Policies Affecting Renewable Energy in Illinois, USA
Like many other states, Illinois is moving toward decarbonizing its energy sector. A major part of this effort is shifting to renewable electricity generation. As the nation’s third-largest net electricity supplier, Illinois’ energy sector decarbonization will have far-reaching effects throughout the Midwest. Since 2016, enabling state policies, namely the Future Energy Jobs Act and the Clean Energy Jobs Act, have allowed for vast growth in distributed generation development. Other state policies, including taxation of renewables, regulation of the energy sector, infrastructure investment, use of public lands, and siting authority are evolving to become more adaptable to Illinois’ rapid expansion of renewable energy deployment. This paper discusses the current renewable energy policy landscape in Illinois and explores how coordinated policies collectively facilitate renewable energy deployment across the state.