Deadline nears for electric munis and co-ops in Illinois to update policies to ensure broadened, equitable access to solar energy
Ahead of the March 14 deadline for municipal-run electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives to get in compliance with the recently passed Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition are calling on the leaders of these "munis and co-ops" to update their net metering and interconnection policies in compliance with the right to self-generate electricity policy enshrined in CEJA.
Currently, muni and co-op policies vary widely. Some muni and co-op customers face significant hurdles to accessing solar energy. Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities can and should lead the way toward a decentralized clean energy future, but that can't happen without full and fair compensation for solar energy and reduced barriers for customers wanting to invest in distributed renewables.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in September 2021, established the right to self-generate electricity as law in Illinois. According to CEJA, munis and co-ops "should recognize and implement policies to provide the opportunity for their residential and small commercial customers who wish to self-generate electricity and for reasonable credits to customers for excess electricity."
As such, munis and co-ops have the opportunity to ensure broadened, equitable access to solar energy for customers and member-owners. Munis and co-ops must list their updated CEJA-compliant net metering and interconnection policies on their websites by March 14, 2022.
"The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act sets bold targets to put Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2050, and increasing access to solar energy is critical to achieving that goal," says Michelle Knox, owner and founder of WindSolarUSA, Inc. "There are currently 42 municipal utilities and 25 rural electric cooperatives that serve nearly 1 million Illinois residents. We need transparent and standardized policies across Illinois in order to eliminate discrimination, allow fair access to solar incentives and rate design, and protect the nearly 1 million Illinoisans affected by these policies."
Members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition have identified 11 significant barriers the member-owners of municipal-run electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives currently face to access the right to self-generate electricity as enshrined in CEJA. These barriers include out-of-pocket infrastructure costs, real-time and short-term reconciliation, monthly solar fees, prohibition of Power Purchase Agreements, and excessive insurance requirements. Policy changes need to occur in many munis and co-ops to address these 11 barriers so that individuals, nonprofit organizations, and small commercial businesses can benefit from access to solar energy.
"School districts all over Illinois like mine have been told by their cities that they cannot sign power purchase agreements to go solar," says Jean Korte, a resident in a municipal-run electric utility territory in Highland, Illinois. "Our cities are in a tough spot because of their long-term contracts to coal, but renewable energy is the future, and our cities need to be planning for that future and finding ways to include everyone. We need to find a path away from coal and a just transition for people in communities affected by coal closure. I hope that munis and coops will adopt new policies that reflect the true value of solar and make it accessible to all customers, including schools."
The following organizations are advocating for municipal-run and rural electric cooperatives to update their policies to increase access to solar energy for electric customers: Prairie Rivers Network, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Sierra Club Illinois, Vote Solar, Faith in Place, Illinois People's Action, the Climate Economy Education, Inc., Macedonia Development Corporation, Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA), Illinois Renewable Energy Association (IREA), Sustainable Springfield, Inc., and Greater Highland Area Concerned Citizens. These organizations work in partnership with the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.