According to this article from Inside Climate News, Illinois is poised to increase solar generation by 2000% over the next 5 years. Increasing solar generation from 98 to 1,857 MW would move Illinois from 35th to 17th place nationally.
The article states: “This boom in renewable energy stems from the state’s Future Energy Jobs Act, a 2016 law that provided subsidies for two nuclear power plants and also set the target to get 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2025, among other requirements. The renewable energy provisions were part of a legislative compromise to get enough votes to approve the nuclear power subsidies. (The law was upheld by a federal court in September.)”
Illinois’ law is unusual in that it requires projects to be located within Illinois or near its borders. Included in the law are provisions to include economic development and jobs for Illinois residents, and to provide renewable energy to low income customers. Combined with lower prices for solar arrays, these policy incentives are expected to greatly increase Illinois’ solar energy. Wind power will not be left behind, but is not expected to see as large of an increase given that it currently provides 4,400 Megawatts of energy in Illinois compared with only 98 MW provided by solar.
