned out for Solar Lobby Day On May 6th!   ISEA staff delivered Illinois Clean Jobs letters of support to legislators from their constituents. For more reflections on Lobby Day, click here.

     


    Solar Lobby Day in Springfield

     

    We are now gearing up for a busy summer with more public events and Legislative Solar Socials. Keep an eye on our events calendar for happenings in your part of the state!


    If you would like to sign a letter of support for the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill, you can do so here.



    Thank you to all who made ISEA’s Spring Legislative Solar Socials successful!

     

    Legislators

    Senator John Cullerton

    Senator Pat McGuire

    Representative Carol Ammons

    Representative Laura Fine

    Representative Mike Fortner

    Representative Robyn Gabel

    Representative Lawrence M. Walsh Jr

     

    Social Host Sites

    The Bullock Family

    The Carrington Family

    Beth and Harry Drucker

    Lisa and Ron Elkins

    The Lorch Family

    The Willenbrock Family

     

    ISEA Policy Leads

    Lisa Albrecht

    Shannon Fulton

    Will Kenworthy

    Kacie Stanley

     

    Site Installers

    Earth Wind and Solar- John Caravette

    Juhl Energy -Mike Johnson

    New Prairie Construction – Julie Vogel

    Solar Service Inc – Brandon Leavitt and Joe Gordon

     

    ISEA Staff

    Patrick Dodge

    Taylor Gendel

    Lucas Kappel

  • 19 May 2015 3:40 PM | Anonymous

    The ISEA Policy Committee has scored a win for homeowners participating in the IPA procurement! The committee worked to educate the IPA on the financial burden that an overly strict Revenue Grade Meter requirement would cause homeowners. Systems under 10kW will now be permitted to use their inverter for performance data. 


    Details about the Metering Standards are housed on the IPA website.

     

    Thank you to this group of dedicated volunteers who work to ensure that Illinois business and residents have clear and fair opportunities to participate in the clean energy economy.


  • 30 Apr 2015 11:31 AM | Anonymous

    Last night's policy webinar is now up and available to view.


    This webinar discussed the details of the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill and how this new RPS will grow the Illinois clean energy economy.


    You can view the recording here.

  • 11 Apr 2015 2:51 PM | Anonymous
    SRECTrade hosted a webinar on April 7th, 2015 for installers and system owners interested in participating in the upcoming Illinois Supplemental Photovoltaic Procurement Program. The webinar covered the basic rules of the program, registering a system with SRECTrade, and submitting a bid for the upcoming solicitation.


    The webinar allowed solar installers active in the state of Illinois to join us to learn how existing and future clients can participate in the Supplemental Photovoltaic Procurement Program. 


    Here is the recording of the webinar.

  • 10 Apr 2015 1:01 PM | Anonymous
    ISEA will be hosting a series of Legislative Solar Socials in April and May at solar homeowners residences to spread the word about the Illinois Clean Jobs bill! This event will function like a Town Hall Meeting with the additional benefit for attendees to have the opportunity to view a solar installation and learn about the benefits of living with renewable energy! Illinois legislators will be present at each!
    • Wilmette: Saturday, April 18th, 10am-11:30am with Representative Laura Fine
    • West Chicago: Saturday, April 25th 11am-12:30pm with Representative Mike Fortner
    • Joliet: Saturday: May 2nd 11am-12:30pm with Representative Lawrence M. Walsh Jr.
    • Evanston: Saturday, May 9th 11am-12:30pm with Representative Robyn Gabel
    • Wauconda: Saturday, May 9th 11am-12:30pm with Senator Pamela Althoff
    • Champaign: Saturday, May 16th 11am- 12:30pm with Representative Carol Ammons
    Come out and learn more about the Clean Jobs bill and show your support!


  • 09 Apr 2015 2:48 PM | Anonymous

    The Chicago Infrastructure Trust is interested in installing solar PV systems on City, Sister Agency, and other municipal and not-for-profit partners' properties, and are commencing an Open Bidding Process following the recent submission of an unsolicited proposal.

    Any party that wishes to offer its proposal for a solar PV and/or community solar PV project is invited to do so at proposal@shapechicago.org by April 17, 2015 at 9 AM CT.


    For more information about the project and detailed guidance on proposals for this Open Bidding Process, please click here.



  • 24 Mar 2015 5:13 PM | Anonymous

    Six Illinois Community Colleges are adding solar to their rooftops this summer as part of the Illinois Green Economy Network’s Bulk Solar Program. The Request for Proposals for the IGEN BULK SOLAR PROCUREMENT AND INSTALLATION portion of the project is open until March 30th at 2pm CST.


    The IGEN Bulk Solar Program aims to reduce the overall installation cost of ballasted rooftop or ground mounted solar photovoltaic systems for IGEN colleges. Cost savings are achieved by standardizing designs into 25 KW DC blocks utilizing a single module type, single inverter brand, and standard mounting system as developed by a single central Construction Manager, StraightUp Solar. Solar component procurement and installation is to be accomplished by a single Solar Contractor serving all participating colleges at one single IGEN negotiated price (exception: ground mounted systems are permitted an upcharge due to anticipated higher costs). Local electrical interconnection from the DC Array Junction Box through one or more inverters to each college’s local utility grid will be accomplished by a local Electrical Contractor independently solicited and selected by each college. The Construction Manager coordinates all procurement and installation schedules through operational production, overseeing all work as IGEN’s and each college’s technical and quality control expert. This project specifies a total of 225 KW DC of installation effort at six (6) individual community college sites. All solar designs expressed in the RFP are engineered to integrate energy output data into IGEN’s existing Lucid Building OS Dashboard system at no additional cost to the Colleges.


    Sealed proposals shall be addressed to Mike Thomas, Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, IL. All sealed proposals must contain 3 hard copies be received by Southwestern Illinois College by Monday, March 30, 2015 at 2:00 pm.
  • 05 Feb 2015 6:26 PM | Anonymous



    ISEA is part of the newly formed Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition which is bringing together environmental organizations, businesses and labor to create a clean energy economy in Illinois!  This group will urge lawmakers to pass new standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy that will create tens of thousands of new jobs. 

     

    Read the full story of the coalition's launch in the Tribune here.


  • 17 Dec 2014 12:34 PM | Anonymous

    In early 2015 SunShot plans to announce a  $45 million funding opportunity to bring new solar technologies to market and improve solar manufacturing. Historically, funding opportunities in our technology to market focus area have been separated by stage of technology development (e.g., Incubator, SolarMaT, and SUNPATH). In the interest of optimizing the application and selection process, all three funding programs are now combined into one, with the goal of quickly bringing disruptive innovation to the solar industry that will take root in the U.S.  In order to provide ample time to consider applying for this funding, this week SunShot issued a notice of intent for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “SunShot Incubator 10, SolarMaT 3, SUNPATH 2.” 

    SunShot anticipates this FOA will be open to any for-profit business with a product or solution that directly and significantly impacts at least one of the following SunShot Initiative goals:

    • Achieve the 2020 cost target of $0.06 per kilowatt hour or beyond;
    • Expand domestic solar manufacturing and supply chain value to be commensurate with the level of domestic deployment;
    • Expand the domestic market for solar to be a significant fraction (tens of percent) of our nation's electricity generating capacity;
    • Enable the integration of hundreds of gigawatts of solar on the nation's grid.

    Please stay tuned in early 2015 for the official FOA and check out the website frequently for new information on this and other funding opportunities.



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