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Illinois Solar

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Data Current Through:

Q4 2023

Solar Installed (MW):
2,719
National Ranking:
15th (12th in 2023)
Enough Solar Installed to Power:
440,942 homes
Percentage of State's Electricity from Solar:
1.94%
Solar Jobs:
5,652
Solar Companies in State:
344 (70 Manufacturers, 110 Installers/Developers, 164 Others)
Total Solar Investment in State:
$4.7 billion
Prices have fallen
47% over the last 10 years
Growth Projection and Ranking:
6,593 MW over the next 5 years (ranks 10th)
Number Of Installations:
79,794

Illinois is a growing solar market that has benefited from a strong renewable portfolio standard that requires they generate 25% of their energy from renewable sources by 2025. The amount of solar capacity installed in Illinois is expected to grow by more than 1,700% over the next five years. 

View more solar industry data.

Illinois State Solar Policy Highlights

  • SEIA continues to actively advocate for "Path to 100" HB2966/SB 1781 in Illinois, which increases the RPS from 25% by 2025 to 40% by 2030 and increases REC procurement from 10 million by 2020 to 45 million by 2030 with 50/50 split from solar and wind.
  • SEIA is an intervening party in the Part 466/467 Interconnection Rulemaking before the Illinois Commerce Commission to advocate for changes to the Rule that will ensure a uniform, fair and transparent process for distributed generation and community solar projects in the state.
  • SEIA is an intervening party in the Ameren DG Rebate investigation as well as the Ameren Rider NM investigation before the Illinois Commerce Commission to prevent the end of retail net metering for residential customers before a successor DG tariff is put in place.
  • SEIA is actively working with the Governor’s Office to craft legislation related to its recently released Eight Governing Principles for a Clean Renewable Illinois which focuses on increasing focus on substantially increasing utility accountability and transparency, creating new clean energy jobs in Illinois, reducing harmful emissions and maintaining low energy costs for consumers and industrial users.
  • SEIA is actively engaged in discussions with the Illinois Power Agency and other relevant government agencies to address current prohibition of door-to-door marketing and sales of distributed generation due to COVID-19.
  • SEIA is participating in discussions with the Illinois Department of Revenue to discuss potential concerns related to property tax exemptions for solar projects financed by a third party PPA. 
  • SEIA successfully prevented Commonwealth Edison from starting an administrative service on its website that would exclude community solar projects who did not opt-in to the service for a fe

For more information on SEIA's work in Illinois, please contact Nakhia Morrissette

Notable Solar Installations in Illinois

  • Prairie Wolf Solar in Ashmore Township was developed by National Grid Renwables and came online in 2021. This 255 MW project produces enough electricity to power 40,390 homes.5
  • Walmart, Target, and Lineage Logistics have all gone solar in Illinois. Amazon's 3 MW project in Romeoville is one of the largest corporate projects in the state. 
  • At 135.5 MW, Dressor Plains Solar in Herrick is among the largest solar installations in Illinois. Completed by D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) in 2021, this solar project has enough electric capacity to power more than 21,462 homes.

Check out our Major Solar Projects List for more notable installations.

Solar Companies in Illinois

Looking for a local installer? Use SolarReviews to get company reviews and estimates for solar in your area. You can also view the average costs for installing solar in Illinois, based on real price data from installed systems and solar quotes.

Don't see your company listed? Complete our National Solar Database Survey!

If you're looking for information about local solar companies, check out EnergySage's list of solar companies in Illinois, where you can check out information about each company and see real customer reviews.

Illinois State Solar Resources

DSIRE incentives database Illinois - Search a public clearinghouse for specific solar energy incentives in Illinois and across the United States

Illinois Commerce Commission - Learn about the governing body that regulates the electricity rates and services of Illinois public utilities

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity - Find a wide variety of information on state government energy programs, policy, projects, energy-saving strategies and energy-related statistics

Illinois State Legislature - Track pending legislation affecting solar energy, locate and contact individual legislators, and stay up to date on current legislative issues in Illinois

Illinois Solar Panels Overview - Learn about the history of solar policy in Illinois along with up-to-date pricing information on EnergySage

Solar Panel Cost in Illinois - Learn about the history of solar policy in Illinois, along with up-to-date pricing information on EnergySage

Solar Rebates & Incentives in Illinois - Check out EnergySage's list of key solar incentives in Illinois to see what programs you can benefit from

U.S. Energy Information Administration - Illinois State Profile - Explore official energy statistics, including data on electricity supply and demand, from the U.S. government

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