The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) has announced allocation of the remaining 25% discretionary capacity (approximately 166.5 MW) of the Illinois Adjustable Block Program (ABP). The majority of funds, 91.5 MW, will be allocated to Large DG within Group A. Large DG in Group B will receive funding for 33 MW, while Community Solar will receive 12 MW in Group A and 30 MW in Group B. See chart below.
| Group | Small DG | Large DG |
Community Solar |
| A | 0 MW | 91.5 MW | 12 MW |
| B | 0 MW | 33 MW | 30 MW |
Group A represents projects located in the service territories of Ameren Illinois, Mt. Carmel, MidAmerican, and rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities located in MISO. Group B represents projects located in the service territories of ComEd and rural electric cooperatives and municipalities in PJM.
There will be a lottery for approved Group A-Large DG projects applied for within the first 14 days of the ABP open application date, Jan. 30 through Feb. 14, 2019. These projects will receive Block 1 or Block 3 prices.
All projects not selected in the lottery, as well as those selected using the discretionary capacity, will receive Block 4 pricing.
As stated by the IPA, “Future budget risks and achieving a robust and diverse portfolio of projects is best supported by a proportionately large allocation to the Large DG category, including supporting all Large DG projects submitted during the first 14 days after the Program’s opening.”
The IPA went on to state that its greater allocation for Large DG projects was due in part to the existence of established demand from Illinois residents and businesses, as opposed to the potential of developer demand within the Community Solar market.