20 ILCS 3855/1-1
(20 ILCS 3855/1-1) Sec. 1-1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Illinois Power Agency Act. References in this Article to "this Act" mean this Article. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855
20 ILCS 3855
in effect20 ILCS 3855/1-5
(20 ILCS 3855/1-5) Sec. 1-5. Legislative declarations and findings. The General Assembly finds and declares: (1) The health, welfare, and prosperity of all Illinois residents require the provision of adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability. (1.5) To provide the highest quality of life for the residents of Illinois and to provide for a clean and healthy environment, it is the policy of this State to rapidly transition to 100% clean energy by 2050. (2) (Blank). (3) (Blank). (4) It is necessary to improve the process of procuring electricity to serve Illinois residents, to promote investment in energy efficiency and demand-response measures, and to maintain and support development of clean coal technologies, generation resources that operate at all hours of the day and under all weather conditions, zero emission facilities, and renewable resources. (5) Procuring a diverse electricity supply portfolio will ensure the lowest total cost over time for adequate, reliable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service. (6) Including renewable resources and zero emission credits from zero emission facilities in that portfolio will reduce long-term direct and indirect costs to consumers by decreasing environmental impacts and by avoiding or delaying the need for new generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. Developing new renewable energy resources in Illinois, including brownfield solar projects and community solar projects, will help to diversify Illinois electricity supply, avoid and reduce pollution, reduce peak demand, and enhance public health and well-being of Illinois residents. (7) Developing community solar projects in Illinois will help to expand access to renewable energy resources to more Illinois residents. (8) Developing brownfield solar projects in Illinois will help return blighted or contaminated land to productive use while enhancing public health and the well-being of Illinois residents, including those in environmental justice communities. (9) Energy efficiency, demand-response measures, zero emission energy, and renewable energy are resources currently underused in Illinois. These resources should be used, when cost effective, to reduce costs to consumers, improve reliability, and improve environmental quality and public health. (10) The State should encourage the use of advanced clean coal technologies that capture and sequester carbon dioxide emissions to advance environmental protection goals and to demonstrate the viability of coal and coal-derived fuels in a carbon-constrained economy. (10.5) The State should encourage the development of interregional high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines that benefit Illinois. All ratepayers in the State served by the regional transmission organization where the HVDC converter station is interconnected benefit from the long-term price stability and market access provided by interregional HVDC transmission facilities. The benefits to Illinois include: reduction in wholesale power prices; access to lower-cost markets; enabling the integration of additional renewable generating units within the State through near instantaneous dispatchability and the provision of ancillary services; creating good-paying union jobs in Illinois; and, enhancing grid reliability and climate resilience via HVDC facilities that are installed underground. (10.6) The health, welfare, and safety of the people of the State are advanced by developing new HVDC transmission lines predominantly along transportation rights-of-way, with an HVDC converter station that is located in the service territory of a public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act serving more than 3,000,000 retail customers, and with a project labor agreement as defined in Section 1-10 of this Act. (11) The General Assembly enacted Public Act 96-0795 to reform the State's purchasing processes, recognizing that government procurement is susceptible to abuse if structural and procedural safeguards are not in place to ensure independence, insulation, oversight, and transparency. (12) The principles that underlie the procurement reform legislation apply also in the context of power purchasing. (13) To ensure that the benefits of installing renewable resources are available to all Illinois residents and located across the State, subject to appropriation, it is necessary for the Agency to provide public information and educational resources on how residents can benefit from the expansion of renewable energy in Illinois and participate in the Illinois Solar for All Program established in Section 1-56, the Adjustable Block program established in Section 1-75, the job training programs established by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act, and the programs and resources established by the Energy Transition Act. The General Assembly therefore finds that it is necessary to create the Illinois Power Agency and that the goals and objectives of that Agency are to accomplish each of the following: (A) Develop electricity procurement plans to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for electric utilities that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000 customers in Illinois and for small multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (i) on December 31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and (ii) request a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. The procurement plan shall be updated on an annual basis and shall include renewable energy resources and, beginning with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017, zero emission credits from zero emission facilities sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. (B) Conduct the competitive procurement processes identified in this Act. (C) Develop electric generation and co-generation facilities that use indigenous coal or renewable resources, or both, financed with bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority. (D) Supply electricity from the Agency's facilities at cost to one or more of the following: municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives in Illinois. (E) Ensure that the process of power procurement is conducted in an ethical and transparent fashion, immune from improper influence. (F) Continue to review its policies and practices to determine how best to meet its mission of providing the lowest cost power to the greatest number of people, at any given point in time, in accordance with applicable law. (G) Operate in a structurally insulated, independent, and transparent fashion so that nothing impedes the Agency's mission to secure power at the best prices the market will bear, provided that the Agency meets all applicable legal requirements. (H) Implement renewable energy procurement and training programs throughout the State to diversify Illinois electricity supply, improve reliability, avoid and reduce pollution, reduce peak demand, and enhance public health and well-being of Illinois residents, including low-income residents. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-10 Definitions
(20 ILCS 3855/1-10) Sec. 1-10. Definitions. "Agency" means the Illinois Power Agency. "Agency loan agreement" means any agreement pursuant to which the Illinois Finance Authority agrees to loan the proceeds of revenue bonds issued with respect to a project to the Agency upon terms providing for loan repayment installments at least sufficient to pay when due all principal of, interest and premium, if any, on those revenue bonds, and providing for maintenance, insurance, and other matters in respect of the project. "Authority" means the Illinois Finance Authority. "Brownfield site photovoltaic project" means photovoltaics that are either: (1) interconnected to an electric utility as defined in this Section, a municipal utility as defined in this Section, a public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or an electric cooperative as defined in Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act and located at a site that is regulated by any of the following entities under the following programs: (A) the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended; (B) the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Corrective Action Program of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended; (C) the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency under the Illinois Site Remediation Program; or (D) the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency under the Illinois Solid Waste Program; or (2) located at the site of a coal mine that has permanently ceased coal production, permanently halted any re-mining operations, and is no longer accepting any coal combustion residues; has both completed all clean-up and remediation obligations under the federal Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977 and all applicable Illinois rules and any other clean-up, remediation, or ongoing monitoring to safeguard the health and well-being of the people of the State of Illinois, as well as demonstrated compliance with all applicable federal and State environmental rules and regulations, including, but not limited, to 35 Ill. Adm. Code Part 845 and any rules for historic fill of coal combustion residuals, including any rules finalized in Subdocket A of Illinois Pollution Control Board docket R2020-019. "Clean coal facility" means an electric generating facility that uses primarily coal as a feedstock and that captures and sequesters carbon dioxide emissions at the following levels: at least 50% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit if, at the time construction commences, the facility is scheduled to commence operation before 2016, at least 70% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit if, at the time construction commences, the facility is scheduled to commence operation during 2016 or 2017, and at least 90% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit if, at the time construction commences, the facility is scheduled to commence operation after 2017. The power block of the clean coal facility shall not exceed allowable emission rates for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulates and mercury for a natural gas-fired combined-cycle facility the same size as and in the same location as the clean coal facility at the time the clean coal facility obtains an approved air permit. All coal used by a clean coal facility shall have high volatile bituminous rank and greater than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content, unless the clean coal facility does not use gasification technology and was operating as a conventional coal-fired electric generating facility on June 1, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 95-1027). "Clean coal SNG brownfield facility" means a facility that (1) has commenced construction by July 1, 2015 on an urban brownfield site in a municipality with at least 1,000,000 residents; (2) uses a gasification process to produce substitute natural gas; (3) uses coal as at least 50% of the total feedstock over the term of any sourcing agreement with a utility and the remainder of the feedstock may be either petroleum coke or coal, with all such coal having a high bituminous rank and greater than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content unless the facility reasonably determines that it is necessary to use additional petroleum coke to deliver additional consumer savings, in which case the facility shall use coal for at least 35% of the total feedstock over the term of any sourcing agreement; and (4) captures and sequesters at least 85% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit. "Clean coal SNG facility" means a facility that uses a gasification process to produce substitute natural gas, that sequesters at least 90% of the total carbon dioxide emissions that the facility would otherwise emit, that uses at least 90% coal as a feedstock, with all such coal having a high bituminous rank and greater than 1.7 pounds of sulfur per million Btu content, and that has a valid and effective permit to construct emission sources and air pollution control equipment and approval with respect to the federal regulations for Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality (PSD) for the plant pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act; provided, however, a clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall not be a clean coal SNG facility. "Clean energy" means energy generation that is 90% or greater free of carbon dioxide emissions. "Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission. "Community renewable generation project" means an electric generating facility that: (1) is powered by wind, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic cells or panels, biodiesel, crops and untreated and unadulterated organic waste biomass, and hydropower that does not involve new construction of dams; (2) is interconnected at the distribution system level of an electric utility as defined in this Section, a municipal utility as defined in this Section that owns or operates electric distribution facilities, a public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or an electric cooperative, as defined in Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act; (3) credits the value of electricity generated by the facility to the subscribers of the facility; and (4) is limited in nameplate capacity to less than or equal to 10,000 kilowatts. "Costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility" means: (1) the cost of acquisition of all real property, fixtures, and improvements in connection therewith and equipment, personal property, and other property, rights, and easements acquired that are deemed necessary for the operation and maintenance of the facility; (2) financing costs with respect to bonds, notes, and other evidences of indebtedness of the Agency; (3) all origination, commitment, utilization, facility, placement, underwriting, syndication, credit enhancement, and rating agency fees; (4) engineering, design, procurement, consulting, legal, accounting, title insurance, survey, appraisal, escrow, trustee, collateral agency, interest rate hedging, interest rate swap, capitalized interest, contingency, as required by lenders, and other financing costs, and other expenses for professional services; and (5) the costs of plans, specifications, site study and investigation, installation, surveys, other Agency costs and estimates of costs, and other expenses necessary or incidental to determining the feasibility of any project, together with such other expenses as may be necessary or incidental to the financing, insuring, acquisition, and construction of a specific project and starting up, commissioning, and placing that project in operation. "Delivery services" has the same definition as found in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act. "Delivery year" means the consecutive 12-month period beginning June 1 of a given year and ending May 31 of the following year. "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "Director" means the Director of the Illinois Power Agency. "Demand response" means measures that decrease peak electricity demand or shift demand from peak to off-peak periods. "Distributed renewable energy generation device" means a device that is: (1) powered by wind, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic cells or panels, biodiesel, crops and untreated and unadulterated organic waste biomass, tree waste, and hydropower that does not involve new construction of dams, waste heat to power systems, or qualified combined heat and power systems; (2) interconnected at the distribution system level of either an electric utility as defined in this Section, a municipal utility as defined in this Section that owns or operates electric distribution facilities, or a rural electric cooperative as defined in Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act; (3) located on the customer side of the customer's electric meter and is primarily used to offset that customer's electricity load; and (4) (blank). "Energy efficiency" means measures that reduce the amount of electricity or natural gas consumed in order to achieve a given end use. "Energy efficiency" includes voltage optimization measures that optimize the voltage at points on the electric distribution voltage system and thereby reduce electricity consumption by electric customers' end use devices. "Energy efficiency" also includes measures that reduce the total Btus of electricity, natural gas, and other fuels needed to meet the end use or uses. "Energy storage system" has the meaning given to that term in Section 16-135 of the Public Utilities Act. "Energy storage system" does not include technologies that require combustion. "Energy storage resources" means the operational output or capabilities of energy storage systems. "Energy storage resources" includes, but is not limited to, energy, capacity, and energy storage credits. "Electric utility" has the same definition as found in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act. "Equity investment eligible community" or "eligible community" are synonymous and mean the geographic areas throughout Illinois which would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination. Specifically, the eligible communities shall be defined as the following areas: (1) R3 Areas as established pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, where residents have historically been excluded from economic opportunities, including opportunities in the energy sector; and (2) environmental justice communities, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power Agency Act, where residents have historically been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution from the energy sector. "Equity eligible persons" or "eligible persons" means persons who would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination, specifically: (1) persons who graduate from or are current or former participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, or the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program, and the solar training pipeline and multi-cultural jobs program created in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a) of Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act; (2) persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system; (3) persons who were formerly incarcerated; (4) persons whose primary residence is in an equity investment eligible community. "Equity eligible contractor" means a business that is majority-owned by eligible persons, or a nonprofit or cooperative that is majority-governed by eligible persons, or is a natural person that is an eligible person offering personal services as an independent contractor. "Facility" means an electric generating unit or a co-generating unit that produces electricity along with related equipment necessary to connect the facility to an electric transmission or distribution system. "General contractor" means the entity or organization with main responsibility for the building of a construction project and who is the party signing the prime construction contract for the project. "Governmental aggregator" means one or more units of local government that individually or collectively procure electricity to serve residential retail electrical loads located within its or their jurisdiction. "High voltage direct current converter station" means the collection of equipment that converts direct current energy from a high voltage direct current transmission line into alternating current using Voltage Source Conversion technology and that is interconnected with transmission or distribution assets located in Illinois. "High voltage direct current renewable energy credit" means a renewable energy credit associated with a renewable energy resource where the renewable energy resource has entered into a contract to transmit the energy associated with such renewable energy credit over high voltage direct current transmission facilities. "High voltage direct current transmission facilities" means the collection of installed equipment that converts alternating current energy in one location to direct current and transmits that direct current energy to a high voltage direct current converter station using Voltage Source Conversion technology. "High voltage direct current transmission facilities" includes the high voltage direct current converter station itself and associated high voltage direct current transmission lines. Notwithstanding the preceding, after September 15, 2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-662), an otherwise qualifying collection of equipment does not qualify as high voltage direct current transmission facilities unless (1) its developer entered into a project labor agreement, is capable of transmitting electricity at 525kv with an Illinois converter station located and interconnected in the region of the PJM Interconnection, LLC, and the system does not operate as a public utility, as that term is defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, serving more than 100,000 customers as of January 1, 2021; or (2) its developer has entered into a project labor agreement prior to construction, the project is capable of transmitting electricity at 525 kilovolts or above, and the project has a converter station that is located in this State or in a state adjacent to this State and is interconnected to PJM Interconnection, LLC, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., or their successor. "Hydropower" means any method of electricity generation or storage that results from the flow of water, including impoundment facilities, diversion facilities, and pumped storage facilities. "Index price" means the real-time energy settlement price at the applicable Illinois trading hub, such as PJM-NIHUB or MISO-IL, for a given settlement period. "Indexed renewable energy credit" means a tradable credit that represents the environmental attributes of one megawatt hour of energy produced from a renewable energy resource, the price of which shall be calculated by subtracting the strike price offered by a new utility-scale wind project or a new utility-scale photovoltaic project from the index price in a given settlement period. "Indexed renewable energy credit counterparty" has the same meaning as "public utility" as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act. "Local government" means a unit of local government as defined in Section 1 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. "Modernized" or "retooled" means the construction, repair, maintenance, or significant expansion of turbines and existing hydropower dams. "Municipality" means a city, village, or incorporated town. "Municipal utility" means a public utility owned and operated by any subdivision or municipal corporation of this State. "Nameplate capacity" means the aggregate inverter nameplate capacity in kilowatts AC. "Person" means any natural person, firm, partnership, corporation, either domestic or foreign, company, association, limited liability company, joint stock company, or association and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof. "Project" means the planning, bidding, and construction of a facility. "Project labor agreement" means a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement that covers all terms and conditions of employment on a specific construction project and must include the following: (1) provisions establishing the minimum hourly wage for each class of labor organization employee; (2) provisions establishing the benefits and other compensation for each class of labor organization employee; (3) provisions establishing that no strike or disputes will be engaged in by the labor organization employees; (4) provisions establishing that no lockout or disputes will be engaged in by the general contractor building the project; and (5) provisions for minorities and women, as defined under the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, setting forth goals for apprenticeship hours to be performed by minorities and women and setting forth goals for total hours to be performed by underrepresented minorities and women. A labor organization and the general contractor building the project shall have the authority to include other terms and conditions as they deem necessary. "Public utility" has the same definition as found in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act. "Qualified combined heat and power systems" means systems that, either simultaneously or sequentially, produce electricity and useful thermal energy from a single fuel source. Such systems are eligible for "renewable energy credits" in an amount equal to its total energy output where a renewable fuel is consumed or in an amount equal to the net reduction in nonrenewable fuel consumed on a total energy output basis. "Real property" means any interest in land together with all structures, fixtures, and improvements thereon, including lands under water and riparian rights, any easements, covenants, licenses, leases, rights-of-way, uses, and other interests, together with any liens, judgments, mortgages, or other claims or security interests related to real property. "Renewable energy credit" means a tradable credit that represents the environmental attributes of one megawatt hour of energy produced from a renewable energy resource. "Renewable energy resources" includes energy and its associated renewable energy credit or renewable energy credits from wind, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic cells and panels, biodiesel, anaerobic digestion, crops and untreated and unadulterated organic waste biomass, and hydropower that does not involve new construction of dams, waste heat to power systems, qualified combined heat and power systems, or geothermal heating and cooling systems that qualify for the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program. For purposes of this Act, landfill gas produced in the State is considered a renewable energy resource. "Renewable energy resources" does not include the incineration or burning of tires, garbage, general household, institutional, and commercial waste, industrial lunchroom or office waste, landscape waste, railroad crossties, utility poles, or construction or demolition debris, other than untreated and unadulterated waste wood. "Renewable energy resources" also includes high voltage direct current renewable energy credits and the associated energy converted to alternating current by a high voltage direct current converter station to the extent that: (1) the generator of such renewable energy resource contracted with a third party to transmit the energy over the high voltage direct current transmission facilities, and (2) the third-party contracting for delivery of renewable energy resources over the high voltage direct current transmission facilities have ownership rights over the unretired associated high voltage direct current renewable energy credit. "Retail customer" has the same definition as found in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act. "Revenue bond" means any bond, note, or other evidence of indebtedness issued by the Authority, the principal and interest of which is payable solely from revenues or income derived from any project or activity of the Agency. "Sequester" means permanent storage of carbon dioxide by injecting it into a saline aquifer, a depleted gas reservoir, or an oil reservoir, directly or through an enhanced oil recovery process that may involve intermediate storage, regardless of whether these activities are conducted by a clean coal facility, a clean coal SNG facility, a clean coal SNG brownfield facility, or a party with which a clean coal facility, clean coal SNG facility, or clean coal SNG brownfield facility has contracted for such purposes. "Service area" has the same definition as found in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act. "Settlement period" means the period of time utilized by MISO and PJM and their successor organizations as the basis for settlement calculations in the real-time energy market. "Sourcing agreement" means (i) in the case of an electric utility, an agreement between the owner of a clean coal facility and such electric utility, which agreement shall have terms and conditions meeting the requirements of paragraph (3) of subsection (d) of Section 1-75, (ii) in the case of an alternative retail electric supplier, an agreement between the owner of a clean coal facility and such alternative retail electric supplier, which agreement shall have terms and conditions meeting the requirements of Section 16-115(d)(5) of the Public Utilities Act, and (iii) in case of a gas utility, an agreement between the owner of a clean coal SNG brownfield facility and the gas utility, which agreement shall have the terms and conditions meeting the requirements of subsection (h-1) of Section 9-220 of the Public Utilities Act. "Strike price" means a contract price for energy and renewable energy credits from a new utility-scale wind project or a new utility-scale photovoltaic project. "Subscriber" means a person who (i) takes delivery service from an electric utility, and (ii) has a subscription of no less than 200 watts to a community renewable generation project that is located in the electric utility's service area. No subscriber's subscriptions may total more than 40% of the nameplate capacity of an individual community renewable generation project. Entities that are affiliated by virtue of a common parent shall not represent multiple subscriptions that total more than 40% of the nameplate capacity of an individual community renewable generation project. "Subscription" means an interest in a community renewable generation project expressed in kilowatts, which is sized primarily to offset part or all of the subscriber's electricity usage. "Substitute natural gas" or "SNG" means a gas manufactured by gasification of hydrocarbon feedstock, which is substantially interchangeable in use and distribution with conventional natural gas. "Total resource cost test" or "TRC test" means a standard that is met if, for an investment in energy efficiency or demand-response measures, the benefit-cost ratio is greater than one. The benefit-cost ratio is the ratio of the net present value of the total benefits of the program to the net present value of the total costs as calculated over the lifetime of the measures. A total resource cost test compares the sum of avoided electric utility costs, representing the benefits that accrue to the system and the participant in the delivery of those efficiency measures and including avoided costs associated with reduced use of natural gas or other fuels, avoided costs associated with reduced water consumption, avoided costs associated with reduced operation and maintenance costs, and avoided societal costs associated with reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as well as other quantifiable societal benefits, to the sum of all incremental costs of end-use measures that are implemented due to the program (including both utility and participant contributions), plus costs to administer, deliver, and evaluate each demand-side program, to quantify the net savings obtained by substituting the demand-side program for supply resources. The societal costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions shall be $200 per short ton, expressed in 2025 dollars or the most recently approved estimate developed by the federal government using a real discount rate consistent with long-term Treasury bond yields, whichever is greater. Changes in greenhouse gas emissions due to changes in electricity consumption shall be estimated using long-run marginal emissions rates developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Cambium model or other Illinois-specific modeling of comparable analytical rigor. In discounting future costs and benefits for the purpose of calculating net present values, a societal discount rate based on actual, long-term Treasury bond yields should be used. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the TRC test shall not include or take into account a calculation of market price suppression effects or demand reduction induced price effects. "Utility-scale solar project" means an electric generating facility that: (1) generates electricity using photovoltaic cells; and (2) has a nameplate capacity that is greater than 5,000 kilowatts alternating current (AC). "Utility-scale wind project" means an electric generating facility that: (1) generates electricity using wind; and (2) has a nameplate capacity that is greater than 5,000 kilowatts. "Waste Heat to Power Systems" means systems that capture and generate electricity from energy that would otherwise be lost to the atmosphere without the use of additional fuel. "Zero emission credit" means a tradable credit that represents the environmental attributes of one megawatt hour of energy produced from a zero emission facility. "Zero emission facility" means a facility that: (1) is fueled by nuclear power; and (2) is interconnected with PJM Interconnection, LLC or the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., or their successors. (Source: P.A. 103-154, eff. 6-28-23; 103-380, eff. 1-1-24; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-15 Illinois Power Agency
(20 ILCS 3855/1-15) Sec. 1-15. Illinois Power Agency. (a) For the purpose of effectuating the policy declared in Section 1-5 of this Act, a State agency known as the Illinois Power Agency is created. The Agency shall exercise governmental and public powers, be perpetual in duration, and have the powers and duties enumerated in this Act, together with such others conferred upon it by law. (b) The Agency is not created or organized, and its operations shall not be conducted, for the purpose of making a profit. No part of the revenues or assets of the Agency shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to any of its employees or any other private persons, except as provided in this Act for actual services rendered. The Agency shall operate as an independent agency subject to the oversight of the Executive Ethics Commission. (Source: P.A. 97-618, eff. 10-26-11.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-20
(20 ILCS 3855/1-20) Sec. 1-20. General powers and duties of the Agency. (a) The Agency is authorized to do each of the following: (1) Develop electricity procurement plans to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for electric utilities that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000 customers in Illinois and for small multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (A) on December 31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and (B) request a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. Except as provided in paragraph (1.5) of this subsection (a), the electricity procurement plans shall be updated on an annual basis and shall include electricity generated from renewable resources sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. Beginning with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017, develop procurement plans to include zero emission credits generated from zero emission facilities sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June 1, 2022, the Agency is authorized to develop carbon mitigation credit procurement plans to include carbon mitigation credits generated from carbon-free energy resources sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act. (1.5) Develop a long-term renewable resources procurement plan in accordance with subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act for renewable energy credits in amounts sufficient to achieve the standards specified in this Act for delivery years commencing June 1, 2017 and for the programs and renewable energy credits specified in Section 1-56 of this Act. Electricity procurement plans for delivery years commencing after May 31, 2017, shall not include procurement of renewable energy resources. (2) Conduct competitive procurement processes to procure the supply resources identified in the electricity procurement plan, pursuant to Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, and, for the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017, conduct procurement processes to procure zero emission credits from zero emission facilities, under subsection (d-5) of Section 1-75 of this Act. For the delivery year commencing June 1, 2022, the Agency is authorized to conduct procurement processes to procure carbon mitigation credits from carbon-free energy resources, under subsection (d-10) of Section 1-75 of this Act. (2.5) Beginning with the procurement for the 2017 delivery year, conduct competitive procurement processes and implement programs to procure renewable energy credits identified in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan developed and approved under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (2.10) Oversee the procurement by electric utilities that served more than 300,000 customers in this State as of January 1, 2019 of renewable energy credits from new renewable energy facilities to be installed, along with energy storage facilities, at or adjacent to the sites of electric generating facilities that burned coal as their primary fuel source as of January 1, 2016 in accordance with subsection (c-5) of Section 1-75 of this Act. (2.15) Oversee the procurement by electric utilities of renewable energy credits from newly modernized or retooled hydropower dams or dams that have been converted to support hydropower generation. (3) Develop electric generation and co-generation facilities that use indigenous coal or renewable resources, or both, financed with bonds issued by the Illinois Finance Authority. (4) Supply electricity from the Agency's facilities at cost to one or more of the following: municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives in Illinois. (5) Develop a long-term energy storage resources procurement plan and conduct competitive procurement processes in accordance with subsection (d-20) of Section 1-75. (b) Except as otherwise limited by this Act, the Agency has all of the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Act, including without limitation, each of the following: (1) To have a corporate seal, and to alter that seal at pleasure, and to use it by causing it or a facsimile to be affixed or impressed or reproduced in any other manner. (2) To use the services of the Illinois Finance Authority necessary to carry out the Agency's purposes. (3) To negotiate and enter into loan agreements and other agreements with the Illinois Finance Authority. (4) To obtain and employ personnel and hire consultants that are necessary to fulfill the Agency's purposes, and to make expenditures for that purpose within the appropriations for that purpose. (5) To purchase, receive, take by grant, gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise, lease, or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, employ, use, and otherwise deal in and with, real or personal property whether tangible or intangible, or any interest therein, within the State. (6) To acquire real or personal property, whether tangible or intangible, including without limitation property rights, interests in property, franchises, obligations, contracts, and debt and equity securities, and to do so by the exercise of the power of eminent domain in accordance with Section 1-21; except that any real property acquired by the exercise of the power of eminent domain must be located within the State. (7) To sell, convey, lease, exchange, transfer, abandon, or otherwise dispose of, or mortgage, pledge, or create a security interest in, any of its assets, properties, or any interest therein, wherever situated. (8) To purchase, take, receive, subscribe for, or otherwise acquire, hold, make a tender offer for, vote, employ, sell, lend, lease, exchange, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, mortgage, pledge, or grant a security interest in, use, and otherwise deal in and with, bonds and other obligations, shares, or other securities (or interests therein) issued by others, whether engaged in a similar or different business or activity. (9) To make and execute agreements, contracts, and other instruments necessary or convenient in the exercise of the powers and functions of the Agency under this Act, including contracts with any person, including personal service contracts, or with any local government, State agency, or other entity; and all State agencies and all local governments are authorized to enter into and do all things necessary to perform any such agreement, contract, or other instrument with the Agency. No such agreement, contract, or other instrument shall exceed 40 years. (10) To lend money, invest and reinvest its funds in accordance with the Public Funds Investment Act, and take and hold real and personal property as security for the payment of funds loaned or invested. (11) To borrow money at such rate or rates of interest as the Agency may determine, issue its notes, bonds, or other obligations to evidence that indebtedness, and secure any of its obligations by mortgage or pledge of its real or personal property, machinery, equipment, structures, fixtures, inventories, revenues, grants, and other funds as provided or any interest therein, wherever situated. (12) To enter into agreements with the Illinois Finance Authority to issue bonds whether or not the income therefrom is exempt from federal taxation. (13) To procure insurance against any loss in connection with its properties or operations in such amount or amounts and from such insurers, including the federal government, as it may deem necessary or desirable, and to pay any premiums therefor. (14) To negotiate and enter into agreements with trustees or receivers appointed by United States bankruptcy courts or federal district courts or in other proceedings involving adjustment of debts and authorize proceedings involving adjustment of debts and authorize legal counsel for the Agency to appear in any such proceedings. (15) To file a petition under Chapter 9 of Title 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or take other similar action for the adjustment of its debts. (16) To enter into management agreements for the operation of any of the property or facilities owned by the Agency. (17) To enter into an agreement to transfer and to transfer any land, facilities, fixtures, or equipment of the Agency to one or more municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric agencies or cooperatives, for such consideration and upon such terms as the Agency may determine to be in the best interest of the residents of Illinois. (18) To enter upon any lands and within any building whenever in its judgment it may be necessary for the purpose of making surveys and examinations to accomplish any purpose authorized by this Act. (19) To maintain an office or offices at such place or places in the State as it may determine. (20) To request information, and to make any inquiry, investigation, survey, or study that the Agency may deem necessary to enable it effectively to carry out the provisions of this Act. (21) To accept and expend appropriations. (22) To engage in any activity or operation that is incidental to and in furtherance of efficient operation to accomplish the Agency's purposes, including hiring employees that the Director deems essential for the operations of the Agency. (23) To adopt, revise, amend, and repeal rules with respect to its operations, properties, and facilities as may be necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this Act, subject to the provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act and Sections 1-22 and 1-35 of this Act. (24) To establish and collect charges and fees as described in this Act. (25) To conduct competitive gasification feedstock procurement processes to procure the feedstocks for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility in accordance with the requirements of Section 1-78 of this Act. (26) To review, revise, and approve sourcing agreements and mediate and resolve disputes between gas utilities and the clean coal SNG brownfield facility pursuant to subsection (h-1) of Section 9-220 of the Public Utilities Act. (27) To request, review and accept proposals, execute contracts, purchase renewable energy credits and otherwise dedicate funds from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund to create and carry out the objectives of the Illinois Solar for All Program in accordance with Section 1-56 of this Act. (28) To ensure Illinois residents and business benefit from programs administered by the Agency and are properly protected from any deceptive or misleading marketing practices by participants in the Agency's programs and procurements. (c) In conducting the procurement of electricity or other products, beginning January 1, 2022, the Agency shall not procure any products or services from persons or organizations that are in violation of the Displaced Energy Workers Bill of Rights, as provided under the Energy Community Reinvestment Act at the time of the procurement event or fail to comply the labor standards established in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. (Source: P.A. 103-380, eff. 1-1-24; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-21
(20 ILCS 3855/1-21) Sec. 1-21. Eminent domain. The Agency may take and acquire possession by eminent domain of any property or interest in property that the Agency is authorized to acquire under this Act for the construction, maintenance, or operation of a facility with the consent in writing of the Governor, after following the provisions of Section 1-85(a) of this Act, to acquire by private purchase, or by condemnation in the manner provided for the exercise of the power of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act. The power of condemnation shall be exercised, however, solely for the purposes of one or more of the following: siting, rights of way, and easements appurtenant. The Agency shall not exercise its powers of condemnation until it has used reasonable good faith efforts to acquire the property before filing a petition for condemnation and may thereafter use those powers when it determines that the condemnation of the property rights is necessary to avoid unreasonable delay or economic hardship to the progress of activities carried out in the exercise of powers granted under this Act. Before use of the power of condemnation for projects, the Agency shall hold a public hearing to receive comments on the exercise of the power of condemnation. The Agency shall use the information received at the hearing in making its final decision on the exercise of the power of condemnation. The hearing shall be held in a location reasonably accessible to the public interested in the decision. The Agency shall promulgate guidelines for the conduct of the hearing. The Agency shall conduct a feasibility study showing that the taking is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Act and that is adequate to meet the environmental standards set forth by the State and the federal governments. The Agency may not exercise the authority provided in Article 20 of the Eminent Domain Act (quick-take procedure) providing for immediate possession in those proceedings. The Agency does not have the power to exercise eminent domain over the property of any public utility or any person owning an electric generating plant. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-22 Authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission
(20 ILCS 3855/1-22) Sec. 1-22. Authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission. Nothing in this Act infringes upon the authority granted to the Commission. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-25
(20 ILCS 3855/1-25) Sec. 1-25. Agency subject to other laws. Unless otherwise stated, the Agency is subject to the provisions of all applicable laws, including but not limited to, each of the following: (1) The State Records Act. (2) The Illinois Procurement Code, except that the Illinois Procurement Code does not apply to the hiring or payment of procurement administrators, procurement planning consultants, third-party program managers, or other persons who will implement the programs described in Sections 1-56 and 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency Act. (3) The Freedom of Information Act. (4) The State Property Control Act. (5) (Blank). (6) The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. (Source: P.A. 99-906, eff. 6-1-17.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-30.1 Administrative Procedure Act applies
(20 ILCS 3855/1-30.1) Sec. 1-30.1. Administrative Procedure Act applies. The provisions of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act are expressly adopted and incorporated into this Act, and apply to all administrative rules and procedures of the Agency. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-30.2 Administrative Review Law applies
(20 ILCS 3855/1-30.2) Sec. 1-30.2. Administrative Review Law applies. Any final administrative decision of the Agency, or of the Director of the Agency, that is not subject to review by the Commission, is subject to review under the provisions of the Administrative Review Law. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-30.3 Illinois State Auditing Act applies
(20 ILCS 3855/1-30.3) Sec. 1-30.3. Illinois State Auditing Act applies. For purposes of the Illinois State Auditing Act, the Agency is a "State agency" within the meaning of the Act and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Auditor General. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-35
(20 ILCS 3855/1-35) Sec. 1-35. Agency rules. The Agency shall adopt rules as may be necessary and appropriate for the operation of the Agency. In addition to other rules relevant to the operation of the Agency, the Agency shall adopt rules that accomplish each of the following: (1) Establish procedures for monitoring the administration of any contract administered directly or indirectly by the Agency; except that the procedures shall not extend to executed contracts between electric utilities and their suppliers. (2) If deemed necessary by the Agency, establish procedures for the recovery of costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility should the Agency cancel a project, provided that no such costs shall be passed on to public utilities or their customers or paid from the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund. (3) Implement accounting rules and a system of accounts, in accordance with State law, permitting all reporting (i) required by the State, (ii) required under this Act, (iii) required by the Authority, or (iv) required under the Public Utilities Act. The Agency shall not adopt any rules that infringe upon the authority granted to the Commission. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-40 Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund
(20 ILCS 3855/1-40) Sec. 1-40. Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund. (a) The Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. (b) The Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund shall be administered by the Agency for the Agency's operations as specified in this Section. (c) All moneys used by the Agency from the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund are subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. (d) All disbursements from the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund shall be made only upon warrants of the State Comptroller drawn upon the State Treasurer as custodian of the Fund upon vouchers signed by the Director or by the person or persons designated by the Director for that purpose. The Comptroller is authorized to draw the warrant upon vouchers so signed. The State Treasurer shall accept all warrants so signed and shall be released from liability for all payments made on those warrants. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-45 Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund
(20 ILCS 3855/1-45) Sec. 1-45. Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund. (a) The Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. (b) The Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund shall be administered by the Agency for costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility by the Agency as well as costs incurred in connection with the operation and maintenance of an Agency facility. (c) All moneys used by the Agency from the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund are subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. (d) All disbursements from the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund shall be made only upon warrants of the State Comptroller drawn upon the State Treasurer as custodian of the Fund upon vouchers signed by the Director or by the person or persons designated by the Director for that purpose. The Comptroller is authorized to draw the warrant upon vouchers so signed. The State Treasurer shall accept all warrants so signed and shall be released from liability for all payments made on those warrants. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-50 Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund
(20 ILCS 3855/1-50) Sec. 1-50. Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund. (a) The Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. (b) The Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund shall be administered by the Agency for retirement of revenue bonds issued for any Agency facility. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-55 Operations Funding
(20 ILCS 3855/1-55) Sec. 1-55. Operations Funding. The Agency shall adopt rules regarding charges and fees it is expressly authorized to collect in order to fund the operations of the Agency. These charges and fees shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-56 Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund; Illinois Solar for All Program
(20 ILCS 3855/1-56) Sec. 1-56. Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund; Illinois Solar for All Program. (a) The Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. (b) The Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be administered by the Agency as described in this subsection (b), provided that the changes to this subsection (b) made by Public Act 99-906 shall not interfere with existing contracts under this Section. (1) The Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be used to purchase renewable energy credits according to any approved procurement plan developed by the Agency prior to June 1, 2017. (2) The Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall also be used to create the Illinois Solar for All Program, which provides incentives for low-income distributed generation and community solar projects, and other associated approved expenditures. The objectives of the Illinois Solar for All Program are to bring photovoltaics to low-income communities in this State in a manner that maximizes the development of new photovoltaic generating facilities, to create a long-term, low-income solar marketplace throughout this State, to integrate, through interaction with stakeholders, with existing energy efficiency initiatives, and to minimize administrative costs. The Illinois Solar for All Program shall be implemented in a manner that seeks to minimize administrative costs, and maximize efficiencies and synergies available through coordination with similar initiatives, including the Adjustable Block program described in subparagraphs (K) through (M) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75, energy efficiency programs, job training programs, community action agencies, and agencies that administer the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The Agency shall strive to ensure that renewable energy credits procured through the Illinois Solar for All Program and each of its subprograms are purchased from projects across the breadth of low-income and environmental justice communities in Illinois, including both urban and rural communities, are not concentrated in a few communities, and do not exclude particular low-income or environmental justice communities. The Agency shall include a description of its proposed approach to the design, administration, implementation and evaluation of the Illinois Solar for All Program, as part of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan authorized by subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, and the program shall be designed to grow the low-income solar market. The Agency or utility, as applicable, shall purchase renewable energy credits from the (i) photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation projects and (ii) community solar projects that are procured under procurement processes authorized by the long-term renewable resources procurement plans approved by the Commission. The Illinois Solar for All Program shall include the program offerings described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of this paragraph (2), which the Agency shall implement through contracts with third-party providers and, subject to appropriation, pay the approximate amounts identified using monies available in the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund. Each contract that provides for the installation of solar facilities shall provide that the solar facilities will produce energy and economic benefits, at a level determined by the Agency to be reasonable, for the participating low-income customers. The monies available in the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund and not otherwise committed to contracts executed under subsection (i) of this Section, as well as, in the case of the programs described under subparagraphs (A) through (E) of this paragraph (2), funding authorized pursuant to subparagraph (O) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, shall initially be allocated among the programs described in this paragraph (2), as follows: 35% of these funds shall be allocated to programs described in subparagraphs (A) and (E) of this paragraph (2), 40% of these funds shall be allocated to programs described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (2), and 25% of these funds shall be allocated to programs described in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (2). The allocation of funds among subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (E) of this paragraph (2) may be changed if the Agency, after receiving input through a stakeholder process, determines incentives in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (E) of this paragraph (2) have not been adequately subscribed to fully utilize available Illinois Solar for All Program funds. Contracts that will be paid with funds in the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be executed by the Agency. Contracts that will be paid with funds collected by an electric utility shall be executed by the electric utility. Contracts under the Illinois Solar for All Program shall include an approach, as set forth in the long-term renewable resources procurement plans, to ensure the wholesale market value of the energy is credited to participating low-income customers or organizations and to ensure tangible economic benefits flow directly to program participants, except in the case of low-income multi-family housing where the low-income customer does not directly pay for energy. Priority shall be given to projects that demonstrate meaningful involvement of low-income community members in designing the initial proposals. Acceptable proposals to implement projects must demonstrate the applicant's ability to conduct initial community outreach, education, and recruitment of low-income participants in the community. Projects submitted by approved vendors must either comply with the minimum equity standard set forth in subsection (c-10) of Section 1-75 of this Act or include job training opportunities if available, with the specific level of trainee usage to be determined through the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan, and the Illinois Solar for All Program Administrator shall coordinate with the job training programs described in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act and in the Energy Transition Act. The Agency shall make every effort to ensure that small and emerging businesses, particularly those located in low-income and environmental justice communities, are able to participate in the Illinois Solar for All Program. These efforts may include, but shall not be limited to, proactive support from the program administrator, different or preferred access to subprograms and administrator-identified customers or grassroots education provider-identified customers, and different incentive levels. The Agency shall report on progress and barriers to participation of small and emerging businesses in the Illinois Solar for All Program at least once a year. The report shall be made available on the Agency's website and, in years when the Agency is updating its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, included in that Plan. (A) Low-income single-family and small multifamily solar incentive. This program will provide incentives to low-income customers, either directly or through solar providers, to increase the participation of low-income households in photovoltaic on-site distributed generation at residential buildings containing one to 4 units. Companies participating in this program that install solar panels shall commit to meeting a minimum equity standard or hiring job trainees for a portion of their low-income installations, and an administrator shall facilitate partnering the companies that install solar panels with entities that provide solar panel installation job training. It is a goal of this program that a minimum of 25% of the incentives for this program be allocated to projects located within environmental justice communities. Contracts entered into under this paragraph may be entered into with an entity that will develop and administer the program and shall also include contracts for renewable energy credits from the photovoltaic distributed generation that is the subject of the program, as set forth in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan. Additionally: (i) The Agency shall reserve a portion of this program for projects that promote energy sovereignty through ownership of projects by low-income households, not-for-profit organizations providing services to low-income households, affordable housing owners, community cooperatives, or community-based limited liability companies providing services to low-income households. Projects that feature energy ownership should ensure that local people have control of the project and reap benefits from the project over and above energy bill savings. The Agency may consider the inclusion of projects that promote ownership over time or that involve partial project ownership by communities, as promoting energy sovereignty. Incentives for projects that promote energy sovereignty may be higher than incentives for equivalent projects that do not promote energy sovereignty under this same program. (ii) Through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall consider additional program and contract requirements to ensure faithful compliance by applicants benefiting from preferences for projects designated to promote energy sovereignty. The Agency shall make every effort to enable solar providers already participating in the Adjustable Block program under subparagraph (K) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, and particularly solar providers developing projects under item (i) of subparagraph (K) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act to easily participate in the Low-Income Distributed Generation Incentive program described under this subparagraph (A), and vice versa. This effort may include, but shall not be limited to, utilizing similar or the same application systems and processes, utilizing similar or the same forms and formats of communication, and providing active outreach to companies participating in one program but not the other. The Agency shall report on efforts made to encourage this cross-participation in its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. (iii) To maximize equitable participation in this program and overcome challenges facing the development of residential solar projects, the Agency may propose a payment structure for contracts executed pursuant to this subparagraph (A) under which applicant firms are advanced capital that is disbursed after contract execution but before the contracted project's energization, upon a demonstration of qualification or need under criteria established by the Agency that are focused on supporting the small and emerging businesses and the businesses that most acutely face barriers to capital access, which severely limits the businesses' participation in the program described in this subparagraph (A). The amount or percentage of capital advanced before project energization shall be designed to overcome the barriers in access to capital that are faced by an applicant. The amount or percentage of advanced capital may vary under this subparagraph (A) by an applicant's demonstration of need, with such levels to be established through the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan and any application requirements or evaluation criteria developed under that Plan. (B) Low-Income Community Solar Project Initiative. Incentives shall be offered to low-income customers, either directly or through developers, to increase the participation of low-income subscribers of community solar projects. The developer of each project shall identify its partnership with community stakeholders regarding the location, development, and participation in the project, provided that nothing shall preclude a project from including an anchor tenant that does not qualify as low-income. Companies participating in this program that develop or install solar projects shall commit to meeting a minimum equity standard or to hiring job trainees for a portion of their low-income installations, and an administrator shall facilitate partnering the companies that install solar projects with entities that provide solar installation and related job training. It is a goal of this program that a minimum of 25% of the incentives for this program be allocated to community photovoltaic projects in environmental justice communities. The Agency shall reserve a portion of this program for projects that promote energy sovereignty through ownership of projects by low-income households, not-for-profit organizations providing services to low-income households, affordable housing owners, or community-based limited liability companies providing services to low-income households. Projects that feature energy ownership should ensure that local people have control of the project and reap benefits from the project over and above energy bill savings. The Agency may consider the inclusion of projects that promote ownership over time or that involve partial project ownership by communities, as promoting energy sovereignty. Incentives for projects that promote energy sovereignty may be higher than incentives for equivalent projects that do not promote energy sovereignty under this same program. Contracts entered into under this paragraph may be entered into with developers and shall also include contracts for renewable energy credits related to the program. (C) Incentives for non-profits and public facilities. Under this program funds shall be used to support on-site photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation devices to serve the load associated with not-for-profit customers and to support photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation that uses photovoltaic technology to serve the load associated with public sector customers taking service at public buildings. Master-metered multifamily buildings that primarily house income-eligible residents may qualify under this subparagraph (C). Nonprofits and public facilities that can demonstrate that the nonprofit or public facility serves income-qualified or environmental justice communities may potentially qualify for the program, regardless of physical location. Qualification may be determined using the same procedures applied to critical service provider requests for the purpose of establishing project eligibility in areas that are not designated as income-eligible or environmental justice communities. Companies participating in this program that develop or install solar projects shall commit to meeting a minimum equity standard or to hiring job trainees for a portion of their low-income installations, and an administrator shall facilitate partnering the companies that install solar projects with entities that provide solar installation and related job training. Through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall consider additional program and contract requirements to ensure faithful compliance by applicants benefiting from preferences for projects designated to promote energy sovereignty. It is a goal of this program that at least 25% of the incentives for this program be allocated to projects located in environmental justice communities. Contracts entered into under this paragraph may be entered into with an entity that will develop and administer the program or with developers and shall also include contracts for renewable energy credits related to the program. (D) (Blank). (E) Low-income large multifamily solar incentive. This program shall provide incentives to low-income customers, either directly or through solar providers, to increase the participation of low-income households in photovoltaic on-site distributed generation at residential buildings with 5 or more units. Companies participating in this program that develop or install solar projects shall commit to meeting a minimum equity standard or to hiring job trainees for a portion of their low-income installations, and an administrator shall facilitate partnering the companies that install solar projects with entities that provide solar installation and related job training. It is a goal of this program that a minimum of 25% of the incentives for this program be allocated to projects located within environmental justice communities. The Agency shall reserve a portion of this program for projects that promote energy sovereignty through ownership of projects by low-income households, not-for-profit organizations providing services to low-income households, affordable housing owners, or community-based limited liability companies providing services to low-income households. Projects that feature energy ownership should ensure that local people have control of the project and reap benefits from the project over and above energy bill savings. The Agency may consider the inclusion of projects that promote ownership over time or that involve partial project ownership by communities, as promoting energy sovereignty. Incentives for projects that promote energy sovereignty may be higher than incentives for equivalent projects that do not promote energy sovereignty under this same program. The requirement that a qualified person, as defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (i) of this Section, install photovoltaic devices does not apply to the Illinois Solar for All Program described in this subsection (b). In addition to the programs outlined in paragraphs (A) through (E), the Agency and other parties may propose additional programs through the long-term renewable resources procurement plan developed and approved under paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. Additional programs may target market segments not specified above and may also include incentives targeted to increase the uptake of nonphotovoltaic technologies by low-income customers, including energy storage paired with photovoltaics, if the Commission determines that the Illinois Solar for All Program would provide greater benefits to the public health and well-being of low-income residents through also supporting that additional program versus supporting programs already authorized. (3) Costs associated with the Illinois Solar for All Program and its components described in paragraph (2) of this subsection (b), including, but not limited to, costs associated with procuring experts, consultants, and the program administrator referenced in this subsection (b) and related incremental costs, costs related to income verification and facilitating customer participation in the program through referrals and other methods, costs related to obtaining feedback on the program from parties that do not have a financial interest, and costs related to the evaluation of the Illinois Solar for All Program, may be paid for using monies in the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund, funds allocated pursuant to subparagraph (O) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75, and, through the program year concluding May 31, 2028, collections associated with the purchase of renewable energy resources collected pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act up to an amount that shall not exceed $10,000,000 for the program year commencing June 1, 2026 and that shall not exceed $5,000,000 for the program year commencing June 1, 2027, but the Agency or program administrator shall strive to minimize costs in the implementation of the program. The Agency or contracting electric utility shall purchase renewable energy credits from generation that is the subject of a contract under subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (b), and may pay for such renewable energy credits through an upfront payment per installed kilowatt of nameplate capacity paid once the device is interconnected at the distribution system level of the interconnecting utility and verified as energized. Unless otherwise provided in the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan, payments for renewable energy credits shall be in exchange for all renewable energy credits generated by the system during the first 15 years of operation and shall be structured to overcome barriers to participation in the solar market by the low-income community. The incentives provided for in this Section may be implemented through the pricing of renewable energy credits where the prices paid for the credits are higher than the prices from programs offered under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act to account for the additional capital necessary to successfully access targeted market segments. The Agency or contracting electric utility shall retire any renewable energy credits purchased under this program and the credits shall count toward the obligation under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act for the electric utility to which the project is interconnected, if applicable. The Agency shall direct that up to 5% of the funds available under the Illinois Solar for All Program to community-based groups and other qualifying organizations to assist in community-driven education efforts related to the Illinois Solar for All Program, including general energy education, job training program outreach efforts, and other activities deemed to be qualified by the Agency. Grassroots education funding shall not be used to support the marketing by solar project development firms and organizations, unless such education provides equal opportunities for all applicable firms and organizations. The Agency may direct up to 25% of the funds currently allocated to subparagraphs (A), (C), and (E) of paragraph (2) toward the Illinois Storage for All Program, which provides incentives through grants, rebates, or other incentives to encourage development of energy storage colocated with photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation devices developed through the Illinois Solar for All Program. Any unused Storage for All funds during a program year may be reallocated to other Solar for All Program projects that are waitlisted or otherwise not selected due to funding limitation per the Agency's defined process. The Illinois Storage for All Program shall be available to current and future participants of the low-income single-family and multifamily subprogram described in subparagraphs (A) and (E) of paragraph (2), and the subprogram for nonprofit and public facilities described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2). If developed, the Illinois Storage for All Program may be designed to support community energy resilience, disaster preparedness, and energy bill reductions, particularly for residents of low-income and environmental justice communities. The Agency may propose the funding amount, structure, and details of the Illinois Storage for All Program in the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, or through its energy storage resources procurement plan described in subsection (d-20) of Section 1-75 of this Act. As part of the development of its initial energy storage resources procurement plan, the Agency shall engage stakeholders in the development of the Illinois Storage for All Program, including, but not limited to, members of the Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice described in Section 10 of the Environmental Justice Act, representatives of approved vendors participating in the Illinois Solar for All Program, representatives of community-based organizations, and members of the Illinois Solar for All Stakeholder Advisory Group. The stakeholder process shall include, but not be limited to, an exploration of how to ensure that the distributed storage will be accessible to income-qualified households with zero upfront costs and in coordination with job training programs, as well as how the program may be supported by other programs or initiatives to maximize storage benefits and limit double-counting of incentives. (4) The Agency shall, consistent with the requirements of this subsection (b), propose the Illinois Solar for All Program terms, conditions, and requirements, including the prices to be paid for renewable energy credits, and which prices may be determined through a formula, through the development, review, and approval of the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. In the course of the Commission proceeding initiated to review and approve the plan, including the Illinois Solar for All Program proposed by the Agency, a party may propose an additional low-income solar or solar incentive program, or modifications to the programs proposed by the Agency, and the Commission may approve an additional program, or modifications to the Agency's proposed program, if the additional or modified program more effectively maximizes the benefits to low-income customers after taking into account all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, the extent to which a competitive market for low-income solar has developed. Following the Commission's approval of the Illinois Solar for All Program, the Agency or a party may propose adjustments to the program terms, conditions, and requirements, including the price offered to new systems, to ensure the long-term viability and success of the program. The Commission shall review and approve any modifications to the program through the plan revision process described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (5) The Agency shall issue a request for qualifications for a third-party program administrator or administrators to administer all or a portion of the Illinois Solar for All Program. The third-party program administrator shall be chosen through a competitive bid process based on selection criteria and requirements developed by the Agency, including, but not limited to, experience in administering low-income energy programs and overseeing statewide clean energy or energy efficiency services. If the Agency retains a program administrator or administrators to implement all or a portion of the Illinois Solar for All Program, each administrator shall periodically submit reports to the Agency and Commission for each program that it administers, at appropriate intervals to be identified by the Agency in its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, subject to Commission approval, provided that the reporting interval is at least an annual period. The third-party program administrator may be, but need not be, the same administrator as for the Adjustable Block program described in subparagraphs (K) through (M) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. The Agency, through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan approval process, shall also determine if individual subprograms of the Illinois Solar for All Program are better served by a different or separate Program Administrator. The third-party administrator's responsibilities shall also include facilitating placement for graduates of Illinois-based renewable energy-specific job training programs, including the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program and the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and programs administered under Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act. To increase the uptake of trainees by participating firms, the administrator shall also develop a web-based clearinghouse for information available to both job training program graduates and firms participating, directly or indirectly, in Illinois solar incentive programs. The program administrator shall also coordinate its activities with entities implementing electric and natural gas income-qualified energy efficiency programs, including customer referrals to and from such programs, and connect prospective low-income solar customers with any existing deferred maintenance programs where applicable. (6) The long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall also provide for an independent evaluation of the Illinois Solar for All Program. At least every 5 years, the Agency shall select an independent evaluator to review and report on the Illinois Solar for All Program and the performance of the third-party program administrator of the Illinois Solar for All Program. The evaluation shall be based on objective criteria developed through a public stakeholder process. The process shall include feedback and participation from Illinois Solar for All Program stakeholders, including participants and organizations in environmental justice and historically underserved communities. The report shall include a summary of the evaluation of the Illinois Solar for All Program based on the stakeholder developed objective criteria. The report shall include the number of projects installed; the total installed capacity in kilowatts; the average cost per kilowatt of installed capacity to the extent reasonably obtainable by the Agency; the number of jobs or job opportunities created; economic, social, and environmental benefits created; and the total administrative costs expended by the Agency and program administrator to implement and evaluate the program. The report shall be prepared at least every 2 years and shall be delivered to the Commission and posted on the Agency's website, and shall be used, as needed, to revise the Illinois Solar for All Program. The Commission shall also consider the results of the evaluation as part of its review of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan under subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act. (7) If additional funding for the programs described in this subsection (b) is available under subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, then the Agency shall submit a procurement plan to the Commission no later than September 1, 2018, that proposes how the Agency will procure programs on behalf of the applicable utility. After notice and hearing, the Commission shall approve, or approve with modification, the plan no later than November 1, 2018. (8) As part of the development and update of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan authorized by subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, the Agency shall plan for: (A) actions to refer customers from the Illinois Solar for All Program to electric and natural gas income-qualified energy efficiency programs, and vice versa, with the goal of increasing participation in both of these programs; (B) effective procedures for data sharing, as needed, to effectuate referrals between the Illinois Solar for All Program and both electric and natural gas income-qualified energy efficiency programs, including sharing customer information directly with the utilities, as needed and appropriate; and (C) efforts to identify any existing deferred maintenance programs for which prospective Solar for All Program customers may be eligible and connect prospective customers for whom deferred maintenance is or may be a barrier to solar installation to those programs. Income verification for participation in the Illinois Solar for All subprograms described in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (2) may include pathways for verification that rely on self-attestation by the applicant if the applicant's residence is located within a low-income or environmental justice community as defined in this subsection (b). The Agency shall proactively explore approaches that make the income verification process less burdensome for residents of low-income or environmental justice communities, as defined in this subsection (b). As used in this subsection (b), "low-income households" means persons and families whose income does not exceed 80% of area median income, adjusted for family size and revised every year. For the purposes of this subsection (b), the Agency shall define "environmental justice community" based on the methodologies and findings established by the Agency and the Administrator for the Illinois Solar for All Program in its initial long-term renewable resources procurement plan and as updated by the Agency and the Administrator for the Illinois Solar for All Program as part of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan update. (b-5) After the receipt of all payments required by Section 16-115D of the Public Utilities Act, no additional funds shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund unless directed by order of the Commission. (b-10) After the receipt of all payments required by Section 16-115D of the Public Utilities Act and payment in full of all contracts executed by the Agency under subsections (b) and (i) of this Section, if the balance of the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund is under $5,000, then the Fund shall be inoperative and any remaining funds and any funds submitted to the Fund after that date, shall be transferred to the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund for use in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, as authorized by the Energy Assistance Act. (b-15) The prevailing wage requirements set forth in the Prevailing Wage Act apply to each project that is undertaken pursuant to one or more of the programs of incentives and initiatives described in subsection (b) of this Section and for which a project application is submitted to the program after June 30, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 103-188), except (i) projects that serve single-family or multi-family residential buildings and (ii) projects with an aggregate capacity of less than 100 kilowatts that serve houses of worship. The Agency shall require verification that all construction performed on a project by the renewable energy credit delivery contract holder, its contractors, or its subcontractors relating to the construction of the facility is performed by workers receiving an amount for that work that is greater than or equal to the general prevailing rate of wages as that term is defined in the Prevailing Wage Act, and the Agency may adjust renewable energy credit prices to account for increased labor costs. In this subsection (b-15), "house of worship" has the meaning given in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. (c) (Blank). (d) (Blank). (e) All renewable energy credits procured using monies from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be permanently retired. (f) The selection of one or more third-party program managers or administrators, the selection of the independent evaluator, and the procurement processes described in this Section are exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Procurement Code, under Section 20-10 of that Code. (g) All disbursements from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall be made only upon warrants of the Comptroller drawn upon the Treasurer as custodian of the Fund upon vouchers signed by the Director or by the person or persons designated by the Director for that purpose. The Comptroller is authorized to draw the warrant upon vouchers so signed. The Treasurer shall accept all warrants so signed and shall be released from liability for all payments made on those warrants. (h) The Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund shall not be subject to sweeps, administrative charges, or chargebacks, including, but not limited to, those authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act, that would in any way result in the transfer of any funds from this Fund to any other fund of this State or in having any such funds utilized for any purpose other than the express purposes set forth in this Section. (h-5) The Agency may assess fees to each bidder to recover the costs incurred in connection with a procurement process held under this Section. Fees collected from bidders shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund. (i) Supplemental procurement process. (1) Within 90 days after June 30, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-672), the Agency shall develop a one-time supplemental procurement plan limited to the procurement of renewable energy credits, if available, from new or existing photovoltaics, including, but not limited to, distributed photovoltaic generation. Nothing in this subsection (i) requires procurement of wind generation through the supplemental procurement. Renewable energy credits procured from new photovoltaics, including, but not limited to, distributed photovoltaic generation, under this subsection (i) must be procured from devices installed by a qualified person. In its supplemental procurement plan, the Agency shall establish contractually enforceable mechanisms for ensuring that the installation of new photovoltaics is performed by a qualified person. For the purposes of this paragraph (1), "qualified person" means a person who performs installations of photovoltaics, including, but not limited to, distributed photovoltaic generation, and who: (A) has completed an apprenticeship as a journeyman electrician from a United States Department of Labor registered electrical apprenticeship and training program and received a certification of satisfactory completion; or (B) does not currently meet the criteria under clause (A) of this paragraph (1), but is enrolled in a United States Department of Labor registered electrical apprenticeship program, provided that the person is directly supervised by a person who meets the criteria under clause (A) of this paragraph (1); or (C) has obtained one of the following credentials in addition to attesting to satisfactory completion of at least 5 years or 8,000 hours of documented hands-on electrical experience: (i) a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Installer Certificate for Solar PV; (ii) an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) PV Systems Installer Certificate; (iii) an Electronics Technicians Association, International (ETAI) Level 3 PV Installer Certificate; or (iv) an Associate in Applied Science degree from an Illinois Community College Board approved community college program in renewable energy or a distributed generation technology. For the purposes of this paragraph (1), "directly supervised" means that there is a qualified person who meets the qualifications under clause (A) of this paragraph (1) and who is available for supervision and consultation regarding the work performed by persons under clause (B) of this paragraph (1), including a final inspection of the installation work that has been directly supervised to ensure safety and conformity with applicable codes. For the purposes of this paragraph (1), "install" means the major activities and actions required to connect, in accordance with applicable building and electrical codes, the conductors, connectors, and all associated fittings, devices, power outlets, or apparatuses mounted at the premises that are directly involved in delivering energy to the premises' electrical wiring from the photovoltaics, including, but not limited to, to distributed photovoltaic generation. The renewable energy credits procured pursuant to the supplemental procurement plan shall be procured using up to $30,000,000 from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund. The Agency shall not plan to use funds from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund in excess of the monies on deposit in such fund or projected to be deposited into such fund. The supplemental procurement plan shall ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable renewable energy resources (including credits) at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability. To the extent available, 50% of the renewable energy credits procured from distributed renewable energy generation shall come from devices of less than 25 kilowatts in nameplate capacity. Procurement of renewable energy credits from distributed renewable energy generation devices shall be done through multi-year contracts of no less than 5 years. The Agency shall create credit requirements for counterparties. In order to minimize the administrative burden on contracting entities, the Agency shall solicit the use of third parties to aggregate distributed renewable energy. These third parties shall enter into and administer contracts with individual distributed renewable energy generation device owners. An individual distributed renewable energy generation device owner shall have the ability to measure the output of his or her distributed renewable energy generation device. In developing the supplemental procurement plan, the Agency shall hold at least one workshop open to the public within 90 days after June 30, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-672) and shall consider any comments made by stakeholders or the public. Upon development of the supplemental procurement plan within this 90-day period, copies of the supplemental procurement plan shall be posted and made publicly available on the Agency's and Commission's websites. All interested parties shall have 14 days following the date of posting to provide comment to the Agency on the supplemental procurement plan. All comments submitted to the Agency shall be specific, supported by data or other detailed analyses, and, if objecting to all or a portion of the supplemental procurement plan, accompanied by specific alternative wording or proposals. All comments shall be posted on the Agency's and Commission's websites. Within 14 days following the end of the 14-day review period, the Agency shall revise the supplemental procurement plan as necessary based on the comments received and file its revised supplemental procurement plan with the Commission for approval. (2) Within 5 days after the filing of the supplemental procurement plan at the Commission, any person objecting to the supplemental procurement plan shall file an objection with the Commission. Within 10 days after the filing, the Commission shall determine whether a hearing is necessary. The Commission shall enter its order confirming or modifying the supplemental procurement plan within 90 days after the filing of the supplemental procurement plan by the Agency. (3) The Commission shall approve the supplemental procurement plan of renewable energy credits to be procured from new or existing photovoltaics, including, but not limited to, distributed photovoltaic generation, if the Commission determines that it will ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service in the form of renewable energy credits at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability. (4) The supplemental procurement process under this subsection (i) shall include each of the following components: (A) Procurement administrator. The Agency may retain a procurement administrator in the manner set forth in item (2) of subsection (a) of Section 1-75 of this Act to conduct the supplemental procurement or may elect to use the same procurement administrator administering the Agency's annual procurement under Section 1-75. (B) Procurement monitor. The procurement monitor retained by the Commission pursuant to Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act shall: (i) monitor interactions among the procurement administrator and bidders and suppliers; (ii) monitor and report to the Commission on the progress of the supplemental procurement process; (iii) provide an independent confidential report to the Commission regarding the results of the procurement events; (iv) assess compliance with the procurement plan approved by the Commission for the supplemental procurement process; (v) preserve the confidentiality of supplier and bidding information in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and tariffs; (vi) provide expert advice to the Commission and consult with the procurement administrator regarding issues related to procurement process design, rules, protocols, and policy-related matters; (vii) consult with the procurement administrator regarding the development and use of benchmark criteria, standard form contracts, credit policies, and bid documents; and (viii) perform, with respect to the supplemental procurement process, any other procurement monitor duties specifically delineated within subsection (i) of this Section. (C) Solicitation, prequalification, and registration of bidders. The procurement administrator shall disseminate information to potential bidders to promote a procurement event, notify potential bidders that the procurement administrator may enter into a post-bid price negotiation with bidders that meet the applicable benchmarks, provide supply requirements, and otherwise explain the competitive procurement process. In addition to such other publication as the procurement administrator determines is appropriate, this information shall be posted on the Agency's and the Commission's websites. The procurement administrator shall also administer the prequalification process, including evaluation of credit worthiness, compliance with procurement rules, and agreement to the standard form contract developed pursuant to item (D) of this paragraph (4). The procurement administrator shall then identify and register bidders to participate in the procurement event. (D) Standard contract forms and credit terms and instruments. The procurement administrator, in consultation with the Agency, the Commission, and other interested parties and subject to Commission oversight, shall develop and provide standard contract forms for the supplier contracts that meet generally accepted industry practices as well as include any applicable State of Illinois terms and conditions that are required for contracts entered into by an agency of the State of Illinois. Standard credit terms and instruments that meet generally accepted industry practices shall be similarly developed. Contracts for new photovoltaics shall include a provision attesting that the supplier will use a qualified person for the installation of the device pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (i) of this Section. The procurement administrator shall make available to the Commission all written comments it receives on the contract forms, credit terms, or instruments. If the procurement administrator cannot reach agreement with the parties as to the contract terms and conditions, the procurement administrator must notify the Commission of any disputed terms and the Commission shall resolve the dispute. The terms of the contracts shall not be subject to negotiation by winning bidders, and the bidders must agree to the terms of the contract in advance so that winning bids are selected solely on the basis of price. (E) Requests for proposals; competitive procurement process. The procurement administrator shall design and issue requests for proposals to supply renewable energy credits in accordance with the supplemental procurement plan, as approved by the Commission. The requests for proposals shall set forth a procedure for sealed, binding commitment bidding with pay-as-bid settlement, and provision for selection of bids on the basis of price, provided, however, that no bid shall be accepted if it exceeds the benchmark developed pursuant to item (F) of this paragraph (4). (F) Benchmarks. Benchmarks for each product to be procured shall be developed by the procurement administrator in consultation with Commission staff, the Agency, and the procurement monitor for use in this supplemental procurement. (G) A plan for implementing contingencies in the event of supplier default, Commission rejection of results, or any other cause. (5) Within 2 business days after opening the sealed bids, the procurement administrator shall submit a confidential report to the Commission. The report shall contain the results of the bidding for each of the products along with the procurement administrator's recommendation for the acceptance and rejection of bids based on the price benchmark criteria and other factors observed in the process. The procurement monitor also shall submit a confidential report to the Commission within 2 business days after opening the sealed bids. The report shall contain the procurement monitor's assessment of bidder behavior in the process as well as an assessment of the procurement administrator's compliance with the procurement process and rules. The Commission shall review the confidential reports submitted by the procurement administrator and procurement monitor and shall accept or reject the recommendations of the procurement administrator within 2 business days after receipt of the reports. (6) Within 3 business days after the Commission decision approving the results of a procurement event, the Agency shall enter into binding contractual arrangements with the winning suppliers using the standard form contracts. (7) The names of the successful bidders and the average of the winning bid prices for each contract type and for each contract term shall be made available to the public within 2 days after the supplemental procurement event. The Commission, the procurement monitor, the procurement administrator, the Agency, and all participants in the procurement process shall maintain the confidentiality of all other supplier and bidding information in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and tariffs. Confidential information, including the confidential reports submitted by the procurement administrator and procurement monitor pursuant to this Section, shall not be made publicly available and shall not be discoverable by any party in any proceeding, absent a compelling demonstration of need, nor shall those reports be admissible in any proceeding other than one for law enforcement purposes. (8) The supplemental procurement provided in this subsection (i) shall not be subject to the requirements and limitations of subsections (c) and (d) of this Section. (9) Expenses incurred in connection with the procurement process held pursuant to this Section, including, but not limited to, the cost of developing the supplemental procurement plan, the procurement administrator, procurement monitor, and the cost of the retirement of renewable energy credits purchased pursuant to the supplemental procurement shall be paid for from the Illinois Power Agency Renewable Energy Resources Fund. The Agency shall enter into an interagency agreement with the Commission to reimburse the Commission for its costs associated with the procurement monitor for the supplemental procurement process. (Source: P.A. 103-188, eff. 6-30-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-1066, eff. 2-20-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26; 104-477, eff. 6-26-26.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-57
(20 ILCS 3855/1-57) Sec. 1-57. Facility financing. (a) The Agency shall have the power (1) to borrow from the Authority, through one or more Agency loan agreements, the net proceeds of revenue bonds for costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility, provided that the stated maturity date of any of those revenue bonds shall not exceed 40 years from their respective issuance dates, (2) to accept prepayments from purchasers of electric energy from a project and to apply the same to costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility, subject to any obligation to refund the same under the circumstances specified in the purchasers' contract for the purchase and sale of electric energy from that project, (3) to enter into leases or similar arrangements to finance the property constituting a part of a project and associated costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility, provided that the term of any such lease or similar arrangement shall not exceed 40 years from its inception, and (4) to enter into agreements for the sale of revenue bonds that bear interest at a rate or rates not exceeding the maximum rate permitted by the Bond Authorization Act. All Agency loan agreements shall include terms making the obligations thereunder subject to redemption before maturity. (b) The Agency may from time to time engage the services of the Authority, attorneys, appraisers, architects, engineers, accountants, credit analysts, bond underwriters, bond trustees, credit enhancement providers, and other financial professionals and consultants, if the Agency deems it advisable. (c) The Agency may pledge, as security for the payment of its revenue bonds in respect of a project, (1) revenues derived from the operation of the project in part or whole, (2) the real and personal property, machinery, equipment, structures, fixtures, and inventories directly associated with the project, (3) grants or other revenues or taxes expected to be received by the Agency directly linked to the project, (4) payments to be made by another governmental unit or other entity pursuant to a service, user, or other similar agreement with that governmental unit or other entity that is a result of the project, (5) any other revenues or moneys deposited or to be deposited directly linked to the project, (6) all design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, management, and operation agreements associated with the project, (7) any reserve or debt service funds created under the agreements governing the indebtedness, (8) the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund or the Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund, or (9) any combination thereof. Any such pledge shall be authorized in a writing, signed by the Director of the Agency, and then signed by the Governor of Illinois. At no time shall the funds contained in the Illinois Power Agency Trust Fund be pledged or used in any way to pay for the indebtedness of the Agency. The Director shall not authorize the issuance or grant of any pledge until he or she has certified that any associated project is in full compliance with Sections 1-85 and 1-86 of this Act. The certification shall be duly attached or referenced in the agreements reflecting the pledge. Any such pledge made by the Agency shall be valid and binding from the time the pledge is made. The revenues, property, or funds that are pledged and thereafter received by the Agency shall immediately be subject to the lien of the pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act; and, subject only to the provisions of prior liens, the lien of the pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the Agency irrespective of whether the parties have notice thereof. All bonds issued on behalf of the Agency must be issued by the Authority and must be revenue bonds. These revenue bonds may be taxable or tax-exempt. (d) All indebtedness issued by or on behalf of the Agency, including, without limitation, any revenue bonds issued by the Authority on behalf of the Agency, shall not be a debt of the State, the Authority, any political subdivision thereof (other than the Agency to the extent provided in agreements governing the indebtedness), any local government, any governmental aggregator as defined in this Act, or any local government, and none of the State, the Authority, any political subdivision thereof (other than the Agency to the extent provided in agreements governing the indebtedness), any local government, or any government aggregator shall be liable thereon. Neither the Authority nor the Agency shall have the power to pledge the credit, the revenues, or the taxing power of the State, any political subdivision thereof (other than the Agency), any governmental aggregator, or of any local government, and neither the credit, the revenues, nor the taxing power of the State, any political subdivision thereof (other than the Agency), any governmental aggregator, or any local government shall be, or shall be deemed to be, pledged to the payment of any revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations of the Agency. In addition, the agreements governing any issue of indebtedness shall provide that all holders of that indebtedness, by virtue of their acquisition thereof, have agreed to waive and release all claims and causes of action against the State of Illinois in respect of the indebtedness or any project associated therewith based on any theory of law. However, the waiver shall not prohibit the holders of indebtedness issued on behalf of the Agency from filing any cause of action against or recovering damages from the Agency, recovering from any property or funds pledged to secure the indebtedness, or recovering from any property or funds to which the Agency holds title, provided the property or funds are directly associated with the project for which the indebtedness was specifically issued. Each evidence of indebtedness of the Agency, including the revenue bonds issued by the Authority on behalf of the Agency, shall contain a clear and explicit statement of the provisions of this Section. (e) The Agency may from time to time enter into an agreement or agreements to defease indebtedness issued on its behalf or to refund, at maturity, at a redemption date or in advance of either, any indebtedness issued on its behalf or pursuant to redemption provisions or at any time before maturity. All such refunding indebtedness shall be subject to the requirements set forth in subsections (a), (c), and (d) of this Section. No revenue bonds issued to refund or advance refund revenue bonds issued under this Section may mature later than the longest maturity date of the series of bonds being refunded. After the aggregate original principal amount of revenue bonds authorized in this Section has been issued, the payment of any principal amount of those revenue bonds does not authorize the issuance of additional revenue bonds (except refunding revenue bonds). (f) If the Agency fails to pay the principal of, interest, or premium, if any, on any indebtedness as the same becomes due, a civil action to compel payment may be instituted in the appropriate circuit court by the holder or holders of the indebtedness on which the default of payment exists or by any administrative agent, collateral agent, or indenture trustee acting on behalf of those holders. Delivery of a summons and a copy of the complaint to the Director of the Agency shall constitute sufficient service to give the circuit court jurisdiction over the subject matter of the suit and jurisdiction over the Agency and its officers named as defendants for the purpose of compelling that payment. Any case, controversy, or cause of action concerning the validity of this Act shall relate to the revenue of the Agency. Any such claims and related proceedings are subject in all respects to the provisions of subsection (d) of this Section. The State of Illinois shall not be liable or in any other way financially responsible for any indebtedness issued by or on behalf of the Agency or the performance or non-performance of any covenants associated with any such indebtedness. The foregoing statement shall not prohibit the holders of any indebtedness issued on behalf of the Agency from filing any cause of action against or recovering damages from the Agency recovering from any property pledged to secure that indebtedness or recovering from any property or funds to which the Agency holds title provided such property or funds are directly associated with the project for which the indebtedness is specifically issued. (g) Upon each delivery of the revenue bonds authorized to be issued by the Authority under this Act, the Agency shall compute and certify to the State Comptroller the total amount of principal of and interest on the Agency loan agreement supporting the revenue bonds issued that will be payable in order to retire those revenue bonds and the amount of principal of and interest on the Agency loan agreement that will be payable on each payment date during the then current and each succeeding fiscal year. As soon as possible after the first day of each month, beginning on the date set forth in the Agency loan agreement where that date specifies when the Agency shall begin setting aside revenues and other moneys for repayment of the revenue bonds per the agreed to schedule, the Agency shall certify to the Comptroller and the Comptroller shall order transferred and the Treasurer shall transfer from the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund to the Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund for each month remaining in the State fiscal year a sum of money, appropriated for that purpose, equal to the result of the amount of principal of and interest on those revenue bonds payable on the next payment date divided by the number of full calendar months between the date of those revenue bonds, and the first such payment date, and thereafter divided by the number of months between each succeeding payment date after the first. The Comptroller is authorized and directed to draw warrants on the State Treasurer from the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund and the Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund for the amount of all payments of principal and interest on the Agency loan agreement relating to the Authority revenue bonds issued under this Act. The State Treasurer or the State Comptroller shall deposit or cause to be deposited any amount of grants or other revenues expected to be received by the Agency that the Agency has pledged to the payment of revenue bonds directly into the Illinois Power Agency Debt Service Fund. (Source: P.A. 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-58
(20 ILCS 3855/1-58) Sec. 1-58. Clean coal SNG facility construction. (a) It is the intention of the General Assembly to provide additional long-term natural gas price stability to the State and consumers by promoting the development of a clean coal SNG facility that would produce a minimum annual output of 30 Bcf of SNG and commence construction no later than June 1, 2013 on a brownfield site in a municipality with at least one million residents. The costs associated with preparing a facility cost report for such a facility, which contains all of the information required by subsection (b) of this Section, may be paid or reimbursed pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section. (b) The facility cost report for a facility that meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this Section shall be prepared by a duly licensed engineering firm that details the estimated capital costs payable to one or more contractors or suppliers for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the components comprising the facility and the estimated costs of operation and maintenance of the facility. The report must be provided to the General Assembly and the Agency on or before April 30, 2010. The facility cost report shall include all off the following: (1) An estimate of the capital cost of the core plant based on a front-end engineering and design study. The core plant shall include all civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, control, and safety systems. The quoted construction costs shall be expressed in nominal dollars as of the date that the quote is prepared and shall include: (A) capitalized financing costs during construction; (B) taxes, insurance, and other owner's costs; and (C) any assumed escalation in materials and labor beyond the date as of which the construction cost quote is expressed; (2) An estimate of the capital cost of the balance of the plant, including any capital costs associated with site preparation and remediation, sequestration of carbon dioxide emissions, and all interconnects and interfaces required to operate the facility, such as construction or backfeed power supply, pipelines to transport substitute natural gas or carbon dioxide, potable water supply, natural gas supply, water supply, water discharge, landfill, access roads, and coal delivery. The front-end engineering and design study and the cost study for the balance of the plant shall include sufficient design work to permit quantification of major categories of materials, commodities and labor hours, and receipt of quotes from vendors of major equipment required to construct and operate the facility. (3) An operating and maintenance cost quote that will provide the estimated cost of delivered fuel, personnel, maintenance contracts, chemicals, catalysts, consumables, spares, and other fixed and variable operating and maintenance costs. This quote is subject to the following requirements: (A) The delivered fuel cost estimate shall be provided by a recognized third party expert or experts in the fuel and transportation industries. (B) The balance of the operating and maintenance cost quote, excluding delivered fuel costs shall be developed based on the inputs provided by a duly licensed engineering firm performing the construction cost quote, potential vendors under long-term service agreements and plant operating agreements, or recognized third-party plant operator or operators. The operating and maintenance cost quote shall be expressed in nominal dollars as of the date that the quote is prepared and shall include (i) taxes, insurance, and other owner's costs and (ii) any assumed escalation in materials and labor beyond the date as of which the operating and maintenance cost quote is expressed. (c) Reasonable amounts paid or due to be paid by the owner or owners of the clean coal SNG facility to third parties unrelated to the owner or owners to prepare the facility cost report will be reimbursed or paid up to $10 million through Coal Development Bonds. (d) The Agency shall review the facility report and based on that report, consider whether to enter into long term contracts to purchase SNG from the facility pursuant to Section 1-20 of this Act. To assist with its evaluation of the report, the Agency may hire one or more experts or consultants, the reasonable costs of which, not to exceed $250,000, shall be paid for by the owner or owners of the clean coal SNG facility submitting the facility cost report. The Agency may begin the process of selecting such experts or consultants prior to receipt of the facility cost report. (Source: P.A. 96-781, eff. 8-28-09; 96-784, eff. 8-28-09; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-60
(20 ILCS 3855/1-60) Sec. 1-60. Moneys made available by private or public entities. The Agency may apply for, receive, expend, allocate, or disburse funds and moneys made available by public or private entities, including, but not limited to, contracts, private or public financial gifts, bequests, grants, or donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, or public or private institutions of higher learning. All funds received by the Agency from these sources shall be deposited: (1) into the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund, if for general Agency operations, to be held by the State Treasurer as ex officio custodian, and subject to the Comptroller-Treasurer, voucher-warrant system; or (2) into the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund, if for costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility by the Agency, to be held by the State Treasurer as ex officio custodian, and subject to the Comptroller-Treasurer, voucher-warrant system. Any funds received, expended, allocated, or disbursed shall be expended by the Agency for the purposes as indicated by the grantor, donor, or, in the case of funds or moneys given or donated for no specific purposes, for any purpose deemed appropriate by the Director in administering the responsibilities of the Agency as set forth in this Act. (Source: P.A. 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-65
(20 ILCS 3855/1-65) Sec. 1-65. Appropriations for operations. The General Assembly may appropriate moneys from the General Revenue Fund for the operation of the Illinois Power Agency in Fiscal Year 2008 not to exceed $1,250,000 and in Fiscal Year 2009 not to exceed $1,500,000. These appropriated funds shall constitute an advance that the Agency shall repay without interest to the State in Fiscal Year 2010 and in Fiscal Year 2011. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2010, the operation of the Agency shall be funded solely from moneys in the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund with no liability or obligation imposed on the State by those operations. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-70
(20 ILCS 3855/1-70) (Text of Section from P.A. 102-1115) Sec. 1-70. Agency officials. (a) The Agency shall have a Director who meets the qualifications specified in Section 5-222 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. (b) Within the Illinois Power Agency, the Agency shall establish a Planning and Procurement Bureau and may establish a Resource Development Bureau. Each Bureau shall report to the Director. (c) The Chief of the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall be appointed by the Director, at the Director's sole discretion, and (i) shall have at least 5 years of direct experience in electricity supply planning and procurement and (ii) shall also hold an advanced degree in risk management, law, business, or a related field. (d) The Chief of the Resource Development Bureau may be appointed by the Director and (i) shall have at least 5 years of direct experience in electric generating project development and (ii) shall also hold an advanced degree in economics, engineering, law, business, or a related field. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for terms beginning on or after January 16, 2023, the Director shall receive an annual salary of $165,000. On July 1, 2023, and on each July 1 thereafter, the Director shall receive an increase in salary based on a cost of living adjustment as authorized by Senate Joint Resolution 192 of the 86th General Assembly. No annual salary for the Director or a Bureau Chief shall exceed the amount of salary set by law for the Governor that is in effect on July 1 of that fiscal year. (f) The Director and each Bureau Chief shall not, for 2 years prior to appointment or for 2 years after he or she leaves his or her position, be employed by an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier regulated by the Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (g) The Director and Bureau Chiefs are prohibited from: (i) owning, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the voting capital stock of an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier; (ii) being in any chain of successive ownership of 5% or more of the voting capital stock of any electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier; (iii) receiving any form of compensation, fee, payment, or other consideration from an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier, including legal fees, consulting fees, bonuses, or other sums. These limitations do not apply to any compensation received pursuant to a defined benefit plan or other form of deferred compensation, provided that the individual has otherwise severed all ties to the utility, power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21; 102-1115, eff. 1-9-23.) (Text of Section from P.A. 102-1123) Sec. 1-70. Agency officials. (a) The Agency shall have a Director who meets the qualifications specified in Section 5-222 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. (b) Within the Illinois Power Agency, the Agency shall establish a Planning and Procurement Bureau and may establish a Resource Development Bureau. Each Bureau shall report to the Director. (c) The Chief of the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall be appointed by the Director, at the Director's sole discretion, and (i) shall have at least 5 years of direct experience in electricity supply planning and procurement and (ii) shall also hold an advanced degree in risk management, law, business, or a related field. (d) The Chief of the Resource Development Bureau may be appointed by the Director and (i) shall have at least 5 years of direct experience in electric generating project development and (ii) shall also hold an advanced degree in economics, engineering, law, business, or a related field. (e) For terms beginning on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Director shall receive an annual salary in an amount equal to the annual salary provided to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency under Section 4 of the Environmental Protection Act or as set by the Executive Ethics Commission based on a review of comparable State agency director salaries, whichever is higher. No annual salary for the Director or a Bureau Chief shall exceed the amount of salary set by law for the Governor that is in effect on July 1 of that fiscal year. (f) The Director and Bureau Chiefs shall not, for 2 years prior to employment, be employed as a full time employee of an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier regulated by the Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Director and Bureau Chiefs shall not, for 2 years after he or she leaves his or her position, be employed by an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier regulated by the Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (g) The Director and Bureau Chiefs are prohibited from: (i) owning, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the voting capital stock of an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier; (ii) being in any chain of successive ownership of 5% or more of the voting capital stock of any electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier; (iii) receiving any form of compensation, fee, payment, or other consideration from an electric utility, independent power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier, including legal fees, consulting fees, bonuses, or other sums. These limitations do not apply to any compensation received pursuant to a defined benefit plan or other form of deferred compensation, provided that the individual has otherwise severed all ties to the utility, power producer, power marketer, or alternative retail electric supplier. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21; 102-1123, eff. 1-27-23.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-75 Planning and Procurement Bureau
(20 ILCS 3855/1-75) Sec. 1-75. Planning and Procurement Bureau. The Planning and Procurement Bureau has the following duties and responsibilities: (a) The Planning and Procurement Bureau shall each year, beginning in 2008, develop procurement plans and conduct competitive procurement processes in accordance with the requirements of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act for the eligible retail customers of electric utilities that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000 customers in Illinois. Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June 1, 2017, the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall develop plans and processes for the procurement of zero emission credits from zero emission facilities in accordance with the requirements of subsection (d-5) of this Section. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall develop plans and processes for the procurement of carbon mitigation credits from carbon-free energy resources in accordance with the requirements of subsection (d-10) of this Section. The Planning and Procurement Bureau shall also develop procurement plans and conduct competitive procurement processes in accordance with the requirements of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act for the eligible retail customers of small multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (i) on December 31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and (ii) request a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. This Section shall not apply to a small multi-jurisdictional utility until such time as a small multi-jurisdictional utility requests the Agency to prepare a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. For the purposes of this Section, the term "eligible retail customers" has the same definition as found in Section 16-111.5(a) of the Public Utilities Act. Beginning with the plan or plans to be implemented in the 2017 delivery year, the Agency shall no longer include the procurement of renewable energy resources in the annual procurement plans required by this subsection (a), except as provided in subsection (q) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, and shall instead develop a long-term renewable resources procurement plan in accordance with subsection (c) of this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. In accordance with subsection (c-5) of this Section, the Planning and Procurement Bureau shall oversee the procurement by electric utilities that served more than 300,000 retail customers in this State as of January 1, 2019 of renewable energy credits from new utility-scale solar projects to be installed, along with energy storage facilities, at or adjacent to the sites of electric generating facilities that, as of January 1, 2016, burned coal as their primary fuel source. (1) The Agency shall each year, beginning in 2008, as needed, issue a request for qualifications for experts or expert consulting firms to develop the procurement plans in accordance with Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. In order to qualify an expert or expert consulting firm must have: (A) direct previous experience assembling large-scale power supply plans or portfolios for end-use customers; (B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics, engineering, risk management, or a related area of study; (C) 10 years of experience in the electricity sector, including managing supply risk; (D) expertise in wholesale electricity market rules, including those established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and regional transmission organizations; (E) expertise in credit protocols and familiarity with contract protocols; (F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the required functions and responsibilities; and (G) the absence of a conflict of interest and inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the affected electric utilities. (2) The Agency shall each year, as needed, issue a request for qualifications for a procurement administrator to conduct the competitive procurement processes in accordance with Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. In order to qualify an expert or expert consulting firm must have: (A) direct previous experience administering a large-scale competitive procurement process; (B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics, engineering, or a related area of study; (C) 10 years of experience in the electricity sector, including risk management experience; (D) expertise in wholesale electricity market rules, including those established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and regional transmission organizations; (E) expertise in credit and contract protocols; (F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the required functions and responsibilities; and (G) the absence of a conflict of interest and inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the affected electric utilities. (3) The Agency shall provide affected utilities and other interested parties with the lists of qualified experts or expert consulting firms identified through the request for qualifications processes that are under consideration to develop the procurement plans and to serve as the procurement administrator. The Agency shall also provide each qualified expert's or expert consulting firm's response to the request for qualifications. All information provided under this subparagraph shall also be provided to the Commission. The Agency may provide by rule for fees associated with supplying the information to utilities and other interested parties. These parties shall, within 5 business days, notify the Agency in writing if they object to any experts or expert consulting firms on the lists. Objections shall be based on: (A) failure to satisfy qualification criteria; (B) identification of a conflict of interest; or (C) evidence of inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the affected utilities. The Agency shall remove experts or expert consulting firms from the lists within 10 days if there is a reasonable basis for an objection and provide the updated lists to the affected utilities and other interested parties. If the Agency fails to remove an expert or expert consulting firm from a list, an objecting party may seek review by the Commission within 5 days thereafter by filing a petition, and the Commission shall render a ruling on the petition within 10 days. There is no right of appeal of the Commission's ruling. (4) The Agency shall issue requests for proposals to the qualified experts or expert consulting firms to develop a procurement plan for the affected utilities and to serve as procurement administrator. (5) The Agency shall select an expert or expert consulting firm to develop procurement plans based on the proposals submitted and shall award contracts of up to 5 years to those selected. (6) The Agency shall select an expert or expert consulting firm, with approval of the Commission, to serve as procurement administrator based on the proposals submitted. If the Commission rejects, within 5 days, the Agency's selection, the Agency shall submit another recommendation within 3 days based on the proposals submitted. The Agency shall award a 5-year contract to the expert or expert consulting firm so selected with Commission approval. (b) The experts or expert consulting firms retained by the Agency shall, as appropriate, prepare procurement plans, and conduct a competitive procurement process as prescribed in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for eligible retail customers of electric utilities that on December 31, 2005 provided electric service to at least 100,000 customers in the State of Illinois, and for eligible Illinois retail customers of small multi-jurisdictional electric utilities that (i) on December 31, 2005 served less than 100,000 customers in Illinois and (ii) request a procurement plan for their Illinois jurisdictional load. (c) Renewable portfolio standard. (1)(A) The Agency shall develop a long-term renewable resources procurement plan that shall include procurement programs and competitive procurement events necessary to meet the goals set forth in this subsection (c). The initial long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall be released for comment no later than 160 days after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). The Agency shall review, and may revise on an expedited basis, the long-term renewable resources procurement plan at least every 2 years, which shall be conducted in conjunction with the procurement plan under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent practicable to minimize administrative expense. No later than 120 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Agency shall release for comment a revision to the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, updating elements of the most recently approved plan as needed to comply with this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, and any long-term renewable resources procurement plan update published by the Agency but not yet approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission shall be withdrawn. The long-term renewable resources procurement plans shall be subject to review and approval by the Commission under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (B) Subject to subparagraph (F) of this paragraph (1), the long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall attempt to meet the goals for procurement of renewable energy credits at levels of at least the following overall percentages: 13% by the 2017 delivery year; increasing by at least 1.5% each delivery year thereafter to at least 25% by the 2025 delivery year; increasing by at least 3% each delivery year thereafter to at least 40% by the 2030 delivery year, and continuing at no less than 40% for each delivery year thereafter. The Agency shall attempt to procure 50% by delivery year 2040. The Agency shall determine the annual increase between delivery year 2030 and delivery year 2040, if any, taking into account energy demand, other energy resources, and other public policy goals. In the event of a conflict between these goals and the new wind, new photovoltaic, new geothermal heating and cooling, and hydropower procurement requirements described in items (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1), the long-term plan shall prioritize compliance with the new wind, new photovoltaic, new geothermal heating and cooling, and hydropower procurement requirements described in items (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1) over the annual percentage targets described in this subparagraph (B). The Agency shall not comply with the annual percentage targets described in this subparagraph (B) by procuring renewable energy credits that are unlikely to lead to the development of new renewable resources or new, modernized, or retooled hydropower facilities. For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2017, the procurement plan shall attempt to include, subject to the prioritization outlined in this subparagraph (B), cost-effective renewable energy resources equal to at least 13% of each utility's load for eligible retail customers and 13% of the applicable portion of each utility's load for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers, which applicable portion shall equal 50% of the utility's load for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers on February 28, 2017. For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018, the procurement plan shall attempt to include, subject to the prioritization outlined in this subparagraph (B), cost-effective renewable energy resources equal to at least 14.5% of each utility's load for eligible retail customers and 14.5% of the applicable portion of each utility's load for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers, which applicable portion shall equal 75% of the utility's load for retail customers who are not eligible retail customers on February 28, 2017. For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2019, and for each year thereafter, the procurement plans shall attempt to include, subject to the prioritization outlined in this subparagraph (B), cost-effective renewable energy resources equal to a minimum percentage of each utility's load for all retail customers as follows: 16% by June 1, 2019; increasing by 1.5% each year thereafter to 25% by June 1, 2025; and 25% by June 1, 2026; increasing by at least 3% each delivery year thereafter to at least 40% by the 2030 delivery year, and continuing at no less than 40% for each delivery year thereafter. The Agency shall attempt to procure 50% by delivery year 2040. The Agency shall determine the annual increase between delivery year 2030 and delivery year 2040, if any, taking into account energy demand, other energy resources, and other public policy goals. For each delivery year, the Agency shall first recognize each utility's obligations for that delivery year under existing contracts. Any renewable energy credits under existing contracts, including renewable energy credits as part of renewable energy resources, shall be used to meet the goals set forth in this subsection (c) for the delivery year. (C) The long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1) shall include the procurement of renewable energy credits from new projects pursuant to the following terms: (i) At least 10,000,000 renewable energy credits delivered annually by the end of the 2021 delivery year, and increasing ratably to reach 45,000,000 renewable energy credits delivered annually from new wind and solar projects, from repowered wind projects, or from retooled hydropower facilities by the end of delivery year 2030 such that the goals in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (1) are met entirely by procurements of renewable energy credits from new wind and photovoltaic projects. Of that amount, to the extent possible, the Agency shall endeavor to procure 45% from new and repowered wind and hydropower projects and shall procure at least 55% from photovoltaic projects. Of the amount to be procured from photovoltaic projects, the Agency shall procure: at least 50% from solar photovoltaic projects using the program outlined in subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) from distributed renewable energy generation devices or community renewable generation projects; at least 47% from utility-scale solar projects; at least 3% from brownfield site photovoltaic projects that are not community renewable generation projects. The Agency may propose adjustments to these percentages, including establishing percentage-based goals for the procurement of renewable energy credits from modernized or retooled hydropower facilities and repowered wind projects, through its long-term renewable resources plan described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1) as necessary based on developer interest, market conditions, budget considerations, resource adequacy needs, or other factors. Notwithstanding the percentage-based goals as described in this Section, the Agency shall develop a Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program for the procurement of renewable energy credits from geothermal heating and cooling systems. In developing the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall consider other approaches, in addition to competitive procurements, that can be used to procure renewable energy credits from brownfield site photovoltaic projects and thereby help return blighted or contaminated land to productive use while enhancing public health and the well-being of Illinois residents, including those in environmental justice communities, as defined using existing methodologies and findings used by the Agency and its Administrator in its Illinois Solar for All Program. The Agency shall also consider other approaches, in addition to competitive procurements, to procure renewable energy credits from new and existing hydropower facilities to support the development and maintenance of these facilities. The Agency shall explore options to convert existing dams but shall not consider approaches to develop new dams where they do not already exist. To encourage the continued operation of utility-scale wind projects, the Agency shall consider and may propose other approaches in addition to competitive procurements to procure renewable energy credits from repowered wind projects. (ii) In any given delivery year, if forecasted expenses are less than the maximum budget available under subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (1), the Agency shall continue to procure new renewable energy credits until that budget is exhausted in the manner outlined in item (i) of this subparagraph (C). (iii) For purposes of this Section: "New wind projects" means wind renewable energy facilities that are energized after June 1, 2017 for the delivery year commencing June 1, 2017. "New photovoltaic projects" means photovoltaic renewable energy facilities that are energized after June 1, 2017. Photovoltaic projects developed under Section 1-56 of this Act shall not apply towards the new photovoltaic project requirements in this subparagraph (C). "Repowered wind projects" means utility-scale wind projects featuring the removal, replacement, or expansion of turbines at an existing project site, as defined in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly. Renewable energy credit contract awards used to support repowered wind projects shall only cover the incremental increase in facility electricity production resultant from repowering. "Geothermal heating and cooling system" means a system located in this State that meets all of the following requirements: (I) the system exchanges thermal energy from groundwater or a shallow ground source to generate thermal energy through an electric geothermal heat pump or a system of electric geothermal heat pumps interconnected with any geothermal extraction facility that is (1) a closed loop or a series of closed loop systems in which fluid is permanently confined within a pipe or tubing and does not come in contact with the outside environment or (2) an open loop system in which ground or surface water is circulated in an environmentally safe manner directly into the facility and returned to the same aquifer or surface water source; (II) to the extent applicable and practicable, the system meets or exceeds federal Energy Star product specification standards for Geothermal Heat Pumps established on January 1, 2012, as clarified by the Environmental Protection Agency guidance document released on February 28, 2012 entitled "Clarification to the Geothermal Heat Pump Verification Testing Requirements and Basic Model Group Definition", or any successor standards that meet or exceed these standards; (III) the system replaces or displaces less efficient space or water heating systems, regardless of fuel type; (IV) the system replaces or displaces less efficient space cooling systems, when applicable; (V) the system does not feed electricity back to the grid, as defined at the level of the geothermal heat pump; and (VI) the system became operational on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. For purposes of calculating whether the Agency has procured enough new wind and solar renewable energy credits required by this subparagraph (C), renewable energy facilities that have a multi-year renewable energy credit delivery contract with the utility through at least delivery year 2030 shall be considered new, however no renewable energy credits from contracts entered into before June 1, 2021 shall be used to calculate whether the Agency has procured the correct proportion of new wind and new solar contracts described in this subparagraph (C) for delivery year 2021 and thereafter. (iv) The Agency may implement additional measures, including eligibility requirements, to ensure that new wind projects and new photovoltaic projects supported through renewable energy credit contract awards are a result of a contract award and are otherwise developed pursuant to the financial certainty provided through a contract award. (D) Renewable energy credits shall be cost effective. For purposes of this subsection (c), "cost effective" means that the costs of procuring renewable energy resources do not cause the limit stated in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (1) to be exceeded and, for renewable energy credits procured through a competitive procurement event, do not exceed benchmarks based on market prices for like products in the region. For purposes of this subsection (c), "like products" means contracts for renewable energy credits from the same or substantially similar technology, same or substantially similar vintage (new or existing), the same or substantially similar quantity, and the same or substantially similar contract length and structure. Benchmarks shall reflect development, financing, or related costs resulting from requirements imposed through other provisions of State law, including, but not limited to, requirements in subparagraphs (P) and (Q) of this paragraph (1) and the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Confidential benchmarks shall be developed by the procurement administrator, in consultation with the Commission staff, Agency staff, and the procurement monitor and shall be subject to Commission review and approval. If price benchmarks for like products in the region are not available, the procurement administrator shall establish price benchmarks based on publicly available data on regional technology costs and expected current and future regional energy prices. The benchmarks in this Section shall not be used to curtail or otherwise reduce contractual obligations entered into by or through the Agency prior to June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). (E) For purposes of this subsection (c), the required procurement of cost-effective renewable energy resources for a particular year commencing prior to June 1, 2017 shall be measured as a percentage of the actual amount of electricity (megawatt-hours) supplied by the electric utility to eligible retail customers in the delivery year ending immediately prior to the procurement, and, for delivery years commencing on and after June 1, 2017, the required procurement of cost-effective renewable energy resources for a particular year shall be measured as a percentage of the actual amount of electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the electric utility in the delivery year ending immediately prior to the procurement, to all retail customers in its service territory. For purposes of this subsection (c), the amount paid per kilowatthour means the total amount paid for electric service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For purposes of this subsection (c), the total amount paid for electric service includes without limitation amounts paid for supply, transmission, capacity, distribution, surcharges, and add-on taxes. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection (c), and except as provided in subparagraph (E-5) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) or except as otherwise authorized by the Commission in its approval of the integrated resource plan under Section 16-202 of the Public Utilities Act, the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan for any single year shall be subject to the limitations of this subparagraph (E). Such procurement shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, adjusted annually for inflation starting with the first adjustment in the delivery year commencing June 1, 2026. For the purposes of this Section, the inflation adjustment shall not be accrued or applied retroactively prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly and shall apply prospectively starting in 2025. The limitation shall be increased by an additional 1.65 percentage points of the amount paid per kilowatthour by eligible retail customers during the year ending May 31, 2009 starting with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2027. To arrive at a maximum dollar amount of renewable energy resources to be procured for the particular delivery year, the resulting per kilowatthour amount shall be applied to the actual amount of kilowatthours of electricity delivered, or applicable portion of such amount as specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), as applicable, by the electric utility in the delivery year immediately prior to the procurement to all retail customers in its service territory. The calculations required by this subparagraph (E) shall be made only once for each delivery year at the time that the renewable energy resources are procured. Once the determination as to the amount of renewable energy resources to procure is made based on the calculations set forth in this subparagraph (E) and the contracts procuring those amounts are executed between the seller and applicable electric utility, no subsequent rate impact determinations shall be made and no adjustments to those contract amounts shall be allowed. As provided in subparagraph (E-5) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), the seller shall be entitled to full, prompt, and uninterrupted payment under the applicable contract notwithstanding the application of this subparagraph (E), and all costs incurred under such contracts shall be fully recoverable by the electric utility as provided in this Section. (E-5) If, for a particular delivery year, the limitation on the amount of renewable energy resources to be procured, as calculated pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), would result in an insufficient collection of funds to fully pay amounts due to a seller under existing contracts executed under this Section or executed under Section 1-56 of this Act, then the following provisions shall apply to ensure full and uninterrupted payment is made to such seller or sellers: (i) If the electric utility has retained unspent funds in an interest-bearing account as prescribed in subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, then the utility shall use those funds to remit full payment to the sellers to ensure prompt and uninterrupted payment of existing contractual obligation. (ii) If the funds described in item (i) of this subparagraph (E-5) are insufficient to satisfy all existing contractual obligations, then the electric utility shall, nonetheless, remit full payment to the sellers to ensure prompt and uninterrupted payment of existing contractual obligations, provided that the full costs shall be recoverable by the utility in accordance with part (ee) of item (iv) of this subsection (E-5). (iii) The Agency shall promptly notify the Commission that existing contractual obligations are reasonably expected to exceed the maximum collection authorized under subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) for the applicable delivery year. The Agency shall also explain and confirm how the operation of items (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph (E-5) ensures that the electric utility will continue to make prompt and uninterrupted payment under existing contractual obligations. The Agency shall provide this information to the Commission through a notice filed in the Commission docket approving the Agency's operative Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan that includes the applicable delivery year. (iv) The Agency shall suspend or reduce new contract awards for the procurement of renewable energy credits until an Agency determination is made under subparagraph (E) that additional procurements would not cause the rate impact limitation of subparagraph (E) to be exceeded. At least once annually after the notice provided for in item (iii) of this subparagraph (E-5) is made, the Agency shall analyze existing contract obligations, projected prices for indexed renewable energy credit contracts executed under item (v) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, and expected collections authorized under subparagraph (E) to determine whether and to what extent the limitations of subparagraph (E) would be exceeded by additional renewable energy credit procurement contract awards. (aa) If the Agency determines that additional renewable energy credit procurement contract awards could be made without exceeding the limitations of subparagraph (E), then the procurements shall be authorized at a scale determined not to exceed the limitations of subparagraph (E) in a manner consistent with the priorities of this Section. (bb) If the Agency determines that additional renewable energy credit procurement contract awards cannot be made without exceeding the limitations of subparagraph (E), then the Agency shall suspend any new contract awards for the procurement of renewable energy credits until a new rate impact determination is made under subparagraph (E). (cc) Agency determinations made under this item (iv) shall be detailed and comprehensive and, if not made through the Agency's Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, shall be filed as a compliance filing in the most recent docketed proceeding approving the Agency's Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan. (dd) With respect to the procurement of renewable energy credits authorized through programs administered under subsection (b) of Section 1-56 and subparagraphs (K) through (M) of paragraph (1) of subsection (k) of Section 1-75 of this Act, the award of contracts for the procurement of renewable energy credits shall be suspended or reduced only at the conclusion of the program year in which the notice provided for under item (iii) of this subparagraph (E-5) is made. (ee) The contract shall provide that, so long as at least one of: (i) the cost recovery mechanisms referenced in subsection (k) of Section 16-108 and subsection (l) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act remains in full force without limitation or (ii) the utility is otherwise authorized and or entitled to full, prompt, and uninterrupted recovery of its costs through any other mechanism, then such seller shall be entitled to full, prompt, and uninterrupted payment under the applicable contract notwithstanding the application of this subparagraph (E). (F) If the limitation on the amount of renewable energy resources procured in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (1) prevents the Agency from meeting all of the goals in this subsection (c), the Agency's long-term plan shall prioritize compliance with the requirements of this subsection (c) regarding renewable energy credits in the following order: (i) renewable energy credits under existing contractual obligations as of June 1, 2021; (i-5) funding for the Illinois Solar for All Program, as described in subparagraph (O) of this paragraph (1); (ii) renewable energy credits necessary to comply with the new wind and new photovoltaic procurement requirements described in items (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1); and (iii) renewable energy credits necessary to meet the remaining requirements of this subsection (c). (G) The following provisions shall apply to the Agency's procurement of renewable energy credits under this subsection (c): (i) Notwithstanding whether a long-term renewable resources procurement plan has been approved, the Agency shall conduct an initial forward procurement for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind projects within 160 days after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). For the purposes of this initial forward procurement, the Agency shall solicit 15-year contracts for delivery of 1,000,000 renewable energy credits delivered annually from new utility-scale wind projects to begin delivery on June 1, 2019, if available, but not later than June 1, 2021, unless the project has delays in the establishment of an operating interconnection with the applicable transmission or distribution system as a result of the actions or inactions of the transmission or distribution provider, or other causes for force majeure as outlined in the procurement contract, in which case, not later than June 1, 2022. Payments to suppliers of renewable energy credits shall commence upon delivery. Renewable energy credits procured under this initial procurement shall be included in the Agency's long-term plan and shall apply to all renewable energy goals in this subsection (c). (ii) Notwithstanding whether a long-term renewable resources procurement plan has been approved, the Agency shall conduct an initial forward procurement for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale solar projects and brownfield site photovoltaic projects within one year after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). For the purposes of this initial forward procurement, the Agency shall solicit 15-year contracts for delivery of 1,000,000 renewable energy credits delivered annually from new utility-scale solar projects and brownfield site photovoltaic projects to begin delivery on June 1, 2019, if available, but not later than June 1, 2021, unless the project has delays in the establishment of an operating interconnection with the applicable transmission or distribution system as a result of the actions or inactions of the transmission or distribution provider, or other causes for force majeure as outlined in the procurement contract, in which case, not later than June 1, 2022. The Agency may structure this initial procurement in one or more discrete procurement events. Payments to suppliers of renewable energy credits shall commence upon delivery. Renewable energy credits procured under this initial procurement shall be included in the Agency's long-term plan and shall apply to all renewable energy goals in this subsection (c). (iii) Notwithstanding whether the Commission has approved the periodic long-term renewable resources procurement plan revision described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, the Agency shall conduct at least one subsequent forward procurement for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind projects, new utility-scale solar projects, and new brownfield site photovoltaic projects within 240 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly in quantities necessary to meet the requirements of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1) through the delivery year beginning June 1, 2021. (iv) Notwithstanding whether the Commission has approved the periodic long-term renewable resources procurement plan revision described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, the Agency shall open capacity for each category in the Adjustable Block program within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly manner: (1) The Agency shall open the first block of annual capacity for the category described in item (i) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). The first block of annual capacity for item (i) shall be for at least 75 megawatts of total nameplate capacity. The price of the renewable energy credit for this block of capacity shall be 4% less than the price of the last open block in this category. Projects on a waitlist shall be awarded contracts first in the order in which they appear on the waitlist. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, for those renewable energy credits that qualify and are procured under this subitem (1) of this item (iv), the renewable energy credit delivery contract value shall be paid in full, based on the estimated generation during the first 15 years of operation, by the contracting utilities at the time that the facility producing the renewable energy credits is interconnected at the distribution system level of the utility and verified as energized and in compliance by the Program Administrator. The electric utility shall receive and retire all renewable energy credits generated by the project for the first 15 years of operation. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. (2) The Agency shall open the first block of annual capacity for the category described in item (ii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). The first block of annual capacity for item (ii) shall be for at least 75 megawatts of total nameplate capacity. (A) The price of the renewable energy credit for any project on a waitlist for this category before the opening of this block shall be 4% less than the price of the last open block in this category. Projects on the waitlist shall be awarded contracts first in the order in which they appear on the waitlist. Any projects that are less than or equal to 25 kilowatts in size on the waitlist for this capacity shall be moved to the waitlist for paragraph (1) of this item (iv). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, projects that were on the waitlist prior to opening of this block shall not be required to be in compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (Q) of this paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, for those renewable energy credits procured from projects that were on the waitlist for this category before the opening of this block 20% of the renewable energy credit delivery contract value, based on the estimated generation during the first 15 years of operation, shall be paid by the contracting utilities at the time that the facility producing the renewable energy credits is interconnected at the distribution system level of the utility and verified as energized by the Program Administrator. The remaining portion shall be paid ratably over the subsequent 4-year period. The electric utility shall receive and retire all renewable energy credits generated by the project during the first 15 years of operation. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. (B) The price of renewable energy credits for any project not on the waitlist for this category before the opening of the block shall be determined and published by the Agency. Projects not on a waitlist as of the opening of this block shall be subject to the requirements of subparagraph (Q) of this paragraph (1), as applicable. Projects not on a waitlist as of the opening of this block shall be subject to the contract provisions outlined in item (iii) of subparagraph (L) of this paragraph (1). The Agency shall strive to publish updated prices and an updated renewable energy credit delivery contract as quickly as possible. (3) For opening the first 2 blocks of annual capacity for projects participating in item (iii) of subparagraph (K) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c), projects shall be selected exclusively from those projects on the ordinal waitlists of community renewable generation projects established by the Agency based on the status of those ordinal waitlists as of December 31, 2020, and only those projects previously determined to be eligible for the Agency's April 2019 community solar project selection process. The first 2 blocks of annual capacity for item (iii) shall be for 250 megawatts of total nameplate capacity, with both blocks opening simultaneously under the schedule outlined in the paragraphs below. Projects shall be selected as follows: (A) The geographic balance of selected projects shall follow the Group classification found in the Agency's Revised Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, with 70% of capacity allocated to projects on the Group B waitlist and 30% of capacity allocated to projects on the Group A waitlist. (B) Contract awards for waitlisted projects shall be allocated proportionate to the total nameplate capacity amount across both ordinal waitlists associated with that applicant firm or its affiliates, subject to the following conditions. (i) Each applicant firm having a waitlisted project eligible for selection shall receive no less than 500 kilowatts in awarded capacity across all groups, and no approved vendor may receive more than 20% of each Group's waitlist allocation. (ii) Each applicant firm, upon receiving an award of program capacity proportionate to its waitlisted capacity, may then determine which waitlisted projects it chooses to be selected for a contract award up to that capacity amount. (iii) Assuming all other program requirements are met, applicant firms may adjust the nameplate capacity of applicant projects without losing waitlist eligibility, so long as no project is greater than 2,000 kilowatts in size. (iv) Assuming all other program requirements are met, applicant firms may adjust the expected production associated with applicant projects, subject to verification by the Program Administrator. (C) After a review of affiliate information and the current ordinal waitlists, the Agency shall announce the nameplate capacity award amounts associated with applicant firms no later than 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. (D) Applicant firms shall submit their portfolio of projects used to satisfy those contract awards no less than 90 days after the Agency's announcement. The total nameplate capacity of all projects used to satisfy that portfolio shall be no greater than the Agency's nameplate capacity award amount associated with that applicant firm. An applicant firm may decline, in whole or in part, its nameplate capacity award without penalty, with such unmet capacity rolled over to the next block opening for project selection under item (iii) of subparagraph (K) of this subsection (c). Any projects not included in an applicant firm's portfolio may reapply without prejudice upon the next block reopening for project selection under item (iii) of subparagraph (K) of this subsection (c). (E) The renewable energy credit delivery contract shall be subject to the contract and payment terms outlined in item (iv) of subparagraph (L) of this subsection (c). Contract instruments used for this subparagraph shall contain the following terms: (i) Renewable energy credit prices shall be fixed, without further adjustment under any other provision of this Act or for any other reason, at 10% lower than prices applicable to the last open block for this category, inclusive of any adders available for achieving a minimum of 50% of subscribers to the project's nameplate capacity being residential or small commercial customers with subscriptions of below 25 kilowatts in size; (ii) A requirement that a minimum of 50% of subscribers to the project's nameplate capacity be residential or small commercial customers with subscriptions of below 25 kilowatts in size; (iii) Permission for the ability of a contract holder to substitute projects with other waitlisted projects without penalty should a project receive a non-binding estimate of costs to construct the interconnection facilities and any required distribution upgrades associated with that project of greater than 30 cents per watt AC of that project's nameplate capacity. In developing the applicable contract instrument, the Agency may consider whether other circumstances outside of the control of the applicant firm should also warrant project substitution rights. The Agency shall publish a finalized updated renewable energy credit delivery contract developed consistent with these terms and conditions no less than 30 days before applicant firms must submit their portfolio of projects pursuant to item (D). (F) To be eligible for an award, the applicant firm shall certify that not less than prevailing wage, as determined pursuant to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, was or will be paid to employees who are engaged in construction activities associated with a selected project. (4) The Agency shall open the first block of annual capacity for the category described in item (iv) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). The first block of annual capacity for item (iv) shall be for at least 50 megawatts of total nameplate capacity. Renewable energy credit prices shall be fixed, without further adjustment under any other provision of this Act or for any other reason, at the price in the last open block in the category described in item (ii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). Pricing for future blocks of annual capacity for this category may be adjusted in the Agency's second revision to its Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan. Projects in this category shall be subject to the contract terms outlined in item (iv) of subparagraph (L) of this paragraph (1). (5) The Agency shall open the equivalent of 2 years of annual capacity for the category described in item (v) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). The first block of annual capacity for item (v) shall be for at least 10 megawatts of total nameplate capacity. Notwithstanding the provisions of item (v) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1), for the purpose of this initial block, the agency shall accept new project applications intended to increase the diversity of areas hosting community solar projects, the business models of projects, and the size of projects, as described by the Agency in its long-term renewable resources procurement plan that is approved as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Projects in this category shall be subject to the contract terms outlined in item (iii) of subsection (L) of this paragraph (1). (6) The Agency shall open the first blocks of annual capacity for the category described in item (vi) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1), with allocations of capacity within the block generally matching the historical share of block capacity allocated between the category described in items (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). The first two blocks of annual capacity for item (vi) shall be for at least 75 megawatts of total nameplate capacity. The price of renewable energy credits for the blocks of capacity shall be 4% less than the price of the last open blocks in the categories described in items (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1). Pricing for future blocks of annual capacity for this category may be adjusted in the Agency's second revision to its Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan. Projects in this category shall be subject to the applicable contract terms outlined in items (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (L) of this paragraph (1). (v) Upon the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, for all competitive procurements and any procurements of renewable energy credit from new utility-scale wind and new utility-scale photovoltaic projects, the Agency shall procure indexed renewable energy credits and direct respondents to offer a strike price. (1) The purchase price of the indexed renewable energy credit payment shall be calculated for each settlement period. That payment, for any settlement period, shall be equal to the difference resulting from subtracting the strike price from the index price for that settlement period. If this difference results in a negative number, the indexed REC counterparty shall owe the seller the absolute value multiplied by the quantity of energy produced in the relevant settlement period. If this difference results in a positive number, the seller shall owe the indexed REC counterparty this amount multiplied by the quantity of energy produced in the relevant settlement period. (2) Parties shall cash settle every month, summing up all settlements (both positive and negative, if applicable) for the prior month. (3) To ensure funding in the annual budget established under subparagraph (E) for indexed renewable energy credit procurements for each year of the term of such contracts, which must have a minimum tenure of 20 calendar years, the procurement administrator, Agency, Commission staff, and procurement monitor shall quantify the annual cost of the contract by utilizing one or more industry-standard, third-party forward price curves for energy at the appropriate hub or load zone, including the estimated magnitude and timing of the price effects related to federal carbon controls. Each forward price curve shall contain a specific value of the forecasted market price of electricity for each annual delivery year of the contract. For procurement planning purposes, the impact on the annual budget for the cost of indexed renewable energy credits for each delivery year shall be determined as the expected annual contract expenditure for that year, equaling the difference between (i) the sum across all relevant contracts of the applicable strike price multiplied by contract quantity and (ii) the sum across all relevant contracts of the forward price curve for the applicable load zone for that year multiplied by contract quantity. The contracting utility shall not assume an obligation in excess of the estimated annual cost of the contracts for indexed renewable energy credits. Forward curves shall be revised on an annual basis as updated forward price curves are released and filed with the Commission in the proceeding approving the Agency's most recent long-term renewable resources procurement plan. If the expected contract spend is higher or lower than the total quantity of contracts multiplied by the forward price curve value for that year, the forward price curve shall be updated by the procurement administrator, in consultation with the Agency, Commission staff, and procurement monitors, using then-currently available price forecast data and additional budget dollars shall be obligated or reobligated as appropriate. (4) To ensure that indexed renewable energy credit prices remain predictable and affordable, the Agency may consider the institution of a price collar on REC prices paid under indexed renewable energy credit procurements establishing floor and ceiling REC prices applicable to indexed REC contract prices. Any price collars applicable to indexed REC procurements shall be proposed by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. (vi) All procurements under this subparagraph (G), including the procurement of renewable energy credits from hydropower facilities, shall comply with the geographic requirements in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (1) and shall follow the procurement processes and procedures described in this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent practicable, and these processes and procedures may be expedited to accommodate the schedule established by this subparagraph (G). To ensure the successful development of new renewable energy projects supported through competitive procurements, for any procurements conducted under items (i), (ii), (iii), and (v) of this subparagraph (G) and any other procurement of new utility-scale wind or utility-scale solar projects that were entered into prior to January 1, 2025, the Agency shall allow, upon a demonstration of need to ensure the commercial viability of a project, for a one-time, post-award renegotiation of select contract terms prior to the project's commercial operation date through bilateral negotiation between the Agency, the buyer, and a winning bidder. Contract terms subject to renegotiation may include the project map, as defined under the applicable competitive solicitation, the real estate footprint or any limitations thereof, the location of the generators, or a potential reduction in the quantity of renewable energy credits to be delivered. Provisions related to a renewable energy credit delivery shortfall and the event of default may be replaced with similar provisions approved by the Agency in subsequent years or subsequent to a successful bid. Post-award renegotiation of competitively bid renewable energy credit contracts entered into prior to January 1, 2025 shall not be permitted to the extent such renegotiation would result in (1) the point of interconnection being within the service area of a different state, a different regional transmission organization zone, or a different regional transmission organization, (2) the generator no longer meeting the definition of the resource category for which the winning bidder was originally awarded a contract, (3) the generator no longer meeting the Agency's public interest criteria as established in the long-term renewable resources plan in effect at the time of the contract award, or (4) a change to material terms of the renewable energy credit contract unrelated to project land or footprint or the number of renewable energy credits to be delivered, including the applicable bid price or strike price. If the Agency, the buyer, and the winning bidder reach an agreement on amended terms, then, upon petition by the winning bidder or current seller, the Commission shall issue an order directing the utility counterparty to execute an amendment drafted by the Agency with the revised terms to the renewable energy credit contract, the product order, or both. The Agency shall provide the amendment to the utility within 15 business days after the Commission's order, and the utility shall execute the amendment no more than 7 calendar days after delivery by the Agency. (vii) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, for all procurements of renewable energy credits from hydropower facilities, the Agency shall establish contract terms designed to optimize existing hydropower facilities through modernization or retooling and establish new hydropower facilities at existing dams. Procurements made under this item (vii) shall prioritize projects located in designated environmental justice communities, as defined in subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this Act, or in projects located in units of local government with median incomes that do not exceed 82% of the median income of the State. (H) The procurement of renewable energy resources for a given delivery year shall be reduced as described in this subparagraph (H) if an alternative retail electric supplier meets the requirements described in this subparagraph (H). (i) Within 45 days after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906), an alternative retail electric supplier or its successor shall submit an informational filing to the Illinois Commerce Commission certifying that, as of December 31, 2015, the alternative retail electric supplier owned one or more electric generating facilities that generates renewable energy resources as defined in Section 1-10 of this Act, provided that such facilities are not powered by wind or photovoltaics, and the facilities generate one renewable energy credit for each megawatthour of energy produced from the facility. The informational filing shall identify each facility that was eligible to satisfy the alternative retail electric supplier's obligations under Section 16-115D of the Public Utilities Act as described in this item (i). (ii) For a given delivery year, the alternative retail electric supplier may elect to supply its retail customers with renewable energy credits from the facility or facilities described in item (i) of this subparagraph (H) that continue to be owned by the alternative retail electric supplier. (iii) The alternative retail electric supplier shall notify the Agency and the applicable utility, no later than February 28 of the year preceding the applicable delivery year or 15 days after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906), whichever is later, of its election under item (ii) of this subparagraph (H) to supply renewable energy credits to retail customers of the utility. Such election shall identify the amount of renewable energy credits to be supplied by the alternative retail electric supplier to the utility's retail customers and the source of the renewable energy credits identified in the informational filing as described in item (i) of this subparagraph (H), subject to the following limitations: For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018, the maximum amount of renewable energy credits to be supplied by an alternative retail electric supplier under this subparagraph (H) shall be 68% multiplied by 25% multiplied by 14.5% multiplied by the amount of metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative retail electric supplier to Illinois retail customers during the delivery year ending May 31, 2016. For delivery years beginning June 1, 2019 and each year thereafter, the maximum amount of renewable energy credits to be supplied by an alternative retail electric supplier under this subparagraph (H) shall be 68% multiplied by 50% multiplied by 16% multiplied by the amount of metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative retail electric supplier to Illinois retail customers during the delivery year ending May 31, 2016, provided that the 16% value shall increase by 1.5% each delivery year thereafter to 25% by the delivery year beginning June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25% value shall apply to each delivery year. For each delivery year, the total amount of renewable energy credits supplied by all alternative retail electric suppliers under this subparagraph (H) shall not exceed 9% of the Illinois target renewable energy credit quantity. The Illinois target renewable energy credit quantity for the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018 is 14.5% multiplied by the total amount of metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered in the delivery year immediately preceding that delivery year, provided that the 14.5% shall increase by 1.5% each delivery year thereafter to 25% by the delivery year beginning June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25% value shall apply to each delivery year. If the requirements set forth in items (i) through (iii) of this subparagraph (H) are met, the charges that would otherwise be applicable to the retail customers of the alternative retail electric supplier under paragraph (6) of this subsection (c) for the applicable delivery year shall be reduced by the ratio of the quantity of renewable energy credits supplied by the alternative retail electric supplier compared to that supplier's target renewable energy credit quantity. The supplier's target renewable energy credit quantity for the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018 is 14.5% multiplied by the total amount of metered electricity (megawatt-hours) delivered by the alternative retail supplier in that delivery year, provided that the 14.5% shall increase by 1.5% each delivery year thereafter to 25% by the delivery year beginning June 1, 2025, and thereafter the 25% value shall apply to each delivery year. On or before April 1 of each year, the Agency shall annually publish a report on its website that identifies the aggregate amount of renewable energy credits supplied by alternative retail electric suppliers under this subparagraph (H). (I) The Agency shall design its long-term renewable energy procurement plan to maximize the State's interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, including but not limited to minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and other pollution that adversely affects public health in this State, increasing fuel and resource diversity in this State, enhancing the reliability and resiliency of the electricity distribution system in this State, meeting goals to limit carbon dioxide emissions under federal or State law, and contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment for the citizens of this State. In order to further these legislative purposes, renewable energy credits shall be eligible to be counted toward the renewable energy requirements of this subsection (c) if they are generated from facilities located in this State. The Agency may qualify renewable energy credits from facilities located in states adjacent to Illinois or renewable energy credits associated with the electricity generated by a utility-scale wind energy facility or utility-scale photovoltaic facility and transmitted by a qualifying direct current project described in subsection (b-5) of Section 8-406 of the Public Utilities Act to a delivery point on the electric transmission grid located in this State or a state adjacent to Illinois, if the generator demonstrates and the Agency determines that the operation of such facility or facilities will help promote the State's interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its residents based on the public interest criteria described above. For the purposes of this Section, renewable resources that are delivered via a high voltage direct current converter station located in Illinois shall be deemed generated in Illinois at the time and location the energy is converted to alternating current by the high voltage direct current converter station if the high voltage direct current transmission line: (i) after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, was constructed with a project labor agreement; (ii) is capable of transmitting electricity at 525kv; (iii) has an Illinois converter station located and interconnected in the region of the PJM Interconnection, LLC; (iv) does not operate as a public utility; and (v) if the high voltage direct current transmission line was energized after June 1, 2023. To ensure that the public interest criteria are applied to the procurement and given full effect, the Agency's long-term procurement plan shall describe in detail how each public interest factor shall be considered and weighted for facilities located in states adjacent to Illinois. (J) In order to promote the competitive development of renewable energy resources in furtherance of the State's interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, renewable energy credits shall not be eligible to be counted toward the renewable energy requirements of this subsection (c) if they are sourced from a generating unit whose costs were being recovered through rates regulated by this State or any other state or states on or after January 1, 2017. Each contract executed to purchase renewable energy credits under this subsection (c) shall provide for the contract's termination if the costs of the generating unit supplying the renewable energy credits subsequently begin to be recovered through rates regulated by this State or any other state or states; and each contract shall further provide that, in that event, the supplier of the credits must return 110% of all payments received under the contract. Amounts returned under the requirements of this subparagraph (J) shall be retained by the utility and all of these amounts shall be used for the procurement of additional renewable energy credits from new wind or new photovoltaic resources as defined in this subsection (c). The long-term plan shall provide that these renewable energy credits shall be procured in the next procurement event. Notwithstanding the limitations of this subparagraph (J), renewable energy credits sourced from generating units that are constructed, purchased, owned, or leased by an electric utility as part of an approved project, program, or pilot under Section 1-56 of this Act shall be eligible to be counted toward the renewable energy requirements of this subsection (c), regardless of how the costs of these units are recovered. As long as a generating unit or an identifiable portion of a generating unit has not had and does not have its costs recovered through rates regulated by this State or any other state, HVDC renewable energy credits associated with that generating unit or identifiable portion thereof shall be eligible to be counted toward the renewable energy requirements of this subsection (c). (K) The long-term renewable resources procurement plan developed by the Agency in accordance with subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1) shall include an Adjustable Block program for the procurement of renewable energy credits from new photovoltaic projects that are distributed renewable energy generation devices or new photovoltaic community renewable generation projects. The Adjustable Block program shall be generally designed to provide for the steady, predictable, and sustainable growth of new solar photovoltaic development in Illinois. To this end, the Adjustable Block program shall provide a transparent annual schedule of prices and quantities to enable the photovoltaic market to scale up and for renewable energy credit prices to adjust at a predictable rate over time. The prices set by the Adjustable Block program can be reflected as a set value or as the product of a formula. The Adjustable Block program shall include for each category of eligible projects for each delivery year: a single block of nameplate capacity, a price for renewable energy credits within that block, and the terms and conditions for securing a spot on a waitlist once the block is fully committed or reserved. Except as outlined below, the waitlist of projects in a given year will carry over to apply to the subsequent year when another block is opened. Only projects energized on or after June 1, 2017 shall be eligible for the Adjustable Block program. For each category for each delivery year the Agency shall determine the amount of generation capacity in each block, and the purchase price for each block, provided that the purchase price provided and the total amount of generation in all blocks for all categories shall be sufficient to meet the goals in this subsection (c). The Agency shall strive to issue a single block sized to provide for stability and market growth. The Agency shall establish program eligibility requirements that ensure that projects that enter the program are sufficiently mature to indicate a demonstrable path to completion. The Agency may periodically review its prior decisions establishing the amount of generation capacity in each block, and the purchase price for each block, and may propose, on an expedited basis, changes to these previously set values, including but not limited to redistributing these amounts and the available funds as necessary and appropriate, subject to Commission approval as part of the periodic plan revision process described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The Agency may define different block sizes, purchase prices, or other distinct terms and conditions for projects located in different utility service territories if the Agency deems it necessary to meet the goals in this subsection (c). The Adjustable Block program shall include the following categories in at least the following amounts: (i) At least 20% from distributed renewable energy generation devices with a nameplate capacity of no more than 25 kilowatts. (ii) At least 20% from distributed renewable energy generation devices with a nameplate capacity of more than 25 kilowatts and no more than 5,000 kilowatts. The Agency may create sub-categories within this category to account for the differences between projects for small commercial customers, large commercial customers, and public or non-profit customers. A project shall not be colocated with one or more other distributed renewable energy generation projects if the aggregate nameplate capacity of the projects exceeds 5,000 kilowatts AC. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, if 2 or more projects are developed, owned, or controlled by or originate from the same developer or an affiliated developer and the projects serve affiliated loads, the projects shall be colocated if the projects are located on adjacent parcels. If 2 or more projects are developed, owned, or controlled by or originate from the same developer and the projects serve unaffiliated loads, the projects may be colocated if documentation indicates affiliated management and ownership in the pre-development, development, construction, and management of the projects and the projects are located on a single or adjacent parcels. Notwithstanding any subsequent transfer, assignment, or conveyance of ownership or development rights to separate legal entities, the Agency shall consider, in its determination of whether projects are affiliated, evidence that the projects were pre-developed by the same legal entity or an affiliated entity. If the Agency determines the projects are affiliated, the projects shall be treated as colocated for purposes of aggregate nameplate capacity limitations and renewable energy credit pricing adjustments. The Agency shall make exceptions on a case-by-case basis if it is demonstrated that projects on one parcel or projects on adjacent parcels are unaffiliated. For purposes of determining colocation, an approved vendor who submits an application for a distributed renewable energy generation project shall be required to submit an affidavit attesting that the project is not affiliated with any other distributed renewable energy generation project such that, if the 2 projects were deemed colocated, the projects would exceed the 5,000 kilowatts nameplate capacity limitation. The receipt of an affidavit shall not restrict the Agency's ability to investigate and determine whether the project is, in fact, colocated. For purposes of this item (ii): "Affiliate" has the meaning given to that term in subitem (3) of item (iii) of this subparagraph (K). "Colocated" means 2 or more distributed renewable energy generation projects that are located on a single parcel, except for projects where the owner of the applicable retail electric account is confirmed to be unaffiliated and the projects serve distinct electrical loads. "Control" has the meaning given to that term in subitem (3) of item (iii) of this subparagraph (K). (iii) At least 30% from photovoltaic community renewable generation projects. Capacity for this category for the first 2 delivery years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall be allocated to waitlist projects as provided in paragraph (3) of item (iv) of subparagraph (G). Starting in the third delivery year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or earlier if the Agency determines there is additional capacity needed for to meet previous delivery year requirements, the following shall apply: (1) the Agency shall select projects on a first-come, first-serve basis, however the Agency may suggest additional methods to prioritize projects that are submitted at the same time; (2) projects shall have subscriptions of 25 kW or less for at least 50% of the facility's nameplate capacity and the Agency shall price the renewable energy credits with that as a factor; (3) projects shall not be colocated with one or more other photovoltaic community renewable generation projects such that the aggregate nameplate capacity exceeds 10,000 kilowatts. The total nameplate capacity of colocated projects shall be the sum of the nameplate capacities of the individual projects. For purposes of this subitem (3), separate legal formation of approved vendors, owners, or developers shall not preclude a finding of affiliation by the Agency. Evidence of affiliation may include, but is not limited to, shared personnel, common contractual or financing arrangements, a shared interconnection agreement, distinct interconnection agreements obtained by the same pre-development entity that are subsequently sold to distinct legal entities, familial relationships, or any demonstrable pattern of coordinated action in the pre-development, development, construction, or management of photovoltaic community renewable generation projects. The Agency shall determine affiliation based on evidence that projects either (i) share a common origin on a parcel that has been subdivided in the 5 years before the date of application or (ii) were pre-developed before the beginning of construction by the same legal entity or an affiliated legal entity. The determination shall be made notwithstanding any subsequent transfer, assignment, or conveyance of ownership or development rights to separate legal entities. If the Agency determines the projects are affiliated, the projects shall be treated as colocated for the purposes of aggregate nameplate capacity limitations and renewable energy credit pricing adjustments. The Agency shall make exceptions to this subitem (3) on a case-by-case basis if it is demonstrated that projects on one parcel or projects on adjacent parcels are unaffiliated. A parcel shall not be divided into multiple parcels within the 5 years before the submission of a project application. If a parcel is divided within the preceding 5 years, a colocation determination shall be made based on the boundaries of the previous undivided parcel. For purposes of determining colocation, an approved vendor who submits an application for a photovoltaic community renewable generation project shall be required to submit an affidavit attesting that (i) the parcel on which the project is sited has not been subdivided within the 5 years preceding the project application and (ii) the project is not affiliated with any other photovoltaic community renewable generation project in a manner that would cause the 2 projects, if deemed colocated, to exceed the 10,000 kilowatt nameplate capacity limitation. The receipt of an affidavit shall not restrict the Agency's ability to investigate and determine whether the project is colocated. Multiple photovoltaic community renewable generation projects sited on distinct structures located on a single parcel shall be considered colocated and must demonstrate that the projects are unaffiliated in order to not be considered colocated. Each colocated project shall receive the renewable energy credit price corresponding to the total, aggregated nameplate capacity of the colocated systems, as determined at the time the second project's application is submitted to the Agency. If the second colocated project has been constructed and placed in service prior to application, and was placed in service more than 2 years after Commission approval of the original project, the colocation pricing adjustment shall not apply, and each project shall receive the standalone renewable energy credit price for its individual capacity. For purposes of this subitem (3): "Affiliate" means any other entity that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by or is under common control of the primary entity or a third entity. "Affiliate" includes family members for the purposes of colocation between projects. "Affiliate" does not include entities that have shared sales or revenue-sharing arrangements or common debt and equity financing arrangements. "Colocated" means 2 or more photovoltaic community renewable generation projects located on a single parcel or adjacent parcels, unless it is demonstrated that the projects are developed by unaffiliated entities. "Control" means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct the management and policies of an entity; and (4) projects greater than 2 MW may not apply until after the approval of the Agency's revised Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. (iv) At least 15% from distributed renewable generation devices or photovoltaic community renewable generation projects installed on public school land. The Agency may create subcategories within this category to account for the differences between project size or location. Projects located within environmental justice communities or within Organizational Units that fall within Tier 1 or Tier 2 shall be given priority. Each of the Agency's periodic updates to its long-term renewable resources procurement plan to incorporate the procurement described in this subparagraph (iv) shall also include the proposed quantities or blocks, pricing, and contract terms applicable to the procurement as indicated herein. In each such update and procurement, the Agency shall set the renewable energy credit price and establish payment terms for the renewable energy credits procured pursuant to this subparagraph (iv) that make it feasible and affordable for public schools to install photovoltaic distributed renewable energy devices on their premises, including, but not limited to, those public schools subject to the prioritization provisions of this subparagraph. For the purposes of this item (iv): "Environmental Justice Community" shall have the same meaning set forth in the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan; "Organization Unit", "Tier 1" and "Tier 2" shall have the meanings set for in Section 18-8.15 of the School Code; "Public schools" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 1-3 of the School Code and includes public institutions of higher education, as defined in the Board of Higher Education Act. (v) At least 5% from community-driven community solar projects intended to provide more direct and tangible connection and benefits to the communities which they serve or in which they operate and, additionally, to increase the variety of community solar locations, models, and options in Illinois. As part of its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall develop selection criteria for projects participating in this category. Nothing in this Section shall preclude the Agency from creating a selection process that maximizes community ownership and community benefits in selecting projects to receive renewable energy credits. Selection criteria shall include: (1) community ownership or community wealth-building; (2) additional direct and indirect community benefit, beyond project participation as a subscriber, including, but not limited to, economic, environmental, social, cultural, and physical benefits; (3) meaningful involvement in project organization and development by community members or nonprofit organizations or public entities located in or serving the community; (4) engagement in project operations and management by nonprofit organizations, public entities, or community members; and (5) whether a project is developed in response to a site-specific RFP developed by community members or a nonprofit organization or public entity located in or serving the community. Selection criteria may also prioritize projects that: (1) are developed in collaboration with or to provide complementary opportunities for the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, or the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program; (2) increase the diversity of locations of community solar projects in Illinois, including by locating in urban areas and population centers; (3) are located in Equity Investment Eligible Communities; (4) are not greenfield projects; (5) serve only local subscribers; (6) have a nameplate capacity that does not exceed 500 kW; (7) are developed by an equity eligible contractor; or (8) otherwise meaningfully advance the goals of providing more direct and tangible connection and benefits to the communities which they serve or in which they operate and increasing the variety of community solar locations, models, and options in Illinois. For the purposes of this item (v): "Community" means a social unit in which people come together regularly to effect change; a social unit in which participants are marked by a cooperative spirit, a common purpose, or shared interests or characteristics; or a space understood by its residents to be delineated through geographic boundaries or landmarks. "Community benefit" means a range of services and activities that provide affirmative, economic, environmental, social, cultural, or physical value to a community; or a mechanism that enables economic development, high-quality employment, and education opportunities for local workers and residents, or formal monitoring and oversight structures such that community members may ensure that those services and activities respond to local knowledge and needs. "Community ownership" means an arrangement in which an electric generating facility is, or over time will be, in significant part, owned collectively by members of the community to which an electric generating facility provides benefits; members of that community participate in decisions regarding the governance, operation, maintenance, and upgrades of and to that facility; and members of that community benefit from regular use of that facility. Terms and guidance within these criteria that are not defined in this item (v) shall be defined by the Agency, with stakeholder input, during the development of the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan. The Agency shall develop regular opportunities for projects to submit applications for projects under this category, and develop selection criteria that gives preference to projects that better meet individual criteria as well as projects that address a higher number of criteria. (vi) At least 10% from distributed renewable energy generation devices, which includes distributed renewable energy devices with a nameplate capacity under 5,000 kilowatts or photovoltaic community renewable generation projects, from applicants that are equity eligible contractors. The Agency may create subcategories within this category to account for the differences between project size and type. The Agency shall propose to increase the percentage in this item (vi) over time to 40% based on factors, including, but not limited to, the number of equity eligible contractors and capacity used in this item (vi) in previous delivery years. The Agency shall propose a payment structure for contracts executed pursuant to this paragraph under which, upon a demonstration of qualification or need under criteria established by the Agency that is focused on supporting small and emerging businesses and businesses that most acutely face barriers to the access of capital, applicant firms are advanced capital disbursed after contract execution but before the contracted project's energization. The amount or percentage of capital advanced prior to project energization shall be sufficient to both cover any increase in development costs resulting from prevailing wage requirements or project-labor agreements, and designed to overcome barriers in access to capital faced by equity eligible contractors. The amount or percentage of advanced capital may vary by subcategory within this category and by an applicant's demonstration of need, with such levels to be established through the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan authorized under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section and any application requirements or evaluation criteria developed pursuant to the Plan. Contracts developed featuring capital advanced prior to a project's energization shall feature provisions to ensure both the successful development of applicant projects and the delivery of the renewable energy credits for the full term of the contract, including ongoing collateral requirements and other provisions deemed necessary by the Agency, and may include energization timelines longer than for comparable project types. The percentage or amount of capital advanced prior to project energization shall not operate to increase the overall contract value, however contracts executed under this subparagraph may feature renewable energy credit prices higher than those offered to similar projects participating in other categories. Capital advanced prior to energization shall serve to reduce the ratable payments made after energization under items (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (L) or payments made for each renewable energy credit delivery under item (iv) of subparagraph (L). For projects developed under this item (vi), the Agency shall take steps to encourage higher portions of contract value to be provided to equity eligible contractors and to support equity eligible persons who participate in this Program and who exercise control and actively manage their businesses and their businesses' contractual projects. These steps may include, but are not limited to, differentiated REC prices, exceptions or exemptions, and other mechanisms and requirements for nonnominal contract value to be provided to equity eligible contractors and equity eligible persons as a prerequisite to Program participation. Any steps taken shall aim to encourage and grow the meaningful participation of equity eligible contractors in this State's clean energy economy. All entities participating under this item (vi) shall comply with the minimum equity standard set forth under Section 1-75. (vii) The remaining capacity shall be allocated by the Agency in order to respond to market demand. The Agency shall allocate any discretionary capacity prior to the beginning of each delivery year. (viii) The Agency, through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, may implement solutions to maintain stable and consistent REC offerings allocated to systems described in item (i) of this subparagraph (K) to avoid gaps in availability during a delivery year, including, but not limited to, creating a floating block of REC capacity in a given delivery year. To the extent there is uncontracted capacity from any block in any of categories (i) through (vi) at the end of a delivery year, the Agency shall redistribute that capacity to one or more other categories giving priority to categories with projects on a waitlist. The redistributed capacity shall be added to the annual capacity in the subsequent delivery year, and the price for renewable energy credits shall be the price for the new delivery year. Redistributed capacity shall not be considered redistributed when determining whether the goals in this subsection (K) have been met. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, as the Agency increases the capacity in item (vi) to 40% over time, the Agency may reduce the capacity of items (i) through (v) proportionate to the capacity of the categories of projects in item (vi), to achieve a balance of project types. The Adjustable Block program shall be designed to ensure that renewable energy credits are procured from projects in diverse locations and are not concentrated in a few regional areas. (L) Notwithstanding provisions for advancing capital prior to project energization found in item (vi) of subparagraph (K), the procurement of photovoltaic renewable energy credits under items (i) through (vi) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) shall otherwise be subject to the following contract and payment terms: (i) (Blank). (ii) Unless otherwise provided for in the Agency's approved long-term plan, for those renewable energy credits that qualify and are procured under item (i) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1), and any similar category projects that are procured under item (vi) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) that qualify and are procured under item (vi), the contract length shall be 15 years. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, and including the remainder of program year 2026-2027, 50% of the renewable energy credit delivery contract value, based on the estimated generation during the first 15 years of operation, shall be paid by the contracting utilities at the time that the facility producing the renewable energy credits is interconnected at the distribution system level of the utility and verified as energized and compliant by the Program Administrator. The remaining portion of the renewable energy credit delivery contract value shall be paid ratably over the subsequent 6-year period. Relative to a contract structure under which the full renewable energy credit delivery contract value shall be paid in full at the time of interconnection and verification of energization, the Agency shall consider the impact of deferred payments across the subsequent payment period when establishing renewable energy credit prices. The electric utility shall receive and retire all renewable energy credits generated by the project for the first 15 years of operation. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. (iii) Unless otherwise provided for in the Agency's approved long-term plan, for those renewable energy credits that qualify and are procured under item (ii) and (v) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) and any like projects that qualify and are procured under items (iv) and (vi), the contract length shall be 15 years. 15% of the renewable energy credit delivery contract value, based on the estimated generation during the first 15 years of operation, shall be paid by the contracting utilities at the time that the facility producing the renewable energy credits is interconnected at the distribution system level of the utility and verified as energized and compliant by the Program Administrator. The remaining portion shall be paid ratably over the subsequent 6-year period. The electric utility shall receive and retire all renewable energy credits generated by the project for the first 15 years of operation. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. (iv) Unless otherwise provided for in the Agency's approved long-term plan, for those renewable energy credits that qualify and are procured under item (iii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1), and any like projects that qualify and are procured under items (iv) and (vi), the renewable energy credit delivery contract length shall be 20 years and shall be paid over the delivery term, not to exceed during each delivery year the contract price multiplied by the estimated annual renewable energy credit generation amount. If generation of renewable energy credits during a delivery year exceeds the estimated annual generation amount, the excess renewable energy credits shall be carried forward to future delivery years and shall not expire during the delivery term. If generation of renewable energy credits during a delivery year, including carried forward excess renewable energy credits, if any, is less than the estimated annual generation amount, payments during such delivery year will not exceed the quantity generated plus the quantity carried forward multiplied by the contract price. The electric utility shall receive all renewable energy credits generated by the project during the first 20 years of operation and retire all renewable energy credits paid for under this item (iv) and return at the end of the delivery term all renewable energy credits that were not paid for. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. Notwithstanding the preceding, for those projects participating under item (iii) of subparagraph (K), the contract price for a delivery year shall be based on subscription levels as measured on the higher of the first business day of the delivery year or the first business day 6 months after the first business day of the delivery year. Subscription of 90% of nameplate capacity or greater shall be deemed to be fully subscribed for the purposes of this item (iv). For projects receiving a 20-year delivery contract, REC prices shall be adjusted downward for consistency with the incentive levels previously determined to be necessary to support projects under 15-year delivery contracts, taking into consideration any additional new requirements placed on the projects, including, but not limited to, labor standards. (v) Each contract shall include provisions to ensure the delivery of the estimated quantity of renewable energy credits and ongoing collateral requirements and other provisions deemed appropriate by the Agency. (vi) The utility shall be the counterparty to the contracts executed under this subparagraph (L) that are approved by the Commission under the process described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. No contract shall be executed for an amount that is less than one renewable energy credit per year. (vii) If, at any time, approved applications for the Adjustable Block program exceed funds collected by the electric utility or would cause the Agency to exceed the limitation described in subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (1) on the amount of renewable energy resources that may be procured, then the Agency may consider future uncommitted funds to be reserved for these contracts on a first-come, first-served basis. (viii) Nothing in this Section shall require the utility to advance any payment or pay any amounts that exceed the actual amount of revenues anticipated to be collected by the utility under paragraph (6) of this subsection (c) and subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act inclusive of eligible funds collected in prior years and alternative compliance payments for use by the utility. (ix) Notwithstanding other requirements of this subparagraph (L), no modification shall be required to Adjustable Block program contracts if they were already executed prior to the establishment, approval, and implementation of new contract forms as a result of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly. (x) Contracts may be assignable, but only to entities first deemed by the Agency to have met program terms and requirements applicable to direct program participation. In developing contracts for the delivery of renewable energy credits, the Agency shall be permitted to establish fees applicable to each contract assignment. (M) The Agency shall be authorized to retain one or more experts or expert consulting firms to develop, administer, implement, operate, and evaluate the Adjustable Block program described in subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1), as well as the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program described in subparagraph (S) of this paragraph (1), and the Agency shall retain the consultant or consultants in the same manner, to the extent practicable, as the Agency retains others to administer provisions of this Act, including, but not limited to, the procurement administrator. The selection of experts and expert consulting firms and the procurement process described in this subparagraph (M) are exempt from the requirements of Section 20-10 of the Illinois Procurement Code, under Section 20-10 of that Code. The Agency shall strive to minimize administrative expenses in the implementation of the Adjustable Block program. The Program Administrator may charge application fees to participating firms to cover the cost of program administration. Any application fee amounts shall initially be determined through the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, and modifications to any application fee that deviate more than 25% from the Commission's approved value must be approved by the Commission as a long-term plan revision under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The Agency shall consider stakeholder feedback when making adjustments to application fees and shall notify stakeholders in advance of any planned changes. In addition to covering the costs of program administration, the Agency, in conjunction with its Program Administrator, may also use the proceeds of such fees charged to participating firms to support public education and ongoing regional and national coordination with nonprofit organizations, public bodies, and others engaged in the implementation of renewable energy incentive programs or similar initiatives. This work may include developing papers and reports, hosting regional and national conferences, and other work deemed necessary by the Agency to position the State of Illinois as a national leader in renewable energy incentive program development and administration. The Agency and its consultant or consultants shall monitor block activity, share program activity with stakeholders and conduct quarterly meetings to discuss program activity and market conditions. If necessary, the Agency may make prospective administrative adjustments to the Adjustable Block program and the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program design, such as making adjustments to purchase prices as necessary to achieve the goals of this subsection (c). Program modifications to any block price that do not deviate from the Commission's approved value by more than 10% shall take effect immediately and are not subject to Commission review and approval. Program modifications to any block price that deviate more than 10% from the Commission's approved value must be approved by the Commission as a long-term plan amendment under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The Agency shall consider stakeholder feedback when making adjustments to the Adjustable Block and the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program design and shall notify stakeholders in advance of any planned changes. The Agency and its program administrators for the Adjustable Block program, the Illinois Solar for All Program, and the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program consistent with the requirements of this subsection (c) and subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this Act, shall propose the Adjustable Block program terms, conditions, and requirements, including the prices to be paid for renewable energy credits, where applicable, and requirements applicable to participating entities and project applications, through the development, review, and approval of the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in this subsection (c) and paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. Terms, conditions, and requirements for program participation shall include the following: (i) The Agency shall establish a registration process for entities seeking to qualify for program-administered incentive funding and establish baseline qualifications for vendor approval. The Agency shall also establish program requirements and minimum contract terms for vendors and others involved in the marketing, sale, installation, and financing of distributed generation systems and community solar subscriptions to prevent misleading marketing and abusive practices and to otherwise protect customers. The Agency must maintain a list of approved entities on each program's website, and may revoke a vendor's ability to receive program-administered incentive funding status upon a determination that the vendor failed to comply with contract terms, the law, or other program requirements. (ii) The Agency shall establish program requirements and minimum contract terms to ensure projects are properly installed and produce their expected amounts of energy. Program requirements may include on-site inspections and photo documentation of projects under construction. The Agency may require repairs, alterations, or additions to remedy any material deficiencies discovered. Vendors who have a disproportionately high number of deficient systems may lose their eligibility to continue to receive State-administered incentive funding through Agency programs and procurements. (iii) To discourage deceptive marketing or other bad faith business practices, the Agency may require direct program participants, including agents operating on their behalf, to provide standardized disclosures to a customer prior to that customer's execution of a contract for the development of a distributed generation system, a subscription to a community solar project, or the development of a geothermal heating and cooling system. (iv) The Agency shall establish one or multiple Consumer Complaints Centers to accept complaints regarding businesses that participate in, or otherwise benefit from, State-administered incentive funding through Agency-administered programs. The Agency shall maintain a public database of complaints with any confidential or particularly sensitive information redacted from public entries. (v) Through a filing in the proceeding for the approval of its long-term renewable energy resources procurement plan, the Agency shall provide an annual written report to the Illinois Commerce Commission documenting the frequency and nature of complaints and any enforcement actions taken in response to those complaints. (vi) The Agency shall schedule regular meetings with representatives of the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois Commerce Commission, consumer protection groups, and other interested stakeholders to share relevant information about consumer protection, project compliance, and complaints received. (vii) To the extent that complaints received implicate the jurisdiction of the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois Commerce Commission, or local, State, or federal law enforcement, the Agency shall also refer complaints to those entities as appropriate. (viii) The Agency may, at its discretion, establish a registration process for entities, or a subset of entities, that provide financing for consumers for the purchase of distributed renewable generation devices. The Agency may establish baseline qualifications for financing entity approval, including defining the circumstances under which financing entities may be subject to registration. The Agency may also establish program requirements for entities that provide financing for the purchase of distributed renewable generation devices, which may include marketing and disclosure requirements, other requirements as further defined by the Agency through its long-term plan, and any consumer protection requirements developed or modified thereto. If the Agency establishes a registration process for financing entities, the Agency may revoke a financing entity's approval in a program upon a determination that the financing entity failed to comply with contract terms, the law, or other program requirements. The Agency may also establish program requirements that prohibit distributed renewable generation devices intending to apply for program-administered incentive funding from receiving program funding if the consumer's purchase of the device was financed by an entity whose approval status in the program has been revoked. These registration requirements may apply to entities that finance projects intended to apply for program-administered incentive funding even if those entities do not receive any portion of the program-administered incentive funding. (ix) The Agency, at its discretion, may require that vendors, as part of the application and annual recertification process, present the Agency or its designee with a security bond equal to an amount determined to be reasonable by the Agency. The bond shall be for the benefit of customers harmed by the vendor's violation of Agency requirements or other applicable laws or regulations. The Agency may determine that it is reasonable to have no bond requirement for some categories of vendors or enhanced bond requirements for vendors that the Agency has deemed to pose more acute risks. (x) For distributed renewable generation devices, the Agency may, in its discretion, establish provisions that restrict, prohibit, or create additional requirements for distributed renewable generation device sales or financing offers through which the customer is promised the pass-through of a portion or all of the payments received by the approved vendor for the delivery of renewable energy credits only after the receipt of such payment by the approved vendor. The requirements may include the use of an escrow process developed by the Agency through which renewable energy credit payments are made to an escrow agent who then disburses the promised amount to the customer and the remainder to the vendor. The requirements in this item (x) shall in no way prohibit the upfront discounting of the purchase price, lease payment, or power purchase agreement rate based on the anticipated receipt of renewable energy credit contract payments by the approved vendor. (xi) To the extent that distributed renewable generation device sales or financing offers through which the customer is promised the pass-through of a portion or all of the payments received by the vendor for the delivery of renewable energy credits after the receipt of such payment by the vendor are permitted, the following requirements may be implemented, at the Agency's discretion, in a time and manner determined by the Agency: (I) the vendor shall submit proof of customer payments to the Agency as the Agency deems necessary; and (II) the vendor shall represent and warrant on a form developed by the Agency that the vendor is not insolvent, has not voluntarily filed for bankruptcy, and has not been subject to or threatened with involuntary insolvency. (xii) To ensure that customers receive full and uninterrupted benefits and services promised by vendors, the Agency may propose additional solutions through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in this subsection (c) and paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The solutions may allow for collections made pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act to support the programs and procurements outlined in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section to be leveraged to (1) ensure that a vendor's promised payments are received by customers, (2) incentivize vendors to establish service agreements with customers whose original vendor has become nonresponsive, (3) ensure that customers receive restitution for financial harm proven to be caused by a program vendor or its designee, or (4) otherwise ensure that customers do not suffer loss or harm through activities supported by the Adjustable Block program and the Illinois Solar for All Program. (N) The Agency shall establish the terms, conditions, and program requirements for photovoltaic community renewable generation projects with a goal to expand access to a broader group of energy consumers, to ensure robust participation opportunities for residential and small commercial customers and those who cannot install renewable energy on their own properties. Subject to reasonable limitations, any plan approved by the Commission shall allow subscriptions to community renewable generation projects to be portable and transferable. For purposes of this subparagraph (N), "portable" means that subscriptions may be retained by the subscriber even if the subscriber relocates or changes its address within the same utility service territory; and "transferable" means that a subscriber may assign or sell subscriptions to another person within the same utility service territory. Through the development of its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency may consider whether community renewable generation projects utilizing technologies other than photovoltaics should be supported through State-administered incentive funding, and may issue requests for information to gauge market demand. Electric utilities shall provide a monetary credit to a subscriber's subsequent bill for service for the proportional output of a community renewable generation project attributable to that subscriber as specified in Section 16-107.5 of the Public Utilities Act. The Agency shall purchase renewable energy credits from subscribed shares of photovoltaic community renewable generation projects through the Adjustable Block program described in subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1) or through the Illinois Solar for All Program described in Section 1-56 of this Act. The electric utility shall purchase any unsubscribed energy from community renewable generation projects that are Qualifying Facilities ("QF") under the electric utility's tariff for purchasing the output from QFs under Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. The owners of and any subscribers to a community renewable generation project shall not be considered public utilities or alternative retail electricity suppliers under the Public Utilities Act solely as a result of their interest in or subscription to a community renewable generation project and shall not be required to become an alternative retail electric supplier by participating in a community renewable generation project with a public utility. (O) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2018, the long-term renewable resources procurement plan required by this subsection (c) shall provide for the Agency to procure contracts to continue offering the Illinois Solar for All Program described in subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this Act, and the contracts approved by the Commission shall be executed by the utilities that are subject to this subsection (c). The long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall allocate up to $50,000,000 per delivery year to fund the programs, and the plan shall determine the amount of funding to be apportioned to the programs identified in subsection (b) of Section 1-56 of this Act; provided that for the delivery years beginning June 1, 2021, June 1, 2022, and June 1, 2023, the long-term renewable resources procurement plan may average the annual budgets over a 3-year period to account for program ramp-up. For the delivery years beginning June 1, 2021, June 1, 2024, June 1, 2027, and June 1, 2030 and additional $10,000,000 shall be provided to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to implement the workforce development programs and reporting as outlined in Section 16-108.12 of the Public Utilities Act. In making the determinations required under this subparagraph (O), the Commission shall consider the experience and performance under the programs and any evaluation reports. The Commission shall also provide for an independent evaluation of those programs on a periodic basis that are funded under this subparagraph (O). (P) All programs and procurements under this subsection (c) shall be designed to encourage participating projects to use a diverse and equitable workforce and a diverse set of contractors, including minority-owned businesses, disadvantaged businesses, trade unions, graduates of any workforce training programs administered under this Act, and small businesses. The Agency shall develop a method to optimize procurement of renewable energy credits from proposed utility-scale projects that are located in communities eligible to receive Energy Transition Community Grants pursuant to Section 10-20 of the Energy Community Reinvestment Act. If this requirement conflicts with other provisions of law or the Agency determines that full compliance with the requirements of this subparagraph (P) would be unreasonably costly or administratively impractical, the Agency is to propose alternative approaches to achieve development of renewable energy resources in communities eligible to receive Energy Transition Community Grants pursuant to Section 10-20 of the Energy Community Reinvestment Act or seek an exemption from this requirement from the Commission. (Q) Each facility listed in subitems (i) through (x) of item (1) of this subparagraph (Q) for which a renewable energy credit delivery contract is signed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly is subject to the following requirements through the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan: (1) Each facility shall be subject to the prevailing wage requirements included in the Prevailing Wage Act. The Agency shall require verification that all construction performed on the facility by the renewable energy credit delivery contract holder, its contractors, or its subcontractors relating to construction of the facility is performed by construction employees receiving an amount for that work equal to or greater than the general prevailing rate, as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Prevailing Wage Act. For purposes of this item (1), "house of worship" means property that is both (1) used exclusively by a religious society or body of persons as a place for religious exercise or religious worship and (2) recognized as exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 15-40 of the Property Tax Code. This item (1) shall apply to any of the following: (i) all new utility-scale wind projects; (ii) all new utility-scale photovoltaic projects and repowered wind projects; (iii) all new brownfield photovoltaic projects; (iv) all new photovoltaic community renewable energy facilities that qualify for item (iii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1); (v) all new community driven community photovoltaic projects that qualify for item (v) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1); (vi) all new photovoltaic projects on public school land that qualify for item (iv) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1); (vii) all new photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation devices that (1) qualify for item (i) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1); (2) are not projects that serve single-family or multi-family residential buildings; and (3) are not houses of worship where the aggregate capacity including colocated projects would not exceed 100 kilowatts; (viii) all new photovoltaic distributed renewable energy generation devices that (1) qualify for item (ii) of subparagraph (K) of this paragraph (1); (2) are not projects that serve single-family or multi-family residential buildings; and (3) are not houses of worship where the aggregate capacity including colocated projects would not exceed 100 kilowatts; (ix) all new, modernized, or retooled hydropower facilities; (x) all new geothermal heating and cooling systems awarded through the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program under subparagraph (S) of this paragraph (1) that do not serve (1) single-family residential buildings, (2) multi-family residential buildings with aggregate geothermal system tonnage, including colocated projects, of no more than 14 tons, or (3) houses of worship with aggregate geothermal system tonnage, including colocated projects, of no more than 29 tons. (2) Renewable energy credits procured from new utility-scale wind projects, new utility-scale solar projects, new brownfield solar projects, repowered wind projects, and retooled hydropower facilities pursuant to Agency procurement events occurring after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly and community-driven community solar projects or photovoltaic community renewable generation projects where the aggregate capacity, including colocated projects, exceeds 3,000 kilowatts pursuant to a renewable energy credit delivery contract approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Adjustable Block Program after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly must be from facilities built by general contractors that must enter into a project labor agreement, as defined by this Act, prior to construction. Community-driven community solar projects and photovoltaic community renewable generation projects on a program waitlist as of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly awarded capacity for the program year commencing June 1, 2026 or any program year thereafter shall not be exempt from the project labor agreement requirements of this item (2). The project labor agreement shall be filed with the Director in accordance with procedures established by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. Any information submitted to the Agency in this item (2) shall be considered commercially sensitive information. At a minimum, the project labor agreement must provide the names, addresses, and occupations of the owner of the plant and the individuals representing the labor organization employees participating in the project labor agreement consistent with the Project Labor Agreements Act. The agreement must also specify the terms and conditions as defined by this Act. (2.5) Energy storage credits procured from battery storage projects pursuant to Agency procurement events and additional energy storage resources procured in accordance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subsection (d-20) of this Section pursuant to Agency procurement events occurring after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly must be from facilities built by general contractors that must enter into a project labor agreement prior to construction. The project labor agreement shall be filed with the Director in accordance with procedures established by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. Any information submitted to the Agency pursuant to this item (2.5) shall be considered commercially sensitive information. At a minimum, the project labor agreement must provide the names, addresses, and occupations of the owner of the plant and the individuals representing the labor organization employees participating in the project labor agreement consistent with the Project Labor Agreements Act. The agreement must also specify the terms and conditions, as defined by this Act. (3) It is the intent of this Section to ensure that economic development occurs across Illinois communities, that emerging businesses may grow, and that there is improved access to the clean energy economy by persons who have greater economic burdens to success. The Agency shall take into consideration the unique cost of compliance of this subparagraph (Q) that might be borne by equity eligible contractors, shall include such costs when determining the price of renewable energy credits in the Adjustable Block program and the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program, and shall take such costs into consideration in a nondiscriminatory manner when comparing bids for competitive procurements. The Agency shall consider costs associated with compliance whether in the development, financing, or construction of projects. The Agency shall periodically review the assumptions in these costs and may adjust prices, in compliance with subparagraph (M) of this paragraph (1). (R) In its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall establish a self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program for eligible self-direct customers that purchase renewable energy credits from utility-scale wind and solar projects through long-term agreements for purchase of renewable energy credits as described in this Section. Such long-term agreements may include the purchase of energy or other products on a physical or financial basis and may involve an alternative retail electric supplier as defined in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act. This program shall take effect in the delivery year commencing June 1, 2023. (1) For the purposes of this subparagraph: "Eligible self-direct customer" means any retail customers of an electric utility that serves 3,000,000 or more retail customers in the State and whose total highest 30-minute demand was more than 10,000 kilowatts, or any retail customers of an electric utility that serves less than 3,000,000 retail customers but more than 500,000 retail customers in the State and whose total highest 15-minute demand was more than 10,000 kilowatts. "Retail customer" has the meaning set forth in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act and multiple retail customer accounts under the same corporate parent may aggregate their account demands to meet the 10,000 kilowatt threshold. The criteria for determining whether this subparagraph is applicable to a retail customer shall be based on the 12 consecutive billing periods prior to the start of the year in which the application is filed. (2) For renewable energy credits to count toward the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program, they must: (i) qualify as renewable energy credits as defined in Section 1-10 of this Act; (ii) be sourced from one or more renewable energy generating facilities that comply with the geographic requirements as set forth in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) as interpreted through the Agency's long-term renewable resources procurement plan, or, where applicable, the geographic requirements that governed utility-scale renewable energy credits at the time the eligible self-direct customer entered into the applicable renewable energy credit purchase agreement; (iii) be procured through long-term contracts with term lengths of at least 10 years either directly with the renewable energy generating facility or through a bundled power purchase agreement, a virtual power purchase agreement, an agreement between the renewable generating facility, an alternative retail electric supplier, and the customer, or such other structure as is permissible under this subparagraph (R); (iv) be equivalent in volume to at least 40% of the eligible self-direct customer's usage, determined annually by the eligible self-direct customer's usage during the previous delivery year, measured to the nearest megawatt-hour; (v) be retired by or on behalf of the large energy customer; (vi) be sourced from new utility-scale wind projects or new utility-scale solar projects; and (vii) if the contracts for renewable energy credits are entered into after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the new utility-scale wind projects or new utility-scale solar projects must comply with the requirements established in subparagraphs (P) and (Q) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) and subsection (c-10). (3) The self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program shall be designed to allow eligible self-direct customers to procure new renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind projects or new utility-scale photovoltaic projects. The Agency shall annually determine the amount of utility-scale renewable energy credits it will include each year from the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program, subject to receiving qualifying applications. In making this determination, the Agency shall evaluate publicly available analyses and studies of the potential market size for utility-scale renewable energy long-term purchase agreements by commercial and industrial energy customers and make that report publicly available. If demand for participation in the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program exceeds availability, the Agency shall ensure participation is evenly split between commercial and industrial users to the extent there is sufficient demand from both customer classes. Each renewable energy credit procured pursuant to this subparagraph (R) by a self-direct customer shall reduce the total volume of renewable energy credits the Agency is otherwise required to procure from new utility-scale projects pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) on behalf of contracting utilities where the eligible self-direct customer is located. The self-direct customer shall file an annual compliance report with the Agency pursuant to terms established by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan to be eligible for participation in this program. Customers must provide the Agency with their most recent electricity billing statements or other information deemed necessary by the Agency to demonstrate they are an eligible self-direct customer. (4) The Commission shall approve a reduction in the volumetric charges collected pursuant to Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act for approved eligible self-direct customers equivalent to the anticipated cost of renewable energy credit deliveries under contracts for new utility-scale wind and new utility-scale solar entered for each delivery year after the large energy customer begins retiring eligible new utility-scale renewable energy credits for self-compliance. The self-direct credit amount shall be determined annually and is equal to the estimated portion of the cost authorized by subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c) that supported the annual procurement of utility-scale renewable energy credits in the prior delivery year using a methodology described in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, expressed on a per kilowatthour basis, and does not include (i) costs associated with any contracts entered into before the delivery year in which the customer files the initial compliance report to be eligible for participation in the self-direct program, and (ii) costs associated with procuring renewable energy credits through existing and future contracts through the Adjustable Block Program, subsection (c-5) of this Section 1-75, and the Solar for All Program. The Agency shall assist the Commission in determining the current and future costs. The Agency must determine the self-direct credit amount for new and existing eligible self-direct customers and submit this to the Commission in an annual compliance filing. The Commission must approve the self-direct credit amount by June 1, 2023 and June 1 of each delivery year thereafter. (5) Customers described in this subparagraph (R) shall apply, on a form developed by the Agency, to the Agency to be designated as a self-direct eligible customer. Once the Agency determines that a self-direct customer is eligible for participation in the program, the self-direct customer will remain eligible until the end of the term of the contract. Thereafter, application may be made not less than 12 months before the filing date of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan described in this Act. At a minimum, such application shall contain the following: (i) the customer's certification that, at the time of the customer's application, the customer qualifies to be a self-direct eligible customer, including documents demonstrating that qualification; (ii) the customer's certification that the customer has entered into or will enter into by the beginning of the applicable procurement year, one or more bilateral contracts for new wind projects or new photovoltaic projects, including supporting documentation; (iii) certification that the contract or contracts for new renewable energy resources are long-term contracts with term lengths of at least 10 years, including supporting documentation; (iv) certification of the quantities of renewable energy credits that the customer will purchase each year under such contract or contracts, including supporting documentation; (v) proof that the contract is sufficient to produce renewable energy credits to be equivalent in volume to at least 40% of the large energy customer's usage from the previous delivery year, measured to the nearest megawatt-hour; and (vi) certification that the customer intends to maintain the contract for the duration of the length of the contract. (6) If a customer receives the self-direct credit but fails to properly procure and retire renewable energy credits as required under this subparagraph (R), the Commission, on petition from the Agency and after notice and hearing, may direct such customer's utility to recover the cost of the wrongfully received self-direct credits plus interest through an adder to charges assessed pursuant to Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act. Self-direct customers who knowingly fail to properly procure and retire renewable energy credits and do not notify the Agency are ineligible for continued participation in the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program. (S) Beginning with the long-term renewable resources procurement plan covering program and procurement activity for the delivery year beginning on June 1, 2028, any long-term renewable resources procurement plan developed by the Agency in accordance with subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (1) shall include a Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program for the procurement of geothermal renewable energy credits from new geothermal heating and cooling systems. The long-term renewable resources procurement plan shall allocate up to $10,000,000 per delivery year to fund the Program as described in this subparagraph (S). The Program shall be designed to stimulate the steady, predictable, and sustainable growth of new geothermal heating and cooling system deployment in this State and meet gaps in the marketplace. To this end, the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program shall provide a transparent annual schedule of prices and quantities to enable the geothermal heating and cooling market to scale up and renewable energy credit prices to adjust at a predictable rate over time. The prices set by the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program may be reflected as a set value or as the product of a formula. (i) The Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program shall allocate blocks of renewable energy credits as follows: (1) The Agency may create categories for the Program based on structure features and use cases, including categories based on the nature and size of the Program's projects, customers, communities in which a project is located, and other attributes, defined at the discretion of the Agency through its long-term plan. (2) The Agency shall propose an initial single annual block for each Program delivery year for each category it creates through the delivery year beginning on June 1, 2035. The Program shall include the following for eligible projects for each delivery year: (I) a block of geothermal renewable energy credit volumes; (II) a price for renewable energy credits from geothermal heating and cooling systems within the identified block; and (III) the terms and conditions for securing a spot on a waitlist once the block is fully committed or reserved. The Agency may periodically review its prior decisions establishing the amount of geothermal renewable energy credit volumes in each annual block and the purchase price for each block and may propose, on an expedited basis, changes to the previously set values, including, but not limited to, redistributing the amounts and the available funds as necessary and appropriate, subject to Commission approval. The Agency may define different block sizes, purchase prices, or other distinct terms and conditions for projects located in different utility service territories if the Agency deems it necessary. (3) The Agency may develop an intra-year and year-to-year waitlist and block reservation policy that balances market certainty, program availability, and expedient project deployment. (4) For the program year beginning on June 1, 2028, at least 33% of each annual block shall be available to be reserved for systems that are residential, as defined by the Agency. The Agency shall endeavor to ensure at least 40% of each annual block is available to be reserved by systems located in Equity Investment Eligible Communities. At least 10% of all annual blocks shall be available to be reserved by systems from applicants that are equity eligible contractors, and the Agency shall propose to increase the percentage of systems from applicants that are equity eligible contractors over time to 40% based on factors that include, but are not limited to, the number of equity eligible contractors and the volume used under this clause (4) in previous delivery years. For long-term renewable resources procurement plans developed thereafter, the Agency may propose adjustments to the minimum percentages based on developer interest, market interest and availability, and other factors. (5) The Agency shall establish Program eligibility requirements that ensure that systems that enter the Program are sufficiently mature enough to indicate a demonstrable path to completion and other terms, conditions, and requirements for the program, including vendor registration and approval, sales and marketing requirements, and other consumer protection requirements as the Agency deems necessary. (6) The Program shall be designed to ensure that geothermal renewable energy credits are procured from projects in diverse locations and are not procured from projects that are concentrated in a few regional areas. (7) The Agency, through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, may implement solutions to maintain stable and consistent REC offerings to avoid gaps in availability during a delivery year, including, but not limited to, creating a floating block of REC capacity in a given delivery year. (ii) Energy derived from a geothermal heating and cooling system shall be eligible for inclusion in meeting the requirements of the Program. Geothermal renewable energy credits shall be expressed in megawatt-hour units. To make this calculation, the Agency (1) shall identify an appropriate formula supported by a geothermal industry trade organization, a national laboratory, or another data-backed and verifiable methodology, (2) may propose adjustments to any formulas for its proposed renewable energy credit calculation methodology, and (3) may reflect calculation methodologies already in use for other State renewable portfolio standards, if applicable and appropriate. The Agency shall determine the form and manner in which the renewable energy credits are verified and retired, in accordance with national best practices. Geothermal renewable energy credits retired by obligated utilities for compliance with the Program are only valid for compliance if those geothermal renewable energy credits have not been previously retired by another entity that is not the obligated utility on any tracking system, carbon registry, or other accounting mechanism at any time. Additionally, geothermal renewable energy credits retired by obligated utilities for compliance with the Program shall only be valid for compliance if those geothermal renewable energy credits have not been used to substantiate a public emissions or energy usage claim by any other another entity that is not the obligated utility, of any type and at any time, whether or not the geothermal renewable energy credits were actually retired on a tracking system, registry, or other accounting mechanism at the time of the public emissions-based claim. Geothermal renewable energy credits generated for compliance with the Program shall be valid only if retired once, and claimed once, by the obligated utility. In order to promote the competitive development of geothermal heating and cooling systems in furtherance of this State's interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, renewable energy credits from geothermal heating and cooling systems shall not be eligible for purchase and retirement under this Act if the credits are sourced from a geothermal heating and cooling system for which costs are being recovered on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly through rates regulated by this State or any other state. (iii) The Agency shall establish Program requirements and minimum contract terms to ensure that projects are properly installed and that projects operate to the level of expected benefits. The contract terms shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) The capital that is not advanced shall be disbursed upon a schedule determined by the Agency, based on the total contracted fulfillment over the delivery term, not to exceed, during each delivery year, the contract price multiplied by the estimated annual renewable energy credit generation amount. Payment structures shall include provisions that provide portions of the renewable energy credit delivery contract value upon energization, including no less than 40% of the contract value for residential projects, based on the estimated renewable energy credit production during the contract term. (2) For renewable energy credits that qualify and are procured under the Program, the delivery contract length shall be 15 years. (3) For contracts that are paid upon the delivery of renewable energy credits, if generation of renewable energy credits from geothermal heating and cooling systems during a delivery year exceeds the estimated annual generation amount, the excess of such renewable energy credits shall be carried forward to future delivery years and shall not expire during the delivery term. If the renewable energy credit generation during a delivery year, including any carried forward excess renewable energy credits, is less than the estimated annual generation amount, payments during the delivery year shall not exceed the quantity generated plus the quantity carried forward multiplied by the contract price. The electric utility shall receive all renewable energy credits generated by the project during the first 15 years of operation, and retire all renewable energy credits paid for under this clause (3) and return at the end of the delivery term all geothermal renewable energy credits that were not paid for. Renewable energy credits generated by the project thereafter shall not be transferred under the renewable energy credit delivery contract with the counterparty electric utility. (4) For renewable energy contracts for any type of community, shared, or similar geothermal heating and cooling system that operates using a subscription model and for which subscriptions are a basis for contractual payments, subscription of 90% of total renewable energy credit volumes or greater shall be deemed to be fully subscribed. (5) Beginning with the long-term renewable resources procurement plan covering the delivery year beginning on June 1, 2030, the Agency may propose a payment structure for Program contracts upon a demonstration of qualification or need under criteria established by the Agency that is focused on supporting the small and emerging businesses and the businesses that most acutely face barriers to capital access. Successful applicant firms shall have advanced capital disbursed before renewable energy credits are first generated. The maximum amount or percentage of capital advanced shall be included in the long-term renewable resources procurement plan, and any amount actually advanced shall be designed to overcome the barriers in access to capital that are faced by an applicant through that applicant's demonstration of need. The amount or percentage of advanced capital may vary by year, or inter-year, by structure category, block, and other factors as deemed applicable by the Agency and by an applicant's demonstration of need. Contracts featuring capital advanced prior to system operation shall feature provisions to ensure both the successful development of applicant projects and the delivery of renewable energy credits for the full term of the contract, including ongoing collateral requirements and other provisions deemed necessary by the Agency. The percentage or amount of capital advanced prior to system operation shall not increase the overall contract value. (6) Each contract shall include provisions to ensure the delivery of the estimated quantity of geothermal renewable energy credits, including a requirement of performance assurance in an amount deemed appropriate by the Agency. (7) An obligated utility shall be the counterparty to the contracts executed under this subparagraph (S) that are approved by the Commission. No contract shall be executed for an amount that is less than one geothermal renewable energy credit per year. (8) Nothing in this subparagraph (S) shall require the utility to advance any payment or pay any amounts that exceed the actual amount of revenues anticipated to be collected by the utility inclusive of eligible funds collected in prior years and alternative compliance payments for use by the utility. (9) Contracts may be assignable, but only to entities first deemed by the Agency to have met Program terms and requirements applicable to direct Program participation. In developing contracts for the delivery of renewable energy credits from geothermal heating and cooling systems, the Agency may establish fees applicable to each contract assignment. (10) If, at any time, approved applications for the Program exceed funds collected by the electric utility or would cause the Agency to exceed the limitation on the amount of renewable energy resources that may be procured, then the Agency may consider future uncommitted funds to be reserved for these contracts on a first-come, first-served basis. (iv) In order to advance priority access to the clean energy economy for businesses and workers from communities that have been excluded from economic opportunities in the energy sector, been subject to disproportionate levels of pollution, and disproportionately experienced negative public health outcomes, the Agency shall apply its equity accountability system and minimum equity standards established under subsections (c-10), (c-15), (c-20), (c-25), and (c-30) to geothermal heating and cooling system renewable energy credit procurement and programs and may include any proposed modifications to the equity accountability system and minimum equity standards that may be warranted with respect to geothermal heating and cooling systems in its plan submission to the Commission under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (v) Projects shall be developed in compliance with the prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements, as applicable, for renewable energy projects in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c). Projects approved under this Program are subject to the prevailing wage requirements outlined in subitem (x) of item (1) of subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Renewable energy credits for any single geothermal heating and cooling project that is 142 tons or larger and is procured under this Program after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly shall only be eligible if the associated project was built by general contractors who entered into a project labor agreement prior to construction. The project labor agreement shall be filed with the Director in accordance with procedures established by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. The project labor agreement shall provide the names, addresses, and occupations of the owner of the plant and the individuals representing the labor organization employees that participate in the project labor agreement. The project labor agreement shall also specify terms and conditions as provided in this Act. (vi) The Agency shall strive to minimize administrative expenses in the implementation of the Program. The Agency may use any existing program administrator and any applicable subcontractors to develop, administer, implement, operate, and evaluate the Program. (T) Renewable energy credits procured under Agency procurements or programs for community solar projects with more than 3 megawatts in nameplate capacity must be procured from facilities built by general contractors that, prior to construction, enter into a project labor agreement, as defined by this Act, subject to the following requirements and limitations: (i) The project labor agreement shall be filed with the Director in accordance with procedures established by the Agency through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan. Any information submitted to the Agency under this item (i) shall be considered commercially sensitive information. (ii) At a minimum, the project labor agreement must provide the names, addresses, and occupations of the owner of the project and any individuals representing the labor organization of the employees participating in the project labor agreement consistent with the Project Labor Agreements Act. The project labor agreement must also meet the terms and conditions, as set forth in this Act. (iii) It is the intent of this Section to ensure that economic development occurs across communities in this State, that emerging businesses may grow, and that there is improved access to the clean energy economy by persons who have greater economic burdens to success. The Agency shall take into consideration the unique cost of compliance of this subparagraph (T) that may be borne by equity eligible contractors and shall include those costs when determining the price of renewable energy credits in the Adjustable Block program. The Agency shall consider costs associated with compliance, including in the development, financing, or construction of projects. The Agency shall periodically review the assumptions in these costs and may adjust prices in compliance with subparagraph (M) of this paragraph (1). (2) (Blank). (3) (Blank). (4) The electric utility shall retire all renewable energy credits used to comply with the standard. (5) Beginning with the 2010 delivery year and ending June 1, 2017, an electric utility subject to this subsection (c) shall apply the lesser of the maximum alternative compliance payment rate or the most recent estimated alternative compliance payment rate for its service territory for the corresponding compliance period, established pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 16-115D of the Public Utilities Act to its retail customers that take service pursuant to the electric utility's hourly pricing tariff or tariffs. The electric utility shall retain all amounts collected as a result of the application of the alternative compliance payment rate or rates to such customers, and, beginning in 2011, the utility shall include in the information provided under item (1) of subsection (d) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act the amounts collected under the alternative compliance payment rate or rates for the prior year ending May 31. Notwithstanding any limitation on the procurement of renewable energy resources imposed by item (2) of this subsection (c), the Agency shall increase its spending on the purchase of renewable energy resources to be procured by the electric utility for the next plan year by an amount equal to the amounts collected by the utility under the alternative compliance payment rate or rates in the prior year ending May 31. (6) The electric utility shall be entitled to recover all of its costs associated with the procurement of renewable energy credits under plans approved under this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. These costs shall include associated reasonable expenses for implementing the procurement programs, including, but not limited to, the costs of administering and evaluating the Adjustable Block program and the Geothermal Homes and Businesses Program, through an automatic adjustment clause tariff in accordance with subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act. (7) Renewable energy credits procured from new photovoltaic projects or new distributed renewable energy generation devices under this Section after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906) must be procured from devices installed by a qualified person in compliance with the requirements of Section 16-128A of the Public Utilities Act and any rules or regulations adopted thereunder. In meeting the renewable energy requirements of this subsection (c), to the extent feasible and consistent with State and federal law, the renewable energy credit procurements, Adjustable Block solar program, and community renewable generation program shall provide employment opportunities for all segments of the population and workforce, including minority-owned and female-owned business enterprises, and shall not, consistent with State and federal law, discriminate based on race or socioeconomic status. (c-5) Procurement of renewable energy credits from new renewable energy facilities installed at or adjacent to the sites of electric generating facilities that burn or burned coal as their primary fuel source. (1) In addition to the procurement of renewable energy credits pursuant to long-term renewable resources procurement plans in accordance with subsection (c) of this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, the Agency shall conduct procurement events in accordance with this subsection (c-5) for the procurement by electric utilities that served more than 300,000 retail customers in this State as of January 1, 2019 of renewable energy credits from new renewable energy facilities to be installed at or adjacent to the sites of electric generating facilities that, as of January 1, 2016, burned coal as their primary fuel source and meet the other criteria specified in this subsection (c-5). For purposes of this subsection (c-5), "new renewable energy facility" means a new utility-scale solar project as defined in this Section 1-75. The renewable energy credits procured pursuant to this subsection (c-5) may be included or counted for purposes of compliance with the amounts of renewable energy credits required to be procured pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section to the extent that there are otherwise shortfalls in compliance with such requirements. The procurement of renewable energy credits by electric utilities pursuant to this subsection (c-5) shall be funded solely by revenues collected from the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge provided for in this subsection (c-5) and subsection (i-5) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, shall not be funded by revenues collected through any of the other funding mechanisms provided for in subsection (c) of this Section, and shall not be subject to the limitation imposed by subsection (c) on charges to retail customers for costs to procure renewable energy resources pursuant to subsection (c), and shall not be subject to any other requirements or limitations of subsection (c). (2) The Agency shall conduct 2 procurement events to select owners of electric generating facilities meeting the eligibility criteria specified in this subsection (c-5) to enter into long-term contracts to sell renewable energy credits to electric utilities serving more than 300,000 retail customers in this State as of January 1, 2019. The first procurement event shall be conducted no later than March 31, 2022, unless the Agency elects to delay it, until no later than May 1, 2022, due to its overall volume of work, and shall be to select owners of electric generating facilities located in this State and south of federal Interstate Highway 80 that meet the eligibility criteria specified in this subsection (c-5). The second procurement event shall be conducted no sooner than September 30, 2022 and no later than October 31, 2022 and shall be to select owners of electric generating facilities located anywhere in this State that meet the eligibility criteria specified in this subsection (c-5). The Agency shall establish and announce a time period, which shall begin no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled date for the procurement event, during which applicants may submit applications to be selected as suppliers of renewable energy credits pursuant to this subsection (c-5). The eligibility criteria for selection as a supplier of renewable energy credits pursuant to this subsection (c-5) shall be as follows: (A) The applicant owns an electric generating facility located in this State that: (i) as of January 1, 2016, burned coal as its primary fuel to generate electricity; and (ii) has, or had prior to retirement, an electric generating capacity of at least 150 megawatts. The electric generating facility can be either: (i) retired as of the date of the procurement event; or (ii) still operating as of the date of the procurement event. (B) The applicant is not (i) an electric cooperative as defined in Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act, or (ii) an entity described in subsection (b)(1) of Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or an association or consortium of or an entity owned by entities described in (i) or (ii); and the coal-fueled electric generating facility was at one time owned, in whole or in part, by a public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act. (C) If participating in the first procurement event, the applicant proposes and commits to construct and operate, at the site, and if necessary for sufficient space on property adjacent to the existing property, at which the electric generating facility identified in paragraph (A) is located: (i) a new renewable energy facility of at least 20 megawatts but no more than 100 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and (ii) an energy storage facility having a storage capacity equal to at least 2 megawatts and at most 10 megawatts. If participating in the second procurement event, the applicant proposes and commits to construct and operate, at the site, and if necessary for sufficient space on property adjacent to the existing property, at which the electric generating facility identified in paragraph (A) is located: (i) a new renewable energy facility of at least 5 megawatts but no more than 20 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and (ii) an energy storage facility having a storage capacity equal to at least 0.5 megawatts and at most one megawatt. (D) The applicant agrees that the new renewable energy facility and the energy storage facility will be constructed or installed by a qualified entity or entities in compliance with the requirements of subsection (g) of Section 16-128A of the Public Utilities Act and any rules adopted thereunder. (E) The applicant agrees that personnel operating the new renewable energy facility and the energy storage facility will have the requisite skills, knowledge, training, experience, and competence, which may be demonstrated by completion or current participation and ultimate completion by employees of an accredited or otherwise recognized apprenticeship program for the employee's particular craft, trade, or skill, including through training and education courses and opportunities offered by the owner to employees of the coal-fueled electric generating facility or by previous employment experience performing the employee's particular work skill or function. (F) The applicant commits that not less than the prevailing wage, as determined pursuant to the Prevailing Wage Act, will be paid to the applicant's employees engaged in construction activities associated with the new renewable energy facility and the new energy storage facility and to the employees of applicant's contractors engaged in construction activities associated with the new renewable energy facility and the new energy storage facility, and that, on or before the commercial operation date of the new renewable energy facility, the applicant shall file a report with the Agency certifying that the requirements of this subparagraph (F) have been met. (G) The applicant commits that if selected, it will negotiate a project labor agreement for the construction of the new renewable energy facility and associated energy storage facility that includes provisions requiring the parties to the agreement to work together to establish diversity threshold requirements and to ensure best efforts to meet diversity targets, improve diversity at the applicable job site, create diverse apprenticeship opportunities, and create opportunities to employ former coal-fired power plant workers. (H) The applicant commits to enter into a contract or contracts for the applicable duration to provide specified numbers of renewable energy credits each year from the new renewable energy facility to electric utilities that served more than 300,000 retail customers in this State as of January 1, 2019, at a price of $30 per renewable energy credit. The price per renewable energy credit shall be fixed at $30 for the applicable duration and the renewable energy credits shall not be indexed renewable energy credits as provided for in item (v) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act. The applicable duration of each contract shall be 20 years, unless the applicant is physically interconnected to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid and had a generating capacity of at least 1,200 megawatts as of January 1, 2021, in which case the applicable duration of the contract shall be 15 years. (I) The applicant's application is certified by an officer of the applicant and by an officer of the applicant's ultimate parent company, if any. (3) An applicant may submit applications to contract to supply renewable energy credits from more than one new renewable energy facility to be constructed at or adjacent to one or more qualifying electric generating facilities owned by the applicant. The Agency may select new renewable energy facilities to be located at or adjacent to the sites of more than one qualifying electric generation facility owned by an applicant to contract with electric utilities to supply renewable energy credits from such facilities. (4) The Agency shall assess fees to each applicant to recover the Agency's costs incurred in receiving and evaluating applications, conducting the procurement event, developing contracts for sale, delivery and purchase of renewable energy credits, and monitoring the administration of such contracts, as provided for in this subsection (c-5), including fees paid to a procurement administrator retained by the Agency for one or more of these purposes. (5) The Agency shall select the applicants and the new renewable energy facilities to contract with electric utilities to supply renewable energy credits in accordance with this subsection (c-5). In the first procurement event, the Agency shall select applicants and new renewable energy facilities to supply renewable energy credits, at a price of $30 per renewable energy credit, aggregating to no less than 400,000 renewable energy credits per year for the applicable duration, assuming sufficient qualifying applications to supply, in the aggregate, at least that amount of renewable energy credits per year; and not more than 580,000 renewable energy credits per year for the applicable duration. In the second procurement event, the Agency shall select applicants and new renewable energy facilities to supply renewable energy credits, at a price of $30 per renewable energy credit, aggregating to no more than 625,000 renewable energy credits per year less the amount of renewable energy credits each year contracted for as a result of the first procurement event, for the applicable durations. The number of renewable energy credits to be procured as specified in this paragraph (5) shall not be reduced based on renewable energy credits procured in the self-direct renewable energy credit compliance program established pursuant to subparagraph (R) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. (6) The obligation to purchase renewable energy credits from the applicants and their new renewable energy facilities selected by the Agency shall be allocated to the electric utilities based on their respective percentages of kilowatthours delivered to delivery services customers to the aggregate kilowatthour deliveries by the electric utilities to delivery services customers for the year ended December 31, 2021. In order to achieve these allocation percentages between or among the electric utilities, the Agency shall require each applicant that is selected in the procurement event to enter into a contract with each electric utility for the sale and purchase of renewable energy credits from each new renewable energy facility to be constructed and operated by the applicant, with the sale and purchase obligations under the contracts to aggregate to the total number of renewable energy credits per year to be supplied by the applicant from the new renewable energy facility. (7) The Agency shall submit its proposed selection of applicants, new renewable energy facilities to be constructed, and renewable energy credit amounts for each procurement event to the Commission for approval. The Commission shall, within 2 business days after receipt of the Agency's proposed selections, approve the proposed selections if it determines that the applicants and the new renewable energy facilities to be constructed meet the selection criteria set forth in this subsection (c-5) and that the Agency seeks approval for contracts of applicable durations aggregating to no more than the maximum amount of renewable energy credits per year authorized by this subsection (c-5) for the procurement event, at a price of $30 per renewable energy credit. (8) The Agency, in conjunction with its procurement administrator if one is retained, the electric utilities, and potential applicants for contracts to produce and supply renewable energy credits pursuant to this subsection (c-5), shall develop a standard form contract for the sale, delivery and purchase of renewable energy credits pursuant to this subsection (c-5). Each contract resulting from the first procurement event shall allow for a commercial operation date for the new renewable energy facility of either June 1, 2023 or June 1, 2024, with such dates subject to adjustment as provided in this paragraph. Each contract resulting from the second procurement event shall provide for a commercial operation date on June 1 next occurring up to 48 months after execution of the contract. Each contract shall provide that the owner shall receive payments for renewable energy credits for the applicable durations beginning with the commercial operation date of the new renewable energy facility. The form contract shall provide for adjustments to the commercial operation and payment start dates as needed due to any delays in completing the procurement and contracting processes, in finalizing interconnection agreements and installing interconnection facilities, and in obtaining other necessary governmental permits and approvals. The form contract shall be, to the maximum extent possible, consistent with standard electric industry contracts for sale, delivery, and purchase of renewable energy credits while taking into account the specific requirements of this subsection (c-5). The form contract shall provide for over-delivery and under-delivery of renewable energy credits within reasonable ranges during each 12-month period and penalty, default, and enforcement provisions for failure of the selling party to deliver renewable energy credits as specified in the contract and to comply with the requirements of this subsection (c-5). The standard form contract shall specify that all renewable energy credits delivered to the electric utility pursuant to the contract shall be retired. The Agency shall make the proposed contracts available for a reasonable period for comment by potential applicants, and shall publish the final form contract at least 30 days before the date of the first procurement event. (9) Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge. (A) By no later than July 1, 2022, each electric utility that served more than 300,000 retail customers in this State as of January 1, 2019 shall file a tariff with the Commission for the billing and collection of a Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge in accordance with subsection (i-5) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, with such tariff to be effective, following review and approval or modification by the Commission, beginning January 1, 2023. The tariff shall provide for the calculation and setting of the electric utility's Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge to collect revenues estimated to be sufficient, in the aggregate, (i) to enable the electric utility to pay for the renewable energy credits it has contracted to purchase in the delivery year beginning June 1, 2023 and each delivery year thereafter from new renewable energy facilities located at the sites of qualifying electric generating facilities, and (ii) to fund the grant payments to be made in each delivery year by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or any successor department or agency, which shall be referred to in this subsection (c-5) as the Department, pursuant to paragraph (10) of this subsection (c-5). The electric utility's tariff shall provide for the billing and collection of the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge on each kilowatthour of electricity delivered to its delivery services customers within its service territory and shall provide for an annual reconciliation of revenues collected with actual costs, in accordance with subsection (i-5) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act. (B) Each electric utility shall remit on a monthly basis to the State Treasurer, for deposit in the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund provided for in this subsection (c-5), the electric utility's collections of the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge in the amount estimated to be needed by the Department for grant payments pursuant to grant contracts entered into by the Department pursuant to paragraph (10) of this subsection (c-5). (10) Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund. (A) The Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund is established as a special fund in the State treasury. The Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund is authorized to receive, by statutory deposit, that portion specified in item (B) of paragraph (9) of this subsection (c-5) of moneys collected by electric utilities through imposition of the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Charge required by this subsection (c-5). The Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund shall be administered by the Department to provide grants to support the installation and operation of energy storage facilities at the sites of qualifying electric generating facilities meeting the criteria specified in this paragraph (10). (B) The Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund shall not be subject to sweeps, administrative charges, or chargebacks, including, but not limited to, those authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act, that would in any way result in the transfer of those funds from the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund to any other fund of this State or in having any such funds utilized for any purpose other than the express purposes set forth in this paragraph (10). (C) The Department shall utilize up to $280,500,000 in the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund for grants, assuming sufficient qualifying applicants, to support installation of energy storage facilities at the sites of up to 3 qualifying electric generating facilities located in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., region in Illinois and the sites of up to 2 qualifying electric generating facilities located in the PJM Interconnection, LLC region in Illinois that meet the criteria set forth in this subparagraph (C). The criteria for receipt of a grant pursuant to this subparagraph (C) are as follows: (1) the electric generating facility at the site has, or had prior to retirement, an electric generating capacity of at least 150 megawatts; (2) the electric generating facility burns (or burned prior to retirement) coal as its primary source of fuel; (3) if the electric generating facility is retired, it was retired subsequent to January 1, 2016; (4) the owner of the electric generating facility has not been selected by the Agency pursuant to this subsection (c-5) of this Section to enter into a contract to sell renewable energy credits to one or more electric utilities from a new renewable energy facility located or to be located at or adjacent to the site at which the electric generating facility is located; (5) the electric generating facility located at the site was at one time owned, in whole or in part, by a public utility as defined in Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act; (6) the electric generating facility at the site is not owned by (i) an electric cooperative as defined in Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act, or (ii) an entity described in subsection (b)(1) of Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act, or an association or consortium of or an entity owned by entities described in items (i) or (ii); (7) the proposed energy storage facility at the site will have energy storage capacity of at least 37 megawatts; (8) the owner commits to place the energy storage facility into commercial operation on either June 1, 2023, June 1, 2024, or June 1, 2025, with such date subject to adjustment as needed due to any delays in completing the grant contracting process, in finalizing interconnection agreements and in installing interconnection facilities, and in obtaining necessary governmental permits and approvals; (9) the owner agrees that the new energy storage facility will be constructed or installed by a qualified entity or entities consistent with the requirements of subsection (g) of Section 16-128A of the Public Utilities Act and any rules adopted under that Section; (10) the owner agrees that personnel operating the energy storage facility will have the requisite skills, knowledge, training, experience, and competence, which may be demonstrated by completion or current participation and ultimate completion by employees of an accredited or otherwise recognized apprenticeship program for the employee's particular craft, trade, or skill, including through training and education courses and opportunities offered by the owner to employees of the coal-fueled electric generating facility or by previous employment experience performing the employee's particular work skill or function; (11) the owner commits that not less than the prevailing wage, as determined pursuant to the Prevailing Wage Act, will be paid to the owner's employees engaged in construction activities associated with the new energy storage facility and to the employees of the owner's contractors engaged in construction activities associated with the new energy storage facility, and that, on or before the commercial operation date of the new energy storage facility, the owner shall file a report with the Department certifying that the requirements of this subparagraph (11) have been met; and (12) the owner commits that if selected to receive a grant, it will negotiate a project labor agreement for the construction of the new energy storage facility that includes provisions requiring the parties to the agreement to work together to establish diversity threshold requirements and to ensure best efforts to meet diversity targets, improve diversity at the applicable job site, create diverse apprenticeship opportunities, and create opportunities to employ former coal-fired power plant workers. The Department shall accept applications for this grant program until March 31, 2022 and shall announce the award of grants no later than June 1, 2022. The Department shall make the grant payments to a recipient in equal annual amounts for 10 years following the date the energy storage facility is placed into commercial operation. The annual grant payments to a qualifying energy storage facility shall be $110,000 per megawatt of energy storage capacity, with total annual grant payments pursuant to this subparagraph (C) for qualifying energy storage facilities not to exceed $28,050,000 in any year. (D) Grants of funding for energy storage facilities pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (10), from the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund, shall be memorialized in grant contracts between the Department and the recipient. The grant contracts shall specify the date or dates in each year on which the annual grant payments shall be paid. (E) All disbursements from the Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative Fund shall be made only upon warrants of the Comptroller drawn upon the Treasurer as custodian of the Fund upon vouchers signed by the Director of the Department or by the person or persons designated by the Director of the Department for that purpose. The Comptroller is authorized to draw the warrants upon vouchers so signed. The Treasurer shall accept all written warrants so signed and shall be released from liability for all payments made on those warrants. (11) Diversity, equity, and inclusion plans. (A) Each applicant selected in a procurement event to contract to supply renewable energy credits in accordance with this subsection (c-5) and each owner selected by the Department to receive a grant or grants to support the construction and operation of a new energy storage facility or facilities in accordance with this subsection (c-5) shall, within 60 days following the Commission's approval of the applicant to contract to supply renewable energy credits or within 60 days following execution of a grant contract with the Department, as applicable, submit to the Commission a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan setting forth the applicant's or owner's numeric goals for the diversity composition of its supplier entities for the new renewable energy facility or new energy storage facility, as applicable, which shall be referred to for purposes of this paragraph (11) as the project, and the applicant's or owner's action plan and schedule for achieving those goals. (B) For purposes of this paragraph (11), diversity composition shall be based on the percentage, which shall be a minimum of 25%, of eligible expenditures for contract awards for materials and services (which shall be defined in the plan) to business enterprises owned by minority persons, women, or persons with disabilities as defined in Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, to LGBTQ business enterprises, to veteran-owned business enterprises, and to business enterprises located in environmental justice communities. The diversity composition goals of the plan may include eligible expenditures in areas for vendor or supplier opportunities in addition to development and construction of the project, and may exclude from eligible expenditures materials and services with limited market availability, limited production and availability from suppliers in the United States, such as solar panels and storage batteries, and material and services that are subject to critical energy infrastructure or cybersecurity requirements or restrictions. The plan may provide that the diversity composition goals may be met through Tier 1 Direct or Tier 2 subcontracting expenditures or a combination thereof for the project. (C) The plan shall provide for, but not be limited to: (i) internal initiatives, including multi-tier initiatives, by the applicant or owner, or by its engineering, procurement and construction contractor if one is used for the project, which for purposes of this paragraph (11) shall be referred to as the EPC contractor, to enable diverse businesses to be considered fairly for selection to provide materials and services; (ii) requirements for the applicant or owner or its EPC contractor to proactively solicit and utilize diverse businesses to provide materials and services; and (iii) requirements for the applicant or owner or its EPC contractor to hire a diverse workforce for the project. The plan shall include a description of the applicant's or owner's diversity recruiting efforts both for the project and for other areas of the applicant's or owner's business operations. The plan shall provide for the imposition of financial penalties on the applicant's or owner's EPC contractor for failure to exercise best efforts to comply with and execute the EPC contractor's diversity obligations under the plan. The plan may provide for the applicant or owner to set aside a portion of the work on the project to serve as an incubation program for qualified businesses, as specified in the plan, owned by minority persons, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and veterans, and businesses located in environmental justice communities, seeking to enter the renewable energy industry. (D) The applicant or owner may submit a revised or updated plan to the Commission from time to time as circumstances warrant. The applicant or owner shall file annual reports with the Commission detailing the applicant's or owner's progress in implementing its plan and achieving its goals and any modifications the applicant or owner has made to its plan to better achieve its diversity, equity and inclusion goals. The applicant or owner shall file a final report on the fifth June 1 following the commercial operation date of the new renewable energy resource or new energy storage facility, but the applicant or owner shall thereafter continue to be subject to applicable reporting requirements of Section 5-117 of the Public Utilities Act. (c-10) Equity accountability system. It is the purpose of this subsection (c-10) to create an equity accountability system, which includes the minimum equity standards for all renewable energy procurements, the equity category of the Adjustable Block Program, and the equity prioritization for noncompetitive procurements, that is successful in advancing priority access to the clean energy economy for businesses and workers from communities that have been excluded from economic opportunities in the energy sector, have been subject to disproportionate levels of pollution, and have disproportionately experienced negative public health outcomes. Further, it is the purpose of this subsection to ensure that this equity accountability system is successful in advancing equity across Illinois by providing access to the clean energy economy for businesses and workers from communities that have been historically excluded from economic opportunities in the energy sector, have been subject to disproportionate levels of pollution, and have disproportionately experienced negative public health outcomes. (1) Minimum equity standards. The Agency shall create programs with the purpose of increasing access to and development of equity eligible contractors, who are prime contractors and subcontractors, across all of the programs it manages. All applications for renewable energy credit procurements shall comply with specific minimum equity commitments. Starting in the delivery year immediately following the next long-term renewable resources procurement plan, at least 10% of the project workforce for each entity participating in a procurement program outlined in this subsection (c-10) must be done by equity eligible persons or equity eligible contractors. The Agency shall increase the minimum percentage each delivery year thereafter by increments that ensure a statewide average of 30% of the project workforce for each entity participating in a procurement program is done by equity eligible persons or equity eligible contractors by 2030. The Agency shall propose a schedule of percentage increases to the minimum equity standards in its draft revised renewable energy resources procurement plan submitted to the Commission for approval pursuant to paragraph (5) of subsection (b) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. In determining these annual increases, the Agency shall have the discretion to establish different minimum equity standards for different types of procurements and different regions of the State if the Agency finds that doing so will further the purposes of this subsection (c-10). The proposed schedule of annual increases shall be revisited and updated on an annual basis. Revisions shall be developed with stakeholder input, including from equity eligible persons, equity eligible contractors, clean energy industry representatives, and community-based organizations that work with such persons and contractors. (A) At the start of each delivery year, the Agency shall require a compliance plan from each entity participating in a procurement program of subsection (c) of this Section, and entities opting to comply with the minimum equity standard through the Illinois Solar for All Program under Section 1-56 of this Act, that demonstrates how they will achieve compliance with the minimum equity standard percentage for work completed in that delivery year. If an entity applies for its approved vendor or designee status between delivery years, the Agency shall require a compliance plan at the time of application. (B) Halfway through each delivery year, the Agency shall require each entity participating in a procurement program to confirm that it will achieve compliance in that delivery year, when applicable. The Agency may offer corrective action plans to entities that are not on track to achieve compliance. (C) At the end of each delivery year, each entity participating and completing work in that delivery year in a procurement program of subsection (c) shall submit a report to the Agency that demonstrates how it achieved compliance with the minimum equity standards percentage for that delivery year. (D) The Agency shall prohibit participation in procurement programs by an approved vendor or designee, as applicable, or entities with which an approved vendor or designee, as applicable, shares a common parent company if an approved vendor or designee, as applicable, failed to meet the minimum equity standards for the prior delivery year. Waivers approved for lack of equity eligible persons or equity eligible contractors in a geographic area of a project shall not count against the approved vendor or designee. The Agency shall offer a corrective action plan for any such entities to assist them in obtaining compliance and shall allow continued access to procurement programs upon an approved vendor or designee demonstrating compliance. (E) The Agency shall pursue efficiencies achieved by combining with other approved vendor or designee reporting. (2) Equity accountability system within the Adjustable Block program. The equity category described in item (vi) of subparagraph (K) of subsection (c) is only available to applicants that are equity eligible contractors. (3) Equity accountability system within competitive procurements. Through its long-term renewable resources procurement plan, the Agency shall develop requirements for ensuring that competitive procurement processes, including utility-scale solar, utility-scale wind, and brownfield site photovoltaic projects, advance the equity goals of this subsection (c-10). Subject to Commission approval, the Agency shall develop bid application requirements and a bid evaluation methodology for ensuring that utilization of equity eligible contractors, whether as bidders or as participants on project development, is optimized, including requiring that winning or successful applicants for utility-scale projects are or will partner with equity eligible contractors and giving preference to bids through which a higher portion of contract value flows to equity eligible contractors. To the extent practicable, entities participating in competitive procurements shall also be required to meet all the equity accountability requirements for approved vendors and their designees under this subsection (c-10). In developing these requirements, the Agency shall also consider whether equity goals can be further advanced through additional measures. (4) In the first revision to the long-term renewable energy resources procurement plan and each revision thereafter, the Agency shall include the following: (A) The current status and number of equity eligible contractors listed in the Energy Workforce Equity Database designed in subsection (c-25), including the number of equity eligible contractors with current certifications as issued by the Agency. (B) A mechanism for measuring, tracking, and reporting project workforce at the approved vendor or designee level, as applicable, which shall include a measurement methodology and records to be made available for audit by the Agency or the Program Administrator. (C) A program for approved vendors, designees, eligible persons, and equity eligible contractors to receive trainings, guidance, and other support from the Agency or its designee regarding the equity category outlined in item (vi) of subparagraph (K) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) and in meeting the minimum equity standards of this subsection (c-10). (D) A process for certifying equity eligible contractors and equity eligible persons. The certification process shall coordinate with the Energy Workforce Equity Database set forth in subsection (c-25). (E) An application for waiver of the minimum equity standards of this subsection, which the Agency shall have the discretion to grant in rare circumstances. The Agency may grant such a waiver where the applicant provides evidence of significant efforts toward meeting the minimum equity commitment, including: use of the Energy Workforce Equity Database; efforts to hire or contract with entities that hire eligible persons; and efforts to establish contracting relationships with eligible contractors. The Agency shall support applicants in understanding the Energy Workforce Equity Database and other resources for pursuing compliance of the minimum equity standards. Waivers shall be project-specific, unless the Agency deems it necessary to grant a waiver across a portfolio of projects, and in effect for no longer than one year. Any waiver extension or subsequent waiver request from an applicant shall be subject to the requirements of this Section and shall specify efforts made to reach compliance. When considering whether to grant a waiver, and to what extent, the Agency shall consider the degree to which similarly situated applicants have been able to meet these minimum equity commitments. For repeated waiver requests for specific lack of eligible persons or eligible contractors available, the Agency shall make recommendations to target recruitment to add such eligible persons or eligible contractors to the database. (5) The Agency shall collect information about work on projects or portfolios of projects subject to these minimum equity standards to ensure compliance with this subsection (c-10). Reporting in furtherance of this requirement may be combined with other annual reporting requirements. Such reporting shall include proof of certification of each equity eligible contractor or equity eligible person during the applicable time period. As part of the reporting requirement under this subparagraph (5), the Agency shall collect and report information about the use of equity eligible contractors and equity eligible persons, as well as Minimum Equity Standard compliance and waiver usage on the Adjustable Block program and utility-scale projects subject to project labor agreements. The Agency shall note any instances of the projects being unable to meet or requiring a waiver to meet Minimum Equity Standard requirements and the location of those projects. On an annual basis, the Agency shall submit a written summary of its findings on an annual basis to the General Assembly and the Governor and shall make the report and summary available on the Agency's website. (6) The Agency shall keep confidential all information and communication that provides private or personal information. (7) Modifications to the equity accountability system. As part of the update of the long-term renewable resources procurement plan to be initiated in 2023, or sooner if the Agency deems necessary, the Agency shall determine the extent to which the equity accountability system described in this subsection (c-10) has advanced the goals of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, including through the inclusion of equity eligible persons and equity eligible contractors in renewable energy credit projects. If the Agency finds that the equity accountability system has failed to meet those goals to its fullest potential, the Agency may revise the following criteria for future Agency procurements: (A) the percentage of project workforce, or other appropriate workforce measure, certified as equity eligible persons or equity eligible contractors; (B) definitions for equity investment eligible persons and equity investment eligible community; and (C) such other modifications necessary to advance the goals of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly effectively. Such revised criteria may also establish distinct equity accountability systems for different types of procurements or different regions of the State if the Agency finds that doing so will further the purposes of such programs. Revisions shall be developed with stakeholder input, including from equity eligible persons, equity eligible contractors, and community-based organizations that work with such persons and contractors. (c-15) Racial discrimination elimination powers and process. (1) Purpose. It is the purpose of this subsection to empower the Agency and other State actors to remedy racial discrimination in Illinois' clean energy economy as effectively and expediently as possible, including through the use of race-conscious remedies, such as race-conscious contracting and hiring goals, as consistent with State and federal law. (2) Racial disparity and discrimination review process. (A) Within one year after awarding contracts using the equity actions processes established in this Section, the Agency shall publish a report evaluating the effectiveness of the equity actions point criteria of this Section in increasing participation of equity eligible persons and equity eligible contractors. The report shall disaggregate participating workers and contractors by race and ethnicity. The report shall be forwarded to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Commerce Commission and be made available to the public. (B) As soon as is practicable thereafter, the Agency, in consultation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Department of Labor, and other agencies that may be relevant, shall commission and publish a disparity and availability study that measures the presence and impact of discrimination on minority businesses and workers in Illinois' clean energy economy. The Agency may hire consultants and experts to conduct the disparity and availability study, with the retention of those consultants and experts exempt from the requirements of Section 20-10 of the Illinois Procurement Code. The Illinois Power Agency shall forward a copy of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Illinois Commerce Commission. If the disparity and availability study establishes a strong basis in evidence that there is discrimination in Illinois' clean energy economy, the Agency, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Department of Labor, Department of Corrections, and other appropriate agencies shall take appropriate remedial actions, including race-conscious remedial actions as consistent with State and federal law, to effectively remedy this discrimination. Such remedies may include modification of the equity accountability system as described in subsection (c-10). (c-20) Program data collection. (1) Purpose. Data collection, data analysis, and reporting are critical to ensure that the benefits of the clean energy economy provided to Illinois residents and businesses are equitably distributed across the State. The Agency shall collect data from program applicants in order to track and improve equitable distribution of benefits across Illinois communities for all procurements the Agency conducts. The Agency shall use this data to, among other things, measure any potential impact of racial discrimination on the distribution of benefits and provide information necessary to correct any discrimination through methods consistent with State and federal law. (2) Agency collection of program data. The Agency shall collect demographic and geographic data for each entity awarded contracts under any Agency-administered program. (3) Required information to be collected. The Agency shall collect the following information from applicants and program participants where applicable: (A) demographic information, including racial or ethnic identity for real persons employed, contracted, or subcontracted through the program and owners of businesses or entities that apply to receive renewable energy credits from the Agency; (B) geographic location of the residency of real persons employed, contracted, or subcontracted through the program and geographic location of the headquarters of the business or entity that applies to receive renewable energy credits from the Agency; and (C) any other information the Agency determines is necessary for the purpose of achieving the purpose of this subsection. (4) Publication of collected information. The Agency shall publish, at least annually, information on the demographics of program participants on an aggregate basis. (5) Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted to limit the authority of the Agency, or other agency or department of the State, to require or collect demographic information from applicants of other State programs. (c-25) Energy Workforce Equity Database. (1) The Agency, in consultation with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, shall create an Energy Workforce Equity Database, and may contract with a third party to do so ("database program administrator"). If the Department decides to contract with a third party, that third party shall be exempt from the requirements of Section 20-10 of the Illinois Procurement Code. The Energy Workforce Equity Database shall be a searchable database of suppliers, vendors, and subcontractors for clean energy industries that is: (A) publicly accessible; (B) easy for people to find and use; (C) organized by company specialty or field; (D) region-specific; and (E) populated with information including, but not limited to, contacts for suppliers, vendors, or subcontractors who are minority and women-owned business enterprise certified or who participate or have participated in any of the programs described in this Act. (2) The Agency shall create an easily accessible, public facing online tool using the database information that includes, at a minimum, the following: (A) a map of environmental justice and equity investment eligible communities; (B) job postings and recruiting opportunities; (C) a means by which recruiting clean energy companies can find and interact with current or former participants of clean energy workforce training programs; (D) information on workforce training service providers and training opportunities available to prospective workers; (E) renewable energy company diversity reporting; (F) a list of equity eligible contractors with their contact information, types of work performed, and locations worked in; (G) reporting on outcomes of the programs described in the workforce programs of the Energy Transition Act, including information such as, but not limited to, retention rate, graduation rate, and placement rates of trainees; and (H) information about the Jobs and Environmental Justice Grant Program, the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund, and other sources of capital. (3) The Agency shall ensure the database is regularly updated to ensure information is current and shall coordinate with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to ensure that it includes information on individuals and entities that are or have participated in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, or Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program. (c-30) Enforcement of minimum equity standards. All entities seeking renewable energy credits must submit an annual report to demonstrate compliance with each of the equity commitments required under subsection (c-10). If the Agency concludes the entity has not met or maintained its minimum equity standards required under the applicable subparagraphs under subsection (c-10), the Agency shall deny the entity's ability to participate in procurement programs in subsection (c), including by withholding approved vendor or designee status. The Agency may require the entity to enter into a corrective action plan. An entity that is not recertified for failing to meet required equity actions in subparagraph (c-10) may reapply once they have a corrective action plan and achieve compliance with the minimum equity standards. (d) Clean coal portfolio standard. (1) The procurement plans shall include electricity generated using clean coal. Each utility shall enter into one or more sourcing agreements with the initial clean coal facility, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d), covering electricity generated by the initial clean coal facility representing at least 5% of each utility's total supply to serve the load of eligible retail customers in 2015 and each year thereafter, as described in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d), subject to the limits specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection (d). It is the goal of the State that by January 1, 2025, 25% of the electricity used in the State shall be generated by cost-effective clean coal facilities. For purposes of this subsection (d), "cost-effective" means that the expenditures pursuant to such sourcing agreements do not cause the limit stated in paragraph (2) of this subsection (d) to be exceeded and do not exceed cost-based benchmarks, which shall be developed to assess all expenditures pursuant to such sourcing agreements covering electricity generated by clean coal facilities, other than the initial clean coal facility, by the procurement administrator, in consultation with the Commission staff, Agency staff, and the procurement monitor and shall be subject to Commission review and approval. A utility party to a sourcing agreement shall immediately retire any emission credits that it receives in connection with the electricity covered by such agreement. Utilities shall maintain adequate records documenting the purchases under the sourcing agreement to comply with this subsection (d) and shall file an accounting with the load forecast that must be filed with the Agency by July 15 of each year, in accordance with subsection (d) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. A utility shall be deemed to have complied with the clean coal portfolio standard specified in this subsection (d) if the utility enters into a sourcing agreement as required by this subsection (d). (2) For purposes of this subsection (d), the required execution of sourcing agreements with the initial clean coal facility for a particular year shall be measured as a percentage of the actual amount of electricity (megawatt-hours) supplied by the electric utility to eligible retail customers in the planning year ending immediately prior to the agreement's execution. For purposes of this subsection (d), the amount paid per kilowatthour means the total amount paid for electric service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For purposes of this subsection (d), the total amount paid for electric service includes without limitation amounts paid for supply, transmission, distribution, surcharges and add-on taxes. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection (d), the total amount paid under sourcing agreements with clean coal facilities pursuant to the procurement plan for any given year shall be reduced by an amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to: (A) in 2010, no more than 0.5% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009; (B) in 2011, the greater of an additional 0.5% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2010 or 1% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009; (C) in 2012, the greater of an additional 0.5% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2011 or 1.5% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009; (D) in 2013, the greater of an additional 0.5% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2012 or 2% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009; and (E) thereafter, the total amount paid under sourcing agreements with clean coal facilities pursuant to the procurement plan for any single year shall be reduced by an amount necessary to limit the estimated average net increase due to the cost of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than the greater of (i) 2.015% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009 or (ii) the incremental amount per kilowatthour paid for these resources in 2013. These requirements may be altered only as provided by statute. No later than June 30, 2015, the Commission shall review the limitation on the total amount paid under sourcing agreements, if any, with clean coal facilities pursuant to this subsection (d) and report to the General Assembly its findings as to whether that limitation unduly constrains the amount of electricity generated by cost-effective clean coal facilities that is covered by sourcing agreements. (3) Initial clean coal facility. In order to promote development of clean coal facilities in Illinois, each electric utility subject to this Section shall execute a sourcing agreement to source electricity from a proposed clean coal facility in Illinois (the "initial clean coal facility") that will have a nameplate capacity of at least 500 MW when commercial operation commences, that has a final Clean Air Act permit on June 1, 2009 (the effective date of Public Act 95-1027), and that will meet the definition of clean coal facility in Section 1-10 of this Act when commercial operation commences. The sourcing agreements with this initial clean coal facility shall be subject to both approval of the initial clean coal facility by the General Assembly and satisfaction of the requirements of paragraph (4) of this subsection (d) and shall be executed within 90 days after any such approval by the General Assembly. The Agency and the Commission shall have authority to inspect all books and records associated with the initial clean coal facility during the term of such a sourcing agreement. A utility's sourcing agreement for electricity produced by the initial clean coal facility shall include: (A) a formula contractual price (the "contract price") approved pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (d), which shall: (i) be determined using a cost of service methodology employing either a level or deferred capital recovery component, based on a capital structure consisting of 45% equity and 55% debt, and a return on equity as may be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which in any case may not exceed the lower of 11.5% or the rate of return approved by the General Assembly pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (d); and (ii) provide that all miscellaneous net revenue, including but not limited to net revenue from the sale of emission allowances, if any, substitute natural gas, if any, grants or other support provided by the State of Illinois or the United States Government, firm transmission rights, if any, by-products produced by the facility, energy or capacity derived from the facility and not covered by a sourcing agreement pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (d) or item (5) of subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act, whether generated from the synthesis gas derived from coal, from SNG, or from natural gas, shall be credited against the revenue requirement for this initial clean coal facility; (B) power purchase provisions, which shall: (i) provide that the utility party to such sourcing agreement shall pay the contract price for electricity delivered under such sourcing agreement; (ii) require delivery of electricity to the regional transmission organization market of the utility that is party to such sourcing agreement; (iii) require the utility party to such sourcing agreement to buy from the initial clean coal facility in each hour an amount of energy equal to all clean coal energy made available from the initial clean coal facility during such hour times a fraction, the numerator of which is such utility's retail market sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State during the prior calendar month and the denominator of which is the total retail market sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State by utilities during such prior month and the sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State by alternative retail electric suppliers during such prior month that are subject to the requirements of this subsection (d) and paragraph (5) of subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act, provided that the amount purchased by the utility in any year will be limited by paragraph (2) of this subsection (d); and (iv) be considered pre-existing contracts in such utility's procurement plans for eligible retail customers; (C) contract for differences provisions, which shall: (i) require the utility party to such sourcing agreement to contract with the initial clean coal facility in each hour with respect to an amount of energy equal to all clean coal energy made available from the initial clean coal facility during such hour times a fraction, the numerator of which is such utility's retail market sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the utility's service territory in the State during the prior calendar month and the denominator of which is the total retail market sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State by utilities during such prior month and the sales of electricity (expressed in kilowatthours sold) in the State by alternative retail electric suppliers during such prior month that are subject to the requirements of this subsection (d) and paragraph (5) of subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act, provided that the amount paid by the utility in any year will be limited by paragraph (2) of this subsection (d); (ii) provide that the utility's payment obligation in respect of the quantity of electricity determined pursuant to the preceding clause (i) shall be limited to an amount equal to (1) the difference between the contract price determined pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (d) and the day-ahead price for electricity delivered to the regional transmission organization market of the utility that is party to such sourcing agreement (or any successor delivery point at which such utility's supply obligations are financially settled on an hourly basis) (the "reference price") on the day preceding the day on which the electricity is delivered to the initial clean coal facility busbar, multiplied by (2) the quantity of electricity determined pursuant to the preceding clause (i); and (iii) not require the utility to take physical delivery of the electricity produced by the facility; (D) general provisions, which shall: (i) specify a term of no more than 30 years, commencing on the commercial operation date of the facility; (ii) provide that utilities shall maintain adequate records documenting purchases under the sourcing agreements entered into to comply with this subsection (d) and shall file an accounting with the load forecast that must be filed with the Agency by July 15 of each year, in accordance with subsection (d) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act; (iii) provide that all costs associated with the initial clean coal facility will be periodically reported to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and to purchasers in accordance with applicable laws governing cost-based wholesale power contracts; (iv) permit the Illinois Power Agency to assume ownership of the initial clean coal facility, without monetary consideration and otherwise on reasonable terms acceptable to the Agency, if the Agency so requests no less than 3 years prior to the end of the stated contract term; (v) require the owner of the initial clean coal facility to provide documentation to the Commission each year, starting in the facility's first year of commercial operation, accurately reporting the quantity of carbon emissions from the facility that have been captured and sequestered and report any quantities of carbon released from the site or sites at which carbon emissions were sequestered in prior years, based on continuous monitoring of such sites. If, in any year after the first year of commercial operation, the owner of the facility fails to demonstrate that the initial clean coal facility captured and sequestered at least 50% of the total carbon emissions that the facility would otherwise emit or that sequestration of emissions from prior years has failed, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the owner of the facility must offset excess emissions. Any such carbon offsets must be permanent, additional, verifiable, real, located within the State of Illinois, and legally and practicably enforceable. The cost of such offsets for the facility that are not recoverable shall not exceed $15 million in any given year. No costs of any such purchases of carbon offsets may be recovered from a utility or its customers. All carbon offsets purchased for this purpose and any carbon emission credits associated with sequestration of carbon from the facility must be permanently retired. The initial clean coal facility shall not forfeit its designation as a clean coal facility if the facility fails to fully comply with the applicable carbon sequestration requirements in any given year, provided the requisite offsets are purchased. However, the Attorney General, on behalf of the People of the State of Illinois, may specifically enforce the facility's sequestration requirement and the other terms of this contract provision. Compliance with the sequestration requirements and offset purchase requirements specified in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d) shall be reviewed annually by an independent expert retained by the owner of the initial clean coal facility, with the advance written approval of the Attorney General. The Commission may, in the course of the review specified in item (vii), reduce the allowable return on equity for the facility if the facility willfully fails to comply with the carbon capture and sequestration requirements set forth in this item (v); (vi) include limits on, and accordingly provide for modification of, the amount the utility is required to source under the sourcing agreement consistent with paragraph (2) of this subsection (d); (vii) require Commission review: (1) to determine the justness, reasonableness, and prudence of the inputs to the formula referenced in subparagraphs (A)(i) through (A)(iii) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (d), prior to an adjustment in those inputs including, without limitation, the capital structure and return on equity, fuel costs, and other operations and maintenance costs and (2) to approve the costs to be passed through to customers under the sourcing agreement by which the utility satisfies its statutory obligations. Commission review shall occur no less than every 3 years, regardless of whether any adjustments have been proposed, and shall be completed within 9 months; (viii) limit the utility's obligation to such amount as the utility is allowed to recover through tariffs filed with the Commission, provided that neither the clean coal facility nor the utility waives any right to assert federal pre-emption or any other argument in response to a purported disallowance of recovery costs; (ix) limit the utility's or alternative retail electric supplier's obligation to incur any liability until such time as the facility is in commercial operation and generating power and energy and such power and energy is being delivered to the facility busbar; (x) provide that the owner or owners of the initial clean coal facility, which is the counterparty to such sourcing agreement, shall have the right from time to time to elect whether the obligations of the utility party thereto shall be governed by the power purchase provisions or the contract for differences provisions; (xi) append documentation showing that the formula rate and contract, insofar as they relate to the power purchase provisions, have been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to Section 205 of the Federal Power Act; (xii) provide that any changes to the terms of the contract, insofar as such changes relate to the power purchase provisions, are subject to review under the public interest standard applied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to Sections 205 and 206 of the Federal Power Act; and (xiii) conform with customary lender requirements in power purchase agreements used as the basis for financing non-utility generators. (4) Effective date of sourcing agreements with the initial clean coal facility. Any proposed sourcing agreement with the initial clean coal facility shall not become effective unless the following reports are prepared and submitted and authorizations and approvals obtained: (i) Facility cost report. The owner of the initial clean coal facility shall submit to the Commission, the Agency, and the General Assembly a front-end engineering and design study, a facility cost report, method of financing (including but not limited to structure and associated costs), and an operating and maintenance cost quote for the facility (collectively "facility cost report"), which shall be prepared in accordance with the requirements of this paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section, and shall provide the Commission and the Agency access to the work papers, relied upon documents, and any other backup documentation related to the facility cost report. (ii) Commission report. Within 6 months following receipt of the facility cost report, the Commission, in consultation with the Agency, shall submit a report to the General Assembly setting forth its analysis of the facility cost report. Such report shall include, but not be limited to, a comparison of the costs associated with electricity generated by the initial clean coal facility to the costs associated with electricity generated by other types of generation facilities, an analysis of the rate impacts on residential and small business customers over the life of the sourcing agreements, and an analysis of the likelihood that the initial clean coal facility will commence commercial operation by and be delivering power to the facility's busbar by 2016. To assist in the preparation of its report, the Commission, in consultation with the Agency, may hire one or more experts or consultants, the costs of which shall be paid for by the owner of the initial clean coal facility. The Commission and Agency may begin the process of selecting such experts or consultants prior to receipt of the facility cost report. (iii) General Assembly approval. The proposed sourcing agreements shall not take effect unless, based on the facility cost report and the Commission's report, the General Assembly enacts authorizing legislation approving (A) the projected price, stated in cents per kilowatthour, to be charged for electricity generated by the initial clean coal facility, (B) the projected impact on residential and small business customers' bills over the life of the sourcing agreements, and (C) the maximum allowable return on equity for the project; and (iv) Commission review. If the General Assembly enacts authorizing legislation pursuant to subparagraph (iii) approving a sourcing agreement, the Commission shall, within 90 days of such enactment, complete a review of such sourcing agreement. During such time period, the Commission shall implement any directive of the General Assembly, resolve any disputes between the parties to the sourcing agreement concerning the terms of such agreement, approve the form of such agreement, and issue an order finding that the sourcing agreement is prudent and reasonable. The facility cost report shall be prepared as follows: (A) The facility cost report shall be prepared by duly licensed engineering and construction firms detailing the estimated capital costs payable to one or more contractors or suppliers for the engineering, procurement and construction of the components comprising the initial clean coal facility and the estimated costs of operation and maintenance of the facility. The facility cost report shall include: (i) an estimate of the capital cost of the core plant based on one or more front end engineering and design studies for the gasification island and related facilities. The core plant shall include all civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, control, and safety systems. (ii) an estimate of the capital cost of the balance of the plant, including any capital costs associated with sequestration of carbon dioxide emissions and all interconnects and interfaces required to operate the facility, such as transmission of electricity, construction or backfeed power supply, pipelines to transport substitute natural gas or carbon dioxide, potable water supply, natural gas supply, water supply, water discharge, landfill, access roads, and coal delivery. The quoted construction costs shall be expressed in nominal dollars as of the date that the quote is prepared and shall include capitalized financing costs during construction, taxes, insurance, and other owner's costs, and an assumed escalation in materials and labor beyond the date as of which the construction cost quote is expressed. (B) The front end engineering and design study for the gasification island and the cost study for the balance of plant shall include sufficient design work to permit quantification of major categories of materials, commodities and labor hours, and receipt of quotes from vendors of major equipment required to construct and operate the clean coal facility. (C) The facility cost report shall also include an operating and maintenance cost quote that will provide the estimated cost of delivered fuel, personnel, maintenance contracts, chemicals, catalysts, consumables, spares, and other fixed and variable operations and maintenance costs. The delivered fuel cost estimate will be provided by a recognized third party expert or experts in the fuel and transportation industries. The balance of the operating and maintenance cost quote, excluding delivered fuel costs, will be developed based on the inputs provided by duly licensed engineering and construction firms performing the construction cost quote, potential vendors under long-term service agreements and plant operating agreements, or recognized third party plant operator or operators. The operating and maintenance cost quote (including the cost of the front end engineering and design study) shall be expressed in nominal dollars as of the date that the quote is prepared and shall include taxes, insurance, and other owner's costs, and an assumed escalation in materials and labor beyond the date as of which the operating and maintenance cost quote is expressed. (D) The facility cost report shall also include an analysis of the initial clean coal facility's ability to deliver power and energy into the applicable regional transmission organization markets and an analysis of the expected capacity factor for the initial clean coal facility. (E) Amounts paid to third parties unrelated to the owner or owners of the initial clean coal facility to prepare the core plant construction cost quote, including the front end engineering and design study, and the operating and maintenance cost quote will be reimbursed through Coal Development Bonds. (5) Re-powering and retrofitting coal-fired power plants previously owned by Illinois utilities to qualify as clean coal facilities. During the 2009 procurement planning process and thereafter, the Agency and the Commission shall consider sourcing agreements covering electricity generated by power plants that were previously owned by Illinois utilities and that have been or will be converted into clean coal facilities, as defined by Section 1-10 of this Act. Pursuant to such procurement planning process, the owners of such facilities may propose to the Agency sourcing agreements with utilities and alternative retail electric suppliers required to comply with subsection (d) of this Section and item (5) of subsection (d) of Section 16-115 of the Public Utilities Act, covering electricity generated by such facilities. In the case of sourcing agreements that are power purchase agreements, the contract price for electricity sales shall be established on a cost of service basis. In the case of sourcing agreements that are contracts for differences, the contract price from which the reference price is subtracted shall be established on a cost of service basis. The Agency and the Commission may approve any such utility sourcing agreements that do not exceed cost-based benchmarks developed by the procurement administrator, in consultation with the Commission staff, Agency staff and the procurement monitor, subject to Commission review and approval. The Commission shall have authority to inspect all books and records associated with these clean coal facilities during the term of any such contract. (6) Costs incurred under this subsection (d) or pursuant to a contract entered into under this subsection (d) shall be deemed prudently incurred and reasonable in amount and the electric utility shall be entitled to full cost recovery pursuant to the tariffs filed with the Commission. (d-5) Zero emission standard. (1) Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June 1, 2017, the Agency shall, for electric utilities that serve at least 100,000 retail customers in this State, procure contracts with zero emission facilities that are reasonably capable of generating cost-effective zero emission credits in an amount approximately equal to 16% of the actual amount of electricity delivered by each electric utility to retail customers in the State during calendar year 2014. For an electric utility serving fewer than 100,000 retail customers in this State that requested, under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, that the Agency procure power and energy for all or a portion of the utility's Illinois load for the delivery year commencing June 1, 2016, the Agency shall procure contracts with zero emission facilities that are reasonably capable of generating cost-effective zero emission credits in an amount approximately equal to 16% of the portion of power and energy to be procured by the Agency for the utility. The duration of the contracts procured under this subsection (d-5) shall be for a term of 10 years ending May 31, 2027. The quantity of zero emission credits to be procured under the contracts shall be all of the zero emission credits generated by the zero emission facility in each delivery year; however, if the zero emission facility is owned by more than one entity, then the quantity of zero emission credits to be procured under the contracts shall be the amount of zero emission credits that are generated from the portion of the zero emission facility that is owned by the winning supplier. The 16% value identified in this paragraph (1) is the average of the percentage targets in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section for the 5 delivery years beginning June 1, 2017. The procurement process shall be subject to the following provisions: (A) Those zero emission facilities that intend to participate in the procurement shall submit to the Agency the following eligibility information for each zero emission facility on or before the date established by the Agency: (i) the in-service date and remaining useful life of the zero emission facility; (ii) the amount of power generated annually for each of the years 2005 through 2015, and the projected zero emission credits to be generated over the remaining useful life of the zero emission facility, which shall be used to determine the capability of each facility; (iii) the annual zero emission facility cost projections, expressed on a per megawatthour basis, over the next 6 delivery years, which shall include the following: operation and maintenance expenses; fully allocated overhead costs, which shall be allocated using the methodology developed by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations; fuel expenditures; non-fuel capital expenditures; spent fuel expenditures; a return on working capital; the cost of operational and market risks that could be avoided by ceasing operation; and any other costs necessary for continued operations, provided that "necessary" means, for purposes of this item (iii), that the costs could reasonably be avoided only by ceasing operations of the zero emission facility; and (iv) a commitment to continue operating, for the duration of the contract or contracts executed under the procurement held under this subsection (d-5), the zero emission facility that produces the zero emission credits to be procured in the procurement. The information described in item (iii) of this subparagraph (A) may be submitted on a confidential basis and shall be treated and maintained by the Agency, the procurement administrator, and the Commission as confidential and proprietary and exempt from disclosure under subparagraphs (a) and (g) of paragraph (1) of Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act. The Office of Attorney General shall have access to, and maintain the confidentiality of, such information pursuant to Section 6.5 of the Attorney General Act. (B) The price for each zero emission credit procured under this subsection (d-5) for each delivery year shall be in an amount that equals the Social Cost of Carbon, expressed on a price per megawatthour basis. However, to ensure that the procurement remains affordable to retail customers in this State if electricity prices increase, the price in an applicable delivery year shall be reduced below the Social Cost of Carbon by the amount ("Price Adjustment") by which the market price index for the applicable delivery year exceeds the baseline market price index for the consecutive 12-month period ending May 31, 2016. If the Price Adjustment is greater than or equal to the Social Cost of Carbon in an applicable delivery year, then no payments shall be due in that delivery year. The components of this calculation are defined as follows: (i) Social Cost of Carbon: The Social Cost of Carbon is $16.50 per megawatthour, which is based on the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon's price in the August 2016 Technical Update using a 3% discount rate, adjusted for inflation for each year of the program. Beginning with the delivery year commencing June 1, 2023, the price per megawatthour shall increase by $1 per megawatthour, and continue to increase by an additional $1 per megawatthour each delivery year thereafter. (ii) Baseline market price index: The baseline market price index for the consecutive 12-month period ending May 31, 2016 is $31.40 per megawatthour, which is based on the sum of (aa) the average day-ahead energy price across all hours of such 12-month period at the PJM Interconnection LLC Northern Illinois Hub, (bb) 50% multiplied by the Base Residual Auction, or its successor, capacity price for the rest of the RTO zone group determined by PJM Interconnection LLC, divided by 24 hours per day, and (cc) 50% multiplied by the Planning Resource Auction, or its successor, capacity price for Zone 4 determined by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., divided by 24 hours per day. (iii) Market price index: The market price index for a delivery year shall be the sum of projected energy prices and projected capacity prices determined as follows: (aa) Projected energy prices: the projected energy prices for the applicable delivery year shall be calculated once for the year using the forward market price for the PJM Interconnection, LLC Northern Illinois Hub. The forward market price shall be calculated as follows: the energy forward prices for each month of the applicable delivery year averaged for each trade date during the calendar year immediately preceding that delivery year to produce a single energy forward price for the delivery year. The forward market price calculation shall use data published by the Intercontinental Exchange, or its successor. (bb) Projected capacity prices: (I) For the delivery years commencing June 1, 2017, June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, the projected capacity price shall be equal to the sum of (1) 50% multiplied by the Base Residual Auction, or its successor, price for the rest of the RTO zone group as determined by PJM Interconnection LLC, divided by 24 hours per day and, (2) 50% multiplied by the resource auction price determined in the resource auction administered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., in which the largest percentage of load cleared for Local Resource Zone 4, divided by 24 hours per day, and where such price is determined by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (II) For the delivery year commencing June 1, 2020, and each year thereafter, the projected capacity price shall be equal to the sum of (1) 50% multiplied by the Base Residual Auction, or its successor, price for the ComEd zone as determined by PJM Interconnection LLC, divided by 24 hours per day, and (2) 50% multiplied by the resource auction price determined in the resource auction administered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., in which the largest percentage of load cleared for Local Resource Zone 4, divided by 24 hours per day, and where such price is determined by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For purposes of this subsection (d-5): "Rest of the RTO" and "ComEd Zone" shall have the meaning ascribed to them by PJM Interconnection, LLC. "RTO" means regional transmission organization. (C) No later than 45 days after June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906), the Agency shall publish its proposed zero emission standard procurement plan. The plan shall be consistent with the provisions of this paragraph (1) and shall provide that winning bids shall be selected based on public interest criteria that include, but are not limited to, minimizing carbon dioxide emissions that result from electricity consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions that adversely affect the citizens of this State. In particular, the selection of winning bids shall take into account the incremental environmental benefits resulting from the procurement, such as any existing environmental benefits that are preserved by the procurements held under Public Act 99-906 and would cease to exist if the procurements were not held, including the preservation of zero emission facilities. The plan shall also describe in detail how each public interest factor shall be considered and weighted in the bid selection process to ensure that the public interest criteria are applied to the procurement and given full effect. For purposes of developing the plan, the Agency shall consider any reports issued by a State agency, board, or commission under House Resolution 1146 of the 98th General Assembly and paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section, as well as publicly available analyses and studies performed by or for regional transmission organizations that serve the State and their independent market monitors. Upon publishing of the zero emission standard procurement plan, copies of the plan shall be posted and made publicly available on the Agency's website. All interested parties shall have 10 days following the date of posting to provide comment to the Agency on the plan. All comments shall be posted to the Agency's website. Following the end of the comment period, but no more than 60 days later than June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906), the Agency shall revise the plan as necessary based on the comments received and file its zero emission standard procurement plan with the Commission. If the Commission determines that the plan will result in the procurement of cost-effective zero emission credits, then the Commission shall, after notice and hearing, but no later than 45 days after the Agency filed the plan, approve the plan or approve with modification. For purposes of this subsection (d-5), "cost effective" means the projected costs of procuring zero emission credits from zero emission facilities do not cause the limit stated in paragraph (2) of this subsection to be exceeded. (C-5) As part of the Commission's review and acceptance or rejection of the procurement results, the Commission shall, in its public notice of successful bidders: (i) identify how the winning bids satisfy the public interest criteria described in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1) of minimizing carbon dioxide emissions that result from electricity consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions that adversely affect the citizens of this State; (ii) specifically address how the selection of winning bids takes into account the incremental environmental benefits resulting from the procurement, including any existing environmental benefits that are preserved by the procurements held under Public Act 99-906 and would have ceased to exist if the procurements had not been held, such as the preservation of zero emission facilities; (iii) quantify the environmental benefit of preserving the resources identified in item (ii) of this subparagraph (C-5), including the following: (aa) the value of avoided greenhouse gas emissions measured as the product of the zero emission facilities' output over the contract term multiplied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency eGrid subregion carbon dioxide emission rate and the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Carbon's price in the August 2016 Technical Update using a 3% discount rate, adjusted for inflation for each delivery year; and (bb) the costs of replacement with other zero carbon dioxide resources, including wind and photovoltaic, based upon the simple average of the following: (I) the price, or if there is more than one price, the average of the prices, paid for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale wind projects in the procurement events specified in item (i) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section; and (II) the price, or if there is more than one price, the average of the prices, paid for renewable energy credits from new utility-scale solar projects and brownfield site photovoltaic projects in the procurement events specified in item (ii) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section and, after January 1, 2015, renewable energy credits from photovoltaic distributed generation projects in procurement events held under subsection (c) of this Section. Each utility shall enter into binding contractual arrangements with the winning suppliers. The procurement described in this subsection (d-5), including, but not limited to, the execution of all contracts procured, shall be completed no later than May 10, 2017. Based on the effective date of Public Act 99-906, the Agency and Commission may, as appropriate, modify the various dates and timelines under this subparagraph and subparagraphs (C) and (D) of this paragraph (1). The procurement and plan approval processes required by this subsection (d-5) shall be conducted in conjunction with the procurement and plan approval processes required by subsection (c) of this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, to the extent practicable. Notwithstanding whether a procurement event is conducted under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, the Agency shall immediately initiate a procurement process on June 1, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-906). (D) Following the procurement event described in this paragraph (1) and consistent with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (1), the Agency shall calculate the payments to be made under each contract for the next delivery year based on the market price index for that delivery year. The Agency shall publish the payment calculations no later than May 25, 2017 and every May 25 thereafter. (E) Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection (d-5), the contracts executed under this subsection (d-5) shall provide that the zero emission facility may, as applicable, suspend or terminate performance under the contracts in the following instances: (i) A zero emission facility shall be excused from its performance under the contract for any cause beyond the control of the resource, including, but not restricted to, acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake, storm, fire, lightning, epidemic, war, riot, civil disturbance or disobedience, labor dispute, labor or material shortage, sabotage, acts of public enemy, explosions, orders, regulations or restrictions imposed by governmental, military, or lawfully established civilian authorities, which, in any of the foregoing cases, by exercise of commercially reasonable efforts the zero emission facility could not reasonably have been expected to avoid, and which, by the exercise of commercially reasonable efforts, it has been unable to overcome. In such event, the zero emission facility shall be excused from performance for the duration of the event, including, but not limited to, delivery of zero emission credits, and no payment shall be due to the zero emission facility during the duration of the event. (ii) A zero emission facility shall be permitted to terminate the contract if legislation is enacted into law by the General Assembly that imposes or authorizes a new tax, special assessment, or fee on the generation of electricity, the ownership or leasehold of a generating unit, or the privilege or occupation of such generation, ownership, or leasehold of generation units by a zero emission facility. However, the provisions of this item (ii) do not apply to any generally applicable tax, special assessment or fee, or requirements imposed by federal law. (iii) A zero emission facility shall be permitted to terminate the contract in the event that the resource requires capital expenditures in excess of $40,000,000 that were neither known nor reasonably foreseeable at the time it executed the contract and that a prudent owner or operator of such resource would not undertake. (iv) A zero emission facility shall be permitted to terminate the contract in the event the Nuclear Regulatory Commission terminates the resource's license. (F) If the zero emission facility elects to terminate a contract under subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (1), then the Commission shall reopen the docket in which the Commission approved the zero emission standard procurement plan under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (1) and, after notice and hearing, enter an order acknowledging the contract termination election if such termination is consistent with the provisions of this subsection (d-5). (2) For purposes of this subsection (d-5), the amount paid per kilowatthour means the total amount paid for electric service expressed on a per kilowatthour basis. For purposes of this subsection (d-5), the total amount paid for electric service includes, without limitation, amounts paid for supply, transmission, distribution, surcharges, and add-on taxes. Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection (d-5), the contracts executed under this subsection (d-5) shall provide that the total of zero emission credits procured under a procurement plan shall be subject to the limitations of this paragraph (2). For each delivery year, the contractual volume receiving payments in such year shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the net increase that delivery year to the costs of those credits included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 1.65% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by eligible retail customers during the year ending May 31, 2009. The result of this computation shall apply to and reduce the procurement for all retail customers, and all those customers shall pay the same single, uniform cents per kilowatthour charge under subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act. To arrive at a maximum dollar amount of zero emission credits to be paid for the particular delivery year, the resulting per kilowatthour amount shall be applied to the actual amount of kilowatthours of electricity delivered by the electric utility in the delivery year immediately prior to the procurement, to all retail customers in its service territory. Unpaid contractual volume for any delivery year shall be paid in any subsequent delivery year in which such payments can be made without exceeding the amount specified in this paragraph (2). The calculations required by this paragraph (2) shall be made only once for each procurement plan year. Once the determination as to the amount of zero emission credits to be paid is made based on the calculations set forth in this paragraph (2), no subsequent rate impact determinations shall be made and no adjustments to those contract amounts shall be allowed. All costs incurred under those contracts and in implementing this subsection (d-5) shall be recovered by the electric utility as provided in this Section. No later than June 30, 2019, the Commission shall review the limitation on the amount of zero emission credits procured under this subsection (d-5) and report to the General Assembly its findings as to whether that limitation unduly constrains the procurement of cost-effective zero emission credits. (3) Six years after the execution of a contract under this subsection (d-5), the Agency shall determine whether the actual zero emission credit payments received by the supplier over the 6-year period exceed the Average ZEC Payment. In addition, at the end of the term of a contract executed under this subsection (d-5), or at the time, if any, a zero emission facility's contract is terminated under subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d-5), then the Agency shall determine whether the actual zero emission credit payments received by the supplier over the term of the contract exceed the Average ZEC Payment, after taking into account any amounts previously credited back to the utility under this paragraph (3). If the Agency determines that the actual zero emission credit payments received by the supplier over the relevant period exceed the Average ZEC Payment, then the supplier shall credit the difference back to the utility. The amount of the credit shall be remitted to the applicable electric utility no later than 120 days after the Agency's determination, which the utility shall reflect as a credit on its retail customer bills as soon as practicable; however, the credit remitted to the utility shall not exceed the total amount of payments received by the facility under its contract. For purposes of this Section, the Average ZEC Payment shall be calculated by multiplying the quantity of zero emission credits delivered under the contract times the average contract price. The average contract price shall be determined by subtracting the amount calculated under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (3) from the amount calculated under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (3), as follows: (A) The average of the Social Cost of Carbon, as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d-5), during the term of the contract. (B) The average of the market price indices, as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d-5), during the term of the contract, minus the baseline market price index, as defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection (d-5). If the subtraction yields a negative number, then the Average ZEC Payment shall be zero. (4) Cost-effective zero emission credits procured from zero emission facilities shall satisfy the applicable definitions set forth in Section 1-10 of this Act. (5) The electric utility shall retire all zero emission credits used to comply with the requirements of this subsection (d-5). (6) Electric utilities shall be entitled to recover all of the costs associated with the procurement of zero emission credits through an automatic adjustment clause tariff in accordance with subsection (k) and (m) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act, and the contracts executed under this subsection (d-5) shall provide that the utilities' payment obligations under such contracts shall be reduced if an adjustment is required under subsection (m) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act. (7) This subsection (d-5) shall become inoperative on January 1, 2028. (d-10) Nuclear Plant Assistance; carbon mitigation credits. (1) The General Assembly finds: (A) The health, welfare, and prosperity of all Illinois citizens require that the State of Illinois act to avoid and not increase carbon emissions from electric generation sources while continuing to ensure affordable, stable, and reliable electricity to all citizens. (B) Absent immediate action by the State to preserve existing carbon-free energy resources, those resources may retire, and the electric generation needs of Illinois' retail customers may be met instead by facilities that emit significant amounts of carbon pollution and other harmful air pollutants at a high social and economic cost until Illinois is able to develop other forms of clean energy. (C) The General Assembly finds that nuclear power generation is necessary for the State's transition to 100% clean energy, and ensuring continued operation of nuclear plants advances environmental and public health interests through providing carbon-free electricity while reducing the air pollution profile of the Illinois energy generation fleet. (D) The clean energy attributes of nuclear generation facilities support the State in its efforts to achieve 100% clean energy. (E) The State currently invests in various forms of clean energy, including, but not limited to, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low-emission vehicles, among others. (F) The Environmental Protection Agency commissioned an independent audit which provided a detailed assessment of the financial condition of the Illinois nuclear fleet to evaluate its financial viability and whether the environmental benefits of such resources were at risk. The report identified the risk of losing the environmental benefits of several specific nuclear units. The report also identified that the LaSalle County Generating Station will continue to operate through 2026 and therefore is not eligible to participate in the carbon mitigation credit program. (G) Nuclear plants provide carbon-free energy, which helps to avoid many health-related negative impacts for Illinois residents. (H) The procurement of carbon mitigation credits representing the environmental benefits of carbon-free generation will further the State's efforts at achieving 100% clean energy and decarbonizing the electricity sector in a safe, reliable, and affordable manner. Further, the procurement of carbon emission credits will enhance the health and welfare of Illinois residents through decreased reliance on more highly polluting generation. (I) The General Assembly therefore finds it necessary to establish carbon mitigation credits to ensure decreased reliance on more carbon-intensive energy resources, for transitioning to a fully decarbonized electricity sector, and to help ensure health and welfare of the State's residents. (2) As used in this subsection: "Baseline costs" means costs used to establish a customer protection cap that have been evaluated through an independent audit of a carbon-free energy resource conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency that evaluated projected annual costs for operation and maintenance expenses; fully allocated overhead costs, which shall be allocated using the methodology developed by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations; fuel expenditures; nonfuel capital expenditures; spent fuel expenditures; a return on working capital; the cost of operational and market risks that could be avoided by ceasing operation; and any other costs necessary for continued operations, provided that "necessary" means, for purposes of this definition, that the costs could reasonably be avoided only by ceasing operations of the carbon-free energy resource. "Carbon mitigation credit" means a tradable credit that represents the carbon emission reduction attributes of one megawatt-hour of energy produced from a carbon-free energy resource. "Carbon-free energy resource" means a generation facility that: (1) is fueled by nuclear power; and (2) is interconnected to PJM Interconnection, LLC. (3) Procurement. (A) Beginning with the delivery year commencing on June 1, 2022, the Agency shall, for electric utilities serving at least 3,000,000 retail customers in the State, seek to procure contracts for no more than approximately 54,500,000 cost-effective carbon mitigation credits from carbon-free energy resources because such credits are necessary to support current levels of carbon-free energy generation and ensure the State meets its carbon dioxide emissions reduction goals. The Agency shall not make a partial award of a contract for carbon mitigation credits covering a fractional amount of a carbon-free energy resource's projected output. (B) Each carbon-free energy resource that intends to participate in a procurement shall be required to submit to the Agency the following information for the resource on or before the date established by the Agency: (i) the in-service date and remaining useful life of the carbon-free energy resource; (ii) the amount of power generated annually for each of the past 10 years, which shall be used to determine the capability of each facility; (iii) a commitment to be reflected in any contract entered into pursuant to this subsection (d-10) to continue operating the carbon-free energy resource at a capacity factor of at least 88% annually on average for the duration of the contract or contracts executed under the procurement held under this subsection (d-10), except in an instance described in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d-5) of this Section or made impracticable as a result of compliance with law or regulation; (iv) financial need and the risk of loss of the environmental benefits of such resource, which shall include the following information: (I) the carbon-free energy resource's cost projections, expressed on a per megawatt-hour basis, over the next 5 delivery years, which shall include the following: operation and maintenance expenses; fully allocated overhead costs, which shall be allocated using the methodology developed by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations; fuel expenditures; nonfuel capital expenditures; spent fuel expenditures; a return on working capital; the cost of operational and market risks that could be avoided by ceasing operation; and any other costs necessary for continued operations, provided that "necessary" means, for purposes of this subitem (I), that the costs could reasonably be avoided only by ceasing operations of the carbon-free energy resource; and (II) the carbon-free energy resource's revenue projections, including energy, capacity, ancillary services, any other direct State support, known or anticipated federal attribute credits, known or anticipated tax credits, and any other direct federal support. The information described in this subparagraph (B) may be submitted on a confidential basis and shall be treated and maintained by the Agency, the procurement administrator, and the Commission as confidential and proprietary and exempt from disclosure under subparagraphs (a) and (g) of paragraph (1) of Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act. The Office of the Attorney General shall have access to, and maintain the confidentiality of, such information pursuant to Section 6.5 of the Attorney General Act. (C) The Agency shall solicit bids for the contracts described in this subsection (d-10) from carbon-free energy resources that have satisfied the requirements of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (3). The contracts procured pursuant to a procurement event shall reflect, and be subject to, the following terms, requirements, and limitations: (i) Contracts are for delivery of carbon mitigation credits, and are not energy or capacity sales contracts requiring physical delivery. Pursuant to item (iii), contract payments shall fully deduct the value of any monetized federal production tax credits, credits issued pursuant to a federal clean energy standard, and other federal credits if applicable. (ii) Contracts for carbon mitigation credits shall commence with the delivery year beginning on June 1, 2022 and shall be for a term of 5 delivery years concluding on May 31, 2027. (iii) The price per carbon mitigation credit to be paid under a contract for a given delivery year shall be equal to an accepted bid price less the sum of: (I) one of the following energy price indices, selected by the bidder at the time of the bid for the term of the contract: (aa) the weighted-average hourly day-ahead price for the applicable delivery year at the busbar of all resources procured pursuant to this subsection (d-10), weighted by actual production from the resources; or (bb) the projected energy price for the PJM Interconnection, LLC Northern Illinois Hub for the applicable delivery year determined according to subitem (aa) of item (iii) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d-5). (II) the Base Residual Auction Capacity Price for the ComEd zone as determined by PJM Interconnection, LLC, divided by 24 hours per day, for the applicable delivery year for the first 3 delivery years, and then any subsequent delivery years unless the PJM Interconnection, LLC applies the Minimum Offer Price Rule to participating carbon-free energy resources because they supply carbon mitigation credits pursuant to this Section at which time, upon notice by the carbon-free energy resource to the Commission and subject to the Commission's confirmation, the value under this subitem shall be zero, as further described in the carbon mitigation credit procurement plan; and (III) any value of monetized federal tax credits, direct payments, or similar subsidy provided to the carbon-free energy resource from any unit of government that is not already reflected in energy prices. If the price-per-megawatt-hour calculation performed under item (iii) of this subparagraph (C) for a given delivery year results in a net positive value, then the electric utility counterparty to the contract shall multiply such net value by the applicable contract quantity and remit the amount to the supplier. To protect retail customers from retail rate impacts that may arise upon the initiation of carbon policy changes, if the price-per-megawatt-hour calculation performed under item (iii) of this subparagraph (C) for a given delivery year results in a net negative value, then the supplier counterparty to the contract shall multiply such net value by the applicable contract quantity and remit such amount to the electric utility counterparty. The electric utility shall reflect such amounts remitted by suppliers as a credit on its retail customer bills as soon as practicable. (iv) To ensure that retail customers in Northern Illinois do not pay more for carbon mitigation credits than the value such credits provide, and notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d-10), the Agency shall not accept bids for contracts that exceed a customer protection cap equal to the baseline costs of carbon-free energy resources. The baseline costs for the applicable year shall be the following: (I) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2022, the baseline costs shall be an amount equal to $30.30 per megawatt-hour. (II) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2023, the baseline costs shall be an amount equal to $32.50 per megawatt-hour. (III) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2024, the baseline costs shall be an amount equal to $33.43 per megawatt-hour. (IV) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2025, the baseline costs shall be an amount equal to $33.50 per megawatt-hour. (V) For the delivery year beginning June 1, 2026, the baseline costs shall be an amount equal to $34.50 per megawatt-hour. An Environmental Protection Agency consultant forecast, included in a report issued April 14, 2021, projects that a carbon-free energy resource has the opportunity to earn on average approximately $30.28 per megawatt-hour, for the sale of energy and capacity during the time period between 2022 and 2027. Therefore, the sale of carbon mitigation credits provides the opportunity to receive an additional amount per megawatt-hour in addition to the projected prices for energy and capacity. Although actual energy and capacity prices may vary from year-to-year, the General Assembly finds that this customer protection cap will help ensure that the cost of carbon mitigation credits will be less than its value, based upon the social cost of carbon identified in the Technical Support Document issued in February 2021 by the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases and the PJM Interconnection, LLC carbon dioxide marginal emission rate for 2020, and that a carbon-free energy resource receiving payment for carbon mitigation credits receives no more than necessary to keep those units in operation. (D) No later than 7 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Agency shall publish its proposed carbon mitigation credit procurement plan. The Plan shall provide that winning bids shall be selected by taking into consideration which resources best match public interest criteria that include, but are not limited to, minimizing carbon dioxide emissions that result from electricity consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions that adversely affect the citizens of this State. The selection of winning bids shall also take into account the incremental environmental benefits resulting from the procurement or procurements, such as any existing environmental benefits that are preserved by a procurement held under this subsection (d-10) and would cease to exist if the procurement were not held, including the preservation of carbon-free energy resources. For those bidders having the same public interest criteria score, the relative ranking of such bidders shall be determined by price. The Plan shall describe in detail how each public interest factor shall be considered and weighted in the bid selection process to ensure that the public interest criteria are applied to the procurement. The Plan shall, to the extent practical and permissible by federal law, ensure that successful bidders make commercially reasonable efforts to apply for federal tax credits, direct payments, or similar subsidy programs that support carbon-free generation and for which the successful bidder is eligible. Upon publishing of the carbon mitigation credit procurement plan, copies of the plan shall be posted and made publicly available on the Agency's website. All interested parties shall have 7 days following the date of posting to provide comment to the Agency on the plan. All comments shall be posted to the Agency's website. Following the end of the comment period, but no more than 19 days later than the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Agency shall revise the plan as necessary based on the comments received and file its carbon mitigation credit procurement plan with the Commission. (E) If the Commission determines that the plan is likely to result in the procurement of cost-effective carbon mitigation credits, then the Commission shall, after notice and hearing and opportunity for comment, but no later than 42 days after the Agency filed the plan, approve the plan or approve it with modification. For purposes of this subsection (d-10), "cost-effective" means carbon mitigation credits that are procured from carbon-free energy resources at prices that are within the limits specified in this paragraph (3). As part of the Commission's review and acceptance or rejection of the procurement results, the Commission shall, in its public notice of successful bidders: (i) identify how the selected carbon-free energy resources satisfy the public interest criteria described in this paragraph (3) of minimizing carbon dioxide emissions that result from electricity consumed in Illinois and minimizing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions that adversely affect the citizens of this State; (ii) specifically address how the selection of carbon-free energy resources takes into account the incremental environmental benefits resulting from the procurement, including any existing environmental benefits that are preserved by the procurements held under this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly and would have ceased to exist if the procurements had not been held, such as the preservation of carbon-free energy resources; (iii) quantify the environmental benefit of preserving the carbon-free energy resources procured pursuant to this subsection (d-10), including the following: (I) an assessment value of avoided greenhouse gas emissions measured as the product of the carbon-free energy resources' output over the contract term, using generally accepted methodologies for the valuation of avoided emissions; and (II) an assessment of costs of replacement with other carbon-free energy resources and renewable energy resources, including wind and photovoltaic generation, based upon an assessment of the prices paid for renewable energy credits through programs and procurements conducted pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 1-75 of this Act, and the additional storage necessary to produce the same or similar capability of matching customer usage patterns. (F) The procurements described in this paragraph (3), including, but not limited to, the execution of all contracts procured, shall be completed no later than December 3, 2021. The procurement and plan approval processes required by this paragraph (3) shall be conducted in conjunction with the procurement and plan approval processes required by Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, to the extent practicable. However, the Agency and Commission may, as appropriate, modify the various dates and timelines under this subparagraph and subparagraphs (D) and (E) of this paragraph (3) to meet the December 3, 2021 contract execution deadline. Following the completion of such procurements, and consistent with this paragraph (3), the Agency shall calculate the payments to be made under each contract in a timely fashion. (F-1) Costs incurred by the electric utility pursuant to a contract authorized by this subsection (d-10) shall be deemed prudently incurred and reasonable in amount, and the electric utility shall be entitled to full cost recovery pursuant to a tariff or tariffs filed with the Commission. (G) The counterparty electric utility shall retire all carbon mitigation credits used to comply with the requirements of this subsection (d-10). (H) If a carbon-free energy resource is sold to another owner, the rights, obligations, and commitments under this subsection (d-10) shall continue to the subsequent owner. (I) This subsection (d-10) shall become inoperative on January 1, 2028. (d-20) Energy storage system portfolio standard. (1) The General Assembly finds that the deployment of energy storage systems is necessary to successfully integrate high levels of renewable energy, to avoid the creation and increase of carbon emissions from electric generation sources, and to ensure affordable, stable, clean, reliable, and resilient electricity. (2) The Agency shall develop an energy storage system resources procurement plan that includes the competitive procurement events, procurement programs, or both, as necessary (i) to meet the goals set forth in this subsection (d-20), (ii) to meet the planning requirements established under Sections 16-201 and 16-202 of the Public Utilities Act, (iii) to meet the clean energy policy established by Public Act 102-662, and (iv) to cause electric utilities serving more than 300,000 customers in the State as of January 1, 2019 to contract for energy storage resources. The energy storage system resources procurement plan approval processes shall be conducted consistent with the processes outlined in paragraph (6) of subsection (b) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, with the initial energy storage system resources procurement plan released for comment in calendar year 2027. The Agency shall review and may revise the energy storage system resources procurement plan at least every 2 years. The Agency shall establish, and the Commission shall approve or approve as modified, an energy storage system resources procurement plan that includes: (A) storage targets in addition to the initial procurements specified in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d-20) at levels identified through the integrated resource planning process outlined in Section 16-202 of the Public Utilities Act; (B) a bid selection process that is based on the bid price, when compared with an equal energy storage duration and interconnected to the same independent system operator (ISO) or regional transmission organization (RTO), and that may provide for consideration of the following: (i) the project's viability and ability to meet or exceed operational date targets; (ii) the developer's experience; (iii) requirements for demonstration of binding site control that are sufficient for proposed energy storage facilities; (iv) the availability or dependence on any transmission expansion or upgrades needed; and (v) other resource adequacy and reliability considerations; (C) consideration of the need to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable electric service at the lowest total cost over time; (D) proposals for the financial support of energy storage systems using contract models, which may include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) an indexed storage credit procurement, including payments to energy storage system owners or operators with any offsets and refunds for potential energy and capacity revenues; (ii) support for energy storage system resources through contract structures that do not create contractual obligations on utilities that are not contingent on full and timely cost recovery, that avoid negative financial impacts on the utilities, and that are agreed upon by the utilities; and (iii) other approaches as deemed suitable by the Agency and the Commission; and (E) consideration that the Agency may include a methodology that could prioritize procurement of energy storage resources that are located in communities eligible to receive Energy Transition Community Grants pursuant to Section 10-20 of the Energy Community Reinvestment Act. In developing its procurement plan and conducting the storage procurements outlined in this paragraph (2) and in paragraph (3), the Agency may use the services of expert consulting firms identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this Section. (3) Notwithstanding whether an energy storage system resources procurement plan has been approved, the following provisions shall apply to the Agency's initial procurement of energy storage system resources under this subsection (d-20): (A) The Agency shall conduct an initial energy storage procurement on or before August 26, 2026 or 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly, whichever is earlier. For the purposes of this initial energy storage procurement, the Agency shall conduct a procurement that results in electric utilities that served more than 300,000 customers in the State as of January 1, 2019 contracting for at least 1,038 megawatts of cost-effective stand-alone energy storage systems that can achieve commercial operation on or before December 31, 2029 or an alternative date proposed by the Agency that is no later than December 31, 2030. The procurement target shall be separated for projects interconnected within Midcontinent Independent System Operator Local Resource Zone 4 (MISO Zone 4) and for projects interconnected within the PJM Interconnection, LLC ComEd Locational Deliverability Area (PJM ComEd Area) as follows: (i) 450 megawatts in MISO Zone 4; and (ii) 588 megawatts in the PJM ComEd Area. For purposes of this subsection (d-20), "stand-alone" means systems that are (i) separately metered by a revenue-quality meter that satisfies the requirements of the RTO; (ii) operate independently without constraints or hindrances from other generation units; and (iii) demonstrate the ability to charge and discharge independent of any generation unit output. (B) The Agency shall conduct a series of additional energy storage procurements that result in electric utilities contracting for energy storage resources in an amount of 3,000 megawatts of cumulative energy storage capacity for projects committed to reaching commercial operation on or before December 31, 2030, or an alternative date proposed by the Agency, subject to extension for a delay due to interconnection of the energy storage system, a delay in obtaining permits necessary to build or operate the energy storage system, or other circumstances at the discretion of the Agency. The additional energy storage resources procurements shall be conducted in calendar years 2027 and 2028 in a manner that ensures the quantities listed in this subparagraph (B), and as updated in the integrated resource plan approved by the Commission pursuant to Section 16-201 of the Public Utilities Act, are met in the specified timeframe. To the extent the integrated resource planning process outlined in Section 16-202 of the Public Utilities Act authorizes energy storage system procurement amounts above the amount identified in this subparagraph (B), the Agency shall conduct additional energy storage procurements in 2028, 2029, 2030, and thereafter that result in electric utilities contracting for energy storage resources at those additional identified levels. The procurements shall be conducted in a manner that maximizes projects available in the MISO and PJM queues, ensures the likelihood of project development through the development of project maturity requirements, enables sufficient competition for price competitiveness, and aligns to the extent practicable with regional transmission organization study phases. The procurements shall select projects interconnected to MISO Zone 4 and the PJM ComEd Area and shall follow either (i) a similar geographic split to the ratio of quantities established in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (3), (ii) an alternative geographic split proposed by the Agency based on project availability in advanced stages of the MISO and PJM queues, or (iii) that is informed by MISO and PJM planning activities, auctions, or reports that indicate capacity resource shortages or impending shortages and that reflect the assessments made through the processes outlined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2). The additional energy storage capacity procurements may be adjusted upward if determined necessary through the planning process outlined in Section 16-201 of the Public Utilities Act at times determined by the Commission. (C) The initial energy storage resources procurement under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (3) shall adopt a standard indexed storage credit contract modeled after the contract and follow a process modeled after the process included in the staff report submitted to the Governor, General Assembly, and Commission pursuant to subsection (g) of Section 16-135 of the Public Utilities Act on May 1, 2025. In developing the procurement rules and procurement process for the initial procurement, the Agency shall provide an opportunity for comment on the indexed storage credit contract included in the May 1, 2025 staff report and shall adopt modifications to the contract consistent with the process outlined in paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (D) For the additional energy storage resources procurements conducted in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (3), the Agency may, among other considerations, consider other contract structures if such contract structures and agreements do not create contractual obligations on utilities that are not contingent on full and timely cost recovery, avoid negative financial impacts on the utilities, and are agreed upon by the participating utility. (E) The initial and additional energy storage resources procurements under this paragraph (3) shall solicit 20-year contracts. (F) The Agency shall submit its proposed selection of successful bids for each procurement event pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) to the Commission for approval consistent with the processes outlined in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act to the extent practicable. (4) The energy storage system resources procurement plans developed by the Agency may consider alternatives to the initial and additional procurement terms described in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d-20), including, but not limited to: (A) alternatives to the standard indexed storage credit contract used in the initial terms described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (d-20); (B) energy storage systems that are not stand-alone; (C) proportionate allocations between MISO Zone 4 and the PJM ComEd Area that are not based upon load share, including allocations reflecting the assessments made through the processes outlined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2); (D) contract lengths other than 20 years; (E) energy storage system durations other than 4 hours; and (F) energy storage systems connected to the distribution systems of the electric utilities. The Agency may propose specific timelines for energy storage system resources procurements, which may differ across RTO zones, that are based in part upon a consideration of (i) the timing of the release of interconnection cost information through both MISO and PJM interconnection queue processes, (ii) factors that maximize the likelihood of successful project development, (iii) enabling sufficient competition for price competitiveness, and (iv) aligning to the extent practicable with RTO study phases. (5) The Agency shall procure cost-effective energy storage credits or other contract instruments intended to facilitate the successful development of energy storage projects. The procurement administrator shall establish confidential price benchmarks based on publicly available data on regional technology costs. Confidential price benchmarks shall be developed by the procurement administrator, in consultation with Commission staff, Agency staff, and the procurement monitor, and shall be subject to Commission review and approval. Price benchmarks shall reflect development costs, financing costs, and related costs resulting from requirements imposed through other provisions of State law. As used in this paragraph (5), "cost-effective" means a bidder's bid price that does not exceed confidential price benchmarks. (6) All procurements under this subsection (d-20) shall comply with the geographic requirements in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 and shall follow the procurement processes and procedures described in this Section and Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act, to the extent practicable. The processes and procedures may be expedited to accommodate the schedule established by this Section. The Agency shall require all bidders to pay to the Agency a nonrefundable deposit determined by the Agency and no less than $10,000 per bid as practical. The Agency may also assess bidder and supplier fees to cover the cost of procurement events and develop collateral requirements to maximize the likelihood of successful project development. Bidders in the initial and additional procurements described in paragraph (3) of this subsection (d-20) shall also demonstrate experience in developing to commercial readiness. As used in this paragraph (6), "developing to commercial readiness" means having notice to proceed in owning or operating energy facilities with a combined nameplate capacity of at least 100 megawatts. (7) In order to advance priority access to the clean energy economy for businesses and workers from communities that have been excluded from economic opportunities in the energy sector, have been subject to disproportionate levels of pollution, and have disproportionately experienced negative public health outcomes, the Agency shall apply its equity accountability system and minimum equity standards established under subsections (c-10), (c-15), (c-20), (c-25), and (c-30) of this Section to energy storage procurement and programs and may include any proposed modifications to the equity accountability system and minimum equity standards that may be warranted with respect to energy storage resources in its plan submission to the Commission under Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (8) Projects shall be developed in compliance with the prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements for renewable energy projects in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. (9) An entity operating an energy storage facility shall demonstrate that it has entered into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization that is actively engaged in representing its employees. The labor peace agreement shall apply to the employees necessary for the ongoing maintenance and operation of the energy storage facility. The existence of a labor peace agreement shall be an ongoing material condition of an entity's authorization to maintain and operate the energy storage facility. (10) In order to promote the competitive development of energy storage systems in furtherance of the State's interest in the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, storage credits shall not be eligible to be selected under this subsection (d-20) if the energy storage resources are sourced from an energy storage system whose costs were being recovered through rates regulated by the State or any other state or states on or after January 1, 2017. No entity shall be permitted to bid unless it certifies to the Agency that it is not an electric utility, as defined in Section 16-102 of the Public Utilities Act, serving more than 10,000 customers in the State. (11) The Agency shall require, as a prerequisite to payment for any storage credits, that the winning bidder provide the Agency or its designee a copy of the interconnection agreement under which the applicable energy storage system is connected to the transmission or distribution system. (12) Contracts shall provide that, if the cost recovery mechanism referenced in subsection (k) of Section 16-108 of the Public Utilities Act remains in full force without amendment or the utility is otherwise authorized or entitled to full, prompt, and uninterrupted recovery of its costs through any other mechanism, then such seller shall be entitled to full, prompt, and uninterrupted payment under the applicable contract notwithstanding the application of this paragraph (12). (e) The draft procurement plans are subject to public comment, as required by Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (f) The Agency shall submit the final procurement plan to the Commission. The Agency shall revise a procurement plan if the Commission determines that it does not meet the standards set forth in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (g) The Agency shall assess fees to each affected utility to recover the costs incurred in preparation of procurement plans and in the operation of programs. (h) The Agency shall assess fees to each bidder to recover the costs incurred in connection with a competitive procurement process. (i) A renewable energy credit, carbon emission credit, zero emission credit, or carbon mitigation credit can only be used once to comply with a single portfolio or other standard as set forth in subsection (c), subsection (d), or subsection (d-5) of this Section, respectively. A renewable energy credit, carbon emission credit, zero emission credit, or carbon mitigation credit cannot be used to satisfy the requirements of more than one standard. If more than one type of credit is issued for the same megawatt hour of energy, only one credit can be used to satisfy the requirements of a single standard. After such use, the credit must be retired together with any other credits issued for the same megawatt hour of energy. (Source: P.A. 103-380, eff. 1-1-24; 103-580, eff. 12-8-23; 103-1066, eff. 2-20-25; 104-458, eff. 6-1-26; 104-477, eff. 6-26-26.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-77
(20 ILCS 3855/1-77) Sec. 1-77. The Planning and Procurement Bureau; feedstock procurement administrator; qualified expert or expert consulting firm. (a) The Planning and Procurement Bureau shall at least every 5 years beginning in 2015 develop feedstock procurement plans and conduct competitive feedstock procurement processes in accordance with the requirements of Section 1-78 of this Act. (1) The Agency shall at least every 5 years beginning in 2015 issue a request for qualifications for experts or expert consulting firms to develop the feedstock procurement plans in accordance with Section 1-78 of this Act. In order to qualify, an expert or expert consulting firm must have: (A) direct previous experience assembling large scale feedstock supply plans or portfolios for industrial customers; (B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics, engineering, risk management, or a related area of study; (C) ten years of experience in the energy sector, including managing supply risk; (D) expertise in wholesale feedstock markets, which may be particularized to the specific type of feedstock to be purchased in that procurement event; (E) expertise in credit protocols and familiarity with contract protocols; (F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the required functions and responsibilities; and (G) the absence of a conflict of interest and inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the affected clean coal SNG brownfield facility. (2) The Agency shall at least every 5 years beginning in 2015 issue a request for qualifications for a feedstock procurement administrator to conduct the competitive feedstock procurement processes in accordance with Section 1-78 of this Act. In order to qualify, an expert or expert consulting firm must have: (A) direct previous experience administering a large scale competitive feedstock procurement process; (B) an advanced degree in economics, mathematics, engineering, or a related area of study; (C) ten years of experience in the energy sector, including risk management experience; (D) expertise in wholesale feedstock market rules, which may be particularized to the specific type of feedstock to be purchased in that procurement event; (E) expertise in credit and contract protocols; (F) adequate resources to perform and fulfill the required functions and responsibilities; and (G) the absence of a conflict of interest and inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the affected clean coal SNG brownfield facility. (3) The Agency shall provide the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and other interested parties with the lists of qualified experts or expert consulting firms identified through the request for qualifications processes that are under consideration to develop the feedstock procurement plans and to serve as the feedstock procurement administrator. The Agency shall also provide the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and other interested parties with each qualified expert's or expert consulting firm's response to the request for qualifications. All information provided under this subparagraph (3) shall also be provided to the Commission. The Agency may provide by rule for fees associated with supplying the information to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and other interested parties. The clean coal SNG brownfield facility and other interested parties must, within 5 business days after receiving the lists and information, notify the Agency in writing if they object to any experts or expert consulting firms on the lists. Objections shall be based on: (A) failure to satisfy qualification criteria; (B) identification of a conflict of interest; or (C) evidence of inappropriate bias for or against potential bidders or the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The Agency shall remove an expert or expert consulting firm from the list within 10 days if there is a reasonable basis for an objection and provide the updated list to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and other interested parties. If the Agency fails to remove an expert or expert consulting firm from a list, then an objecting party may seek review by the Commission within 5 days thereafter by filing a petition, and the Commission shall render a ruling on the petition within 10 days after the filing. There is no right of appeal of the Commission's ruling. (4) The Agency shall, as needed, issue requests for proposals to the qualified experts or expert consulting firms to develop a feedstock procurement plan for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and to serve as feedstock procurement administrator. (5) The Agency shall select an expert or expert consulting firm to develop feedstock procurement plans based on the proposals submitted and shall award one-year contracts to those selected with an option for the Agency for a one-year renewal. (6) The Agency shall select, with the approval of the Commission, an expert or expert consulting firm to serve as feedstock procurement administrator based on the proposals submitted. If the Commission rejects the Agency's selection within 5 days after being notified of the Agency's selection, then the Agency shall submit another recommendation within 3 days after the Commission's rejection based on the proposals submitted. The Agency shall award at least a one-year contract to the expert or expert consulting firm selected with the Commission's approval with an option for the Agency for renewal for a term equal to the term of the contract. (b) The experts or expert consulting firms retained by the Agency shall, as appropriate, prepare feedstock procurement plans and conduct a competitive feedstock procurement process as prescribed in Section 1-78 of this Act to ensure adequate, reliable, affordable feedstocks, taking into account any benefits of price stability, for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. (c) The draft procurement plans are subject to public comment pursuant to Section 1-78 of this Act. (d) The Agency shall assess fees to each bidder to recover the costs incurred in connection with the competitive procurement process. (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-78
(20 ILCS 3855/1-78) Sec. 1-78. Feedstock procurement plan; feedstock procurement process. (a) A feedstock procurement plan shall at least every 5 years beginning in 2015 be prepared for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility based on the clean coal SNG brownfield facility's projection of feedstock usage and ratios, and consistent with the applicable requirements of the Public Utilities Act and this Act. The plan shall specifically identify the wholesale feedstock products to be procured following plan approval and shall follow all the requirements set forth in this Act, the Public Utilities Act, and all applicable State and federal laws, statutes, rules, or regulations, as well as Commission orders. Nothing in this Section precludes consideration of contracts longer than 5 years and related forecast data. Any feedstock procurement occurring in accordance with this plan shall be competitively bid through a request for proposals process. Approval and implementation of the feedstock procurement plan shall be subject to review and approval by the Commission according to the provisions set forth in this Section. A feedstock procurement plan shall include each of the following components: (1) Daily load analysis. This analysis shall include: (A) multi-year historical analysis of hourly loads; and (B) known or projected changes to future loads. (2) Determination of the fuel specifications required for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, including: (A) coal and petroleum coke mix, as set by the clean coal SNG brownfield facility with coal comprising at least 50% of the total feedstock over the term of any sourcing agreement unless the facility reasonably determines that it is necessary to use additional petroleum coke to deliver additional consumer savings, in which case the facility shall use coal for at least 35% of the total feedstock over the term of any sourcing agreement; (B) volume of each feedstock required; (C) quality standards of each feedstock; (D) delivery requirements, including cost implications; and (E) technical specifications of the clean coal SNG brownfield facility for its feedstocks. (b) The feedstock procurement process shall be administered by a feedstock procurement administrator and monitored by a feedstock procurement monitor. (1) The feedstock procurement administrator shall: (A) design the final feedstock procurement process in accordance with subsection (d) of this Section following Commission approval of the feedstock procurement plan; (B) develop feedstock benchmarks in accordance with subsection (d)(3) to be used to evaluate bids; these benchmarks shall be submitted to the Commission for review and approval on a confidential basis prior to the feedstock procurement event; (C) serve as the interface between the clean coal SNG brownfield facility and coal and petroleum coke suppliers; (D) manage the bidder prequalification and registration process; (E) obtain the facility's agreement to the final form of all supply contracts and credit collateral agreements; (F) administer the request for feedstock proposals process; (G) have the discretion to negotiate to determine whether bidders are willing to lower the price of bids that meet the benchmarks approved by the Commission; any post-bid negotiations with bidders shall be limited to price only and shall be completed within 24 hours after opening the sealed bids and shall be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner; in conducting the negotiations, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing bidders; if information is disclosed to any bidder, it shall be provided to all competing bidders; (H) maintain confidentiality of supplier and bidding information in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and tariffs; (I) submit a confidential report to the Commission recommending acceptance or rejection of bids; (J) notify the facility of contract counterparties and contract specifics; and (K) administer related contingency feedstock procurement events. (2) The feedstock procurement monitor, who shall be retained by the Commission, shall: (A) monitor interactions among the feedstock procurement administrator, suppliers, and the facility; (B) monitor and report to the Commission on the progress of the feedstock procurement process; (C) provide an independent, confidential report to the Commission regarding the results of the feedstock procurement event; (D) preserve the confidentiality of supplier and bidding information in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and tariffs; (E) provide expert advice to the Commission and consult with the feedstock procurement administrator regarding issues related to feedstock procurement process design, rules, protocols, and policy-related matters; (F) consult with the feedstock procurement administrator regarding the development and use of benchmark criteria, standard form contracts, credit policies, and bid documents; and (G) assess compliance with the procurement plans approved by the Commission. (c) The feedstock planning process shall be conducted as follows: (1) Beginning in 2015, the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall annually provide a range of feedstock requirement forecasts to the Agency by May 15 of each year, or such other date as may be required by the Commission or Agency. The feedstock requirement forecasts shall cover the 5-year feedstock procurement planning period for the next feedstock procurement plan, or such other longer period that the Agency or the Commission may require and shall include daily data representing a high-load, low-load, and expected-load scenario for the load of the utilities required to enter into sourcing agreements with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The utility shall provide supporting data and assumptions for each of the scenarios. (2) Beginning in 2015, the Agency shall at least every 5 years prepare a feedstock procurement plan by June 15, or such other date as may be required by the Commission. The clean coal SNG brownfield facility also may submit a feedstock procurement plan. Each feedstock procurement plan shall identify the portfolio of feedstocks to be procured. Copies of each feedstock procurement plan shall be posted and made publicly available on the Agency's and Commission's websites, and copies of the Agency's feedstock procurement plan shall also be provided to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall have 30 days following the date of posting to provide comment to the Agency on the feedstock procurement plan. Other interested entities also may comment on each feedstock procurement plan. All comments submitted to the Agency shall be specific, supported by data or other detailed analyses, and, if objecting to all or a portion of the feedstock procurement plan, accompanied by specific alternative wording or proposals. All comments shall be posted on the Agency's and Commission's websites. During this 30-day comment period, the Agency shall hold at least one public hearing for the purpose of receiving public comment on the procurement plan. Within 14 days following the end of the 30-day comment period, the clean coal SNG brownfield facility may revise its feedstock procurement plan, if any, and the Agency shall revise the feedstock procurement plan as necessary based on the comments received, and each shall file its feedstock procurement plan with the Commission, and post the feedstock procurement plan on the websites. (3) Within 5 days after the filing of a feedstock procurement plan, any person objecting to the feedstock procurement plan shall file an objection with the Commission. Within 10 days after the filing, the Commission shall determine whether a hearing is necessary. The Commission shall enter its order confirming or modifying a feedstock procurement plan within 90 days after the filing of the feedstock procurement plan by the Agency. (4) The Commission shall approve a feedstock procurement plan, including expressly the forecast used in the feedstock procurement plan, if the Commission determines that it will ensure adequate, reliable, and affordable feedstocks to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility at the lowest total cost over time, taking into account any benefits of price stability. (d) The feedstock procurement process shall include each of the following components: (1) Solicitation, prequalification, and registration of bidders. The feedstock procurement administrator shall disseminate information to potential bidders to promote a feedstock procurement event, notify potential bidders that the feedstock procurement administrator may enter into a post-bid price negotiation with bidders that meet the applicable benchmarks, provide supply requirements, and otherwise explain the competitive feedstock procurement process. In addition to such other publication as the feedstock procurement administrator determines is appropriate, this information shall be posted on the Agency's and the Commission's websites. The feedstock procurement administrator shall also administer the prequalification process, including evaluation of creditworthiness, compliance with feedstock procurement rules, and agreement to the standard form contract developed pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection (d). The feedstock procurement administrator shall then identify and register bidders to participate in the feedstock procurement event. (2) Standard contract forms and credit terms and instruments. The feedstock procurement administrator, in consultation with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility, gas utilities, the Commission, and other interested parties and subject to Commission oversight, shall develop and provide standard contract forms for the supplier contracts that meet generally accepted industry practices. Standard credit terms and instruments that meet generally accepted industry practices shall be similarly developed. The feedstock procurement administrator shall make available to the Commission all written comments it receives on the contract forms, credit terms, or instruments. If the feedstock procurement administrator cannot reach agreement with the applicable clean coal SNG brownfield facility as to the contract terms and conditions, then the feedstock procurement administrator must notify the Commission of any disputed terms and the Commission shall resolve the dispute. The terms of the contracts shall not be subject to negotiation by winning bidders and the bidders must agree to the terms of the contract in advance so that winning bids are selected solely on the basis of price. (3) Establishment of a market-based price benchmark. As part of the development of the feedstock procurement process, the feedstock procurement administrator, in consultation with the Commission staff, Agency staff, and the feedstock procurement monitor, shall establish benchmarks for evaluating the final prices in the contracts for each of the feedstocks that will be procured through the feedstock procurement process. The benchmarks shall be based on price data for similar feedstocks for the same delivery period and same delivery hub or other delivery hubs after adjusting for that difference. The price benchmarks may also be adjusted to take into account differences between the information reflected in the underlying data sources and the specific feedstocks and gasification feedstock procurement process being used to procure for the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The benchmarks shall be confidential but shall be provided to, and shall be subject to, the Commission's review and approval prior to a feedstock procurement event. (4) Request for proposals. The feedstock procurement administrator shall design and issue a request for proposals to supply coal or petroleum coke in accordance with the clean coal SNG brownfield facility's usage plan, as approved by the Commission. The request for proposals shall set forth a procedure for sealed, binding commitment bidding with pay-as-bid settlement, and provision for selection of bids on the basis of price. (5) A plan for implementing contingencies in the event of supplier default or failure of the feedstock procurement process to fully meet the expected feedstock requirement due to insufficient supplier participation, Commission rejection of results, or any other cause. The plan must be specific to the clean coal SNG brownfield facility's feedstock specifications and requirements. The feedstock procurement process described in this subsection (d) is exempt from the requirements of the Illinois Procurement Code, pursuant to Section 20-10 of that Code. (e) Within 2 business days after opening the sealed bids, the feedstock procurement administrator shall submit a confidential report to the Commission. The report shall contain the results of the bidding for each of the feedstock types along with the feedstock procurement administrator's recommendation for the acceptance and rejection of bids based on the price benchmark criteria and other factors observed in the process. The feedstock procurement monitor also shall submit a confidential report to the Commission within 2 business days after opening the sealed bids. The report shall contain the feedstock procurement monitor's assessment of bidder behavior in the process, as well as an assessment of the feedstock procurement administrator's compliance with the feedstock procurement process and rules. The Commission shall review the confidential reports submitted by the feedstock procurement administrator and feedstock procurement monitor and shall accept or reject the recommendations of the feedstock procurement administrator within 2 business days after receipt of the reports. (f) Within 3 business days after the Commission decision approving the results of a feedstock procurement event, the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall enter into binding contractual arrangements with the winning suppliers using standard form contracts. (g) The names of the successful bidders and the amount of feedstock to be delivered for each contract type and for each contract term shall be made available to the public at the time of Commission approval of a feedstock procurement event. The Commission, the procurement monitor, the feedstock procurement administrator, the Agency, and all participants in the feedstock procurement process shall maintain the confidentiality of all other supplier and bidding information in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and tariffs. Confidential information, including the confidential reports submitted by the feedstock procurement administrator and feedstock procurement monitor pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, shall not be publicly available or discoverable by any party in any proceeding absent a compelling demonstration of need. The reports shall not be admissible in any proceeding other than one for law enforcement purposes. (h) Within 2 business days after a Commission decision approving the results of a feedstock procurement event or such other date as may be required by the Commission from time to time, the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall file for informational purposes with the Commission its actual or estimated feedstock costs by utility customer reflecting the costs associated with the feedstock procurement. (i) The clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay for reasonable costs incurred by the Agency in administering the feedstock procurement events, which costs shall be included in the actual delivered fuel costs of the clean coal SNG brownfield facility. The Agency shall determine the amount owed for each feedstock procurement event, and the clean coal SNG brownfield facility shall pay that amount to the Agency within 30 days after being informed by the Agency of the amount owed. Those funds shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Operations Fund, pursuant to Section 1-55 of this Act, to be used to reimburse expenses related to the feedstock procurement. (j) The Commission has the authority to adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this Section. For the public interest, safety, and welfare, the Commission also has the authority to adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this Section on an emergency basis. (k) On or before April 1 of each year, the Commission may hold an informal hearing for the purpose of receiving comments on the prior year's feedstock procurement process and any recommendations for change. (Source: P.A. 97-96, eff. 7-13-11.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-80 Resource Development Bureau
(20 ILCS 3855/1-80) Sec. 1-80. Resource Development Bureau. Upon its establishment by the Agency, the Resource Development Bureau has the following duties and responsibilities: (a) At the Agency's discretion, conduct feasibility studies on the construction of any facility. Funding for a study shall come from either: (i) fees assessed by the Agency on municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, unit or units of local government, or rural electric cooperatives requesting the feasibility study; or (ii) an appropriation from the General Assembly. (b) If the Agency undertakes the construction of a facility, moneys generated from the sale of revenue bonds by the Authority for the facility shall be used to reimburse the source of the money used for the facility's feasibility study. (c) The Agency may develop, finance, construct, or operate electric generation and co-generation facilities that use indigenous coal or renewable resources, or both, financed with bonds issued by the Authority on behalf of the Agency. Any such facility that uses coal must be a clean coal facility and must be constructed in a location where the geology is suitable for carbon sequestration. The Agency may also develop, finance, construct, or operate a carbon sequestration facility. (1) The Agency may enter into contractual arrangements with private and public entities, including but not limited to municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, and rural electric cooperatives, to plan, site, construct, improve, rehabilitate, and operate those electric generation and co-generation facilities. No contract shall be entered into by the Agency that would jeopardize the tax-exempt status of any bond issued in connection with a project for which the Agency entered into the contract. (2) The Agency shall hold at least one public hearing before entering into any such contractual arrangements. At least 30-days' notice of the hearing shall be given by publication once in each week during that period in 6 newspapers within the State, at least one of which has a circulation area that includes the location of the proposed facility. (3) The first facility that the Agency develops, finances, or constructs shall be a facility that uses coal produced in Illinois. The Agency may, however, also develop, finance, or construct renewable energy facilities after work on the first facility has commenced. (4) The Agency may not develop, finance, or construct a nuclear power plant. (5) The Agency shall assess fees to applicants seeking to partner with the Agency on projects. (d) Use of electricity generated by the Agency's facilities. The Agency may supply electricity produced by the Agency's facilities to municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives in Illinois. The electricity shall be supplied at cost. (1) Contracts to supply power and energy from the Agency's facilities shall provide for the effectuation of the policies set forth in this Act. (2) The contracts shall also provide that, notwithstanding any provision in the Public Utilities Act, entities supplied with power and energy from an Agency facility shall supply the power and energy to retail customers at the same price paid to purchase power and energy from the Agency. (e) Electric utilities shall not be required to purchase electricity directly or indirectly from facilities developed or sponsored by the Agency. (f) The Agency may sell excess capacity and excess energy into the wholesale electric market at prevailing market rates; provided, however, the Agency may not sell excess capacity or excess energy through the procurement process described in Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (g) The Agency shall not directly sell electric power and energy to retail customers. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prohibit sales to municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives. (Source: P.A. 99-536, eff. 7-8-16.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-85
(20 ILCS 3855/1-85) Sec. 1-85. Construction of facilities. The Agency may begin construction of a facility costing the Agency more than $100,000,000 only if the Agency demonstrates each of the following: (a) After conducting a study, that the construction and operation of the facility is feasible. (b) That the project does not materially adversely affect overall real property taxes in the taxing jurisdictions where the facility is to be located. (c) That the Agency has received all required federal, State, and local government licenses, permits, or approval for the facility. (d) That the Agency has obtained binding written commitments from municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives constituting agreements to purchase, in the aggregate, at least 75% of the anticipated output of the facility for a time period long enough to ensure recovery of: (1) all costs, including interest, amortization charges, and reserve charges, sufficient to retire revenue bonds issued for costs incurred in connection with the development and construction of a facility; and (2) all operating, capital, administrative, and general expenses for the continued operation of the facility, including fiscal reserves, and any depreciation charges or costs. (e) That the Agency has a reasonable plan to sell the remaining anticipated output of the facility to municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-86 General Assembly approval
(20 ILCS 3855/1-86) Sec. 1-86. General Assembly approval. For projects costing the Agency $1,000,000,000 or more, in addition to the provisions of Section 1-85, the General Assembly must adopt a joint resolution of the House of Representatives and the Senate approving the construction of the facility. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-87
(20 ILCS 3855/1-87) Sec. 1-87. Management and operating agreements. For projects costing the Agency $1,000,000,000 or more, the Agency shall enter into management and operating agreements for the relevant facility or facilities. Solicitation for any such management and operating agreement shall be pursuant to a request for proposals. The agreements must comply with the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations and shall not jeopardize the tax-exempt status of any bond issued in connection with a project for which the Agency entered into the agreement. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-90
(20 ILCS 3855/1-90) Sec. 1-90. Distribution and transmission facilities. The Agency shall not own or acquire distribution or transmission facilities except as necessary to connect an Agency facility to an electric transmission or distribution system. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-92
(20 ILCS 3855/1-92) Sec. 1-92. Aggregation of electrical load by municipalities, townships, and counties. (a) The corporate authorities of a municipality, township board, or county board of a county may adopt an ordinance under which it may aggregate in accordance with this Section residential and small commercial retail electrical loads located, respectively, within the municipality, the township, or the unincorporated areas of the county and, for that purpose, may solicit bids and enter into service agreements to facilitate for those loads the sale and purchase of electricity and related services and equipment. The corporate authorities, township board, or county board may also exercise such authority jointly with any other municipality, township, or county. Two or more municipalities, townships, or counties, or a combination of both, may initiate a process jointly to authorize aggregation by a majority vote of each particular municipality, township, or county as required by this Section. If the corporate authorities, township board, or the county board seek to operate the aggregation program as an opt-out program for residential and small commercial retail customers, then prior to the adoption of an ordinance with respect to aggregation of residential and small commercial retail electric loads, the corporate authorities of a municipality, the township board, or the county board of a county shall submit a referendum to its residents to determine whether or not the aggregation program shall operate as an opt-out program for residential and small commercial retail customers. Any county board that seeks to submit such a referendum to its residents shall do so only in unincorporated areas of the county where no electric aggregation ordinance has been adopted. In addition to the notice and conduct requirements of the general election law, notice of the referendum shall state briefly the purpose of the referendum. The question of whether the corporate authorities, the township board, or the county board shall adopt an opt-out aggregation program for residential and small commercial retail customers shall be submitted to the electors of the municipality, township board, or county board at a regular election and approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question. The corporate authorities, township board, or county board must certify to the proper election authority, which must submit the question at an election in accordance with the Election Code. The election authority must submit the question in substantially the following form: Shall the (municipality, township, or county in which the question is being voted upon) have the authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program? The election authority must record the votes as "Yes" or "No". If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, then the corporate authorities, township board, or county board may implement an opt-out aggregation program for residential and small commercial retail customers. A referendum must pass in each particular municipality, township, or county that is engaged in the aggregation program. If the referendum fails, then the corporate authorities, township board, or county board shall operate the aggregation program as an opt-in program for residential and small commercial retail customers. An ordinance under this Section shall specify whether the aggregation will occur only with the prior consent of each person owning, occupying, controlling, or using an electric load center proposed to be aggregated. Nothing in this Section, however, authorizes the aggregation of electric loads that are served or authorized to be served by an electric cooperative as defined by and pursuant to the Electric Supplier Act or loads served by a municipality that owns and operates its own electric distribution system. No aggregation shall take effect unless approved by a majority of the members of the corporate authority, township board, or county board voting upon the ordinance. A governmental aggregator under this Section is not a public utility or an alternative retail electric supplier. For purposes of this Section, "township" means the portion of a township that is an unincorporated portion of a county that is not otherwise a part of a municipality. In addition to such other limitations as are included in this Section, a township board shall only have authority to aggregate residential and small commercial customer loads in accordance with this Section if the county board of the county in which the township is located (i) is not also submitting a referendum to its residents at the same general election that the township board proposes to submit a referendum under this subsection (a), (ii) has not received authorization through passage of a referendum to operate an opt-out aggregation program for residential and small commercial retail customers under this subsection (a), and (iii) has not otherwise enacted an ordinance under this subsection (a) authorizing the operation of an opt-in aggregation program for residential and small commercial retail customers as described in this Section. (b) Upon the applicable requisite authority under this Section, the corporate authorities, the township board, or the county board, with assistance from the Illinois Power Agency, shall develop a plan of operation and governance for the aggregation program so authorized. Before adopting a plan under this Section, the corporate authorities, township board, or county board shall hold at least 2 public hearings on the plan. Before the first hearing, the corporate authorities, township board, or county board shall publish notice of the hearings once a week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction. The notice shall summarize the plan and state the date, time, and location of each hearing. Any load aggregation plan established pursuant to this Section shall: (1) provide for universal access to all applicable residential customers and equitable treatment of applicable residential customers; (2) describe demand management and energy efficiency services to be provided to each class of customers; and (3) meet any requirements established by law concerning aggregated service offered pursuant to this Section. (c) The process for soliciting bids for electricity and other related services and awarding proposed agreements for the purchase of electricity and other related services shall be conducted in the following order: (1) The corporate authorities, township board, or county board may solicit bids for electricity and other related services. The bid specifications may include a provision requiring the bidder to disclose the fuel type of electricity to be procured or generated on behalf of the aggregation program customers. The corporate authorities, township board, or county board may consider the proposed source of electricity to be procured or generated to be put into the grid on behalf of aggregation program customers in the competitive bidding process. The Agency and Commission may collaborate to issue joint guidance on voluntary uniform standards for bidder disclosures of the source of electricity to be procured or generated to be put into the grid on behalf of aggregation program customers. (1.5) A township board shall request from the electric utility those residential and small commercial customers within their aggregate area either by zip code or zip codes or other means as determined by the electric utility. The electric utility shall then provide to the township board the residential and small commercial customers, including the names and addresses of residential and small commercial customers, electronically. The township board shall be responsible for authenticating the residential and small commercial customers contained in this listing and providing edits of the data to affirm, add, or delete the residential and small commercial customers located within its jurisdiction. The township board shall provide the edited list to the electric utility in an electronic format or other means selected by the electric utility and certify that the information is accurate. (2) Notwithstanding Section 16-122 of the Public Utilities Act and Section 2HH of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, an electric utility that provides residential and small commercial retail electric service in the aggregate area must, upon request of the corporate authorities, township board, or the county board in the aggregate area, submit to the requesting party, in an electronic format, those account numbers, names, and addresses of residential and small commercial retail customers in the aggregate area that are reflected in the electric utility's records at the time of the request; provided, however, that any township board has first provided an accurate customer list to the electric utility as provided for herein. Any corporate authority, township board, or county board receiving customer information from an electric utility shall be subject to the limitations on the disclosure of the information described in Section 16-122 of the Public Utilities Act and Section 2HH of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, and an electric utility shall not be held liable for any claims arising out of the provision of information pursuant to this item (2). (d) If the corporate authorities, township board, or county board operate under an opt-in program for residential and small commercial retail customers, then the corporate authorities, township board, or county board shall comply with all of the following: (1) Within 60 days after receiving the bids, the corporate authorities, township board, or county board shall allow residential and small commercial retail customers to commit to the terms and conditions of a bid that has been selected by the corporate authorities, township board, or county board. (2) If (A) the corporate authorities, township board, or county board award proposed agreements for the purchase of electricity and other related services and (B) an agreement is reached between the corporate authorities, township board, or county board for those services, then customers committed to the terms and conditions according to item (1) of this subsection (d) shall be committed to the agreement. (e) If the corporate authorities, township board, or county board operate as an opt-out program for residential and small commercial retail customers, then it shall be the duty of the aggregated entity to fully inform residential and small commercial retail customers in advance that they have the right to opt out of the aggregation program. The disclosure shall prominently state all charges to be made and shall include full disclosure of the cost to obtain service pursuant to Section 16-103 of the Public Utilities Act, how to access it, and the fact that it is available to them without penalty, if they are currently receiving service under that Section. The Illinois Power Agency shall furnish, without charge, to any citizen a list of all supply options available to them in a format that allows comparison of prices and products. (f) Any person or entity retained by a municipality or county, or jointly by more than one such unit of local government, to provide input, guidance, or advice in the selection of an electricity supplier for an aggregation program shall disclose in writing to the involved units of local government the nature of any relationship through which the person or entity may receive, either directly or indirectly, commissions or other remuneration as a result of the selection of any particular electricity supplier. The written disclosure must be made prior to formal approval by the involved units of local government of any professional services agreement with the person or entity, or no later than October 1, 2012 with respect to any such professional services agreement entered into prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly. The disclosure shall cover all direct and indirect relationships through which commissions or remuneration may result, including the pooling of commissions or remuneration among multiple persons or entities, and shall identify all involved electricity suppliers. The disclosure requirements in this subsection (f) are to be liberally construed to ensure that the nature of financial interests are fully revealed, and these disclosure requirements shall apply regardless of whether the involved person or entity is licensed under Section 16-115C of the Public Utilities Act. Any person or entity that fails to make the disclosure required under this subsection (f) is liable to the involved units of local government in an amount equal to all compensation paid to such person or entity by the units of local government for the input, guidance, or advice in the selection of an electricity supplier, plus reasonable attorneys fees and court costs incurred by the units of local government in connection with obtaining such amount. (g) The Illinois Power Agency shall provide assistance to municipalities, townships, counties, or associations working with municipalities to help complete the plan and bidding process. (h) This Section does not prohibit municipalities or counties from entering into an intergovernmental agreement to aggregate residential and small commercial retail electric loads. (i) No later than June 1, 2023, the Illinois Power Agency shall produce a report assessing how aggregation of electrical load by municipalities, townships, and counties can be used to help meet the renewable energy goals outlined in this Act. This report shall contain, at a minimum, an assessment of other states' utilization of load aggregation in meeting renewable energy goals, any known or expected barriers in utilizing load aggregation for meeting renewable energy goals, and recommendations for possible changes in State law necessary for electrical load aggregation to be a driver of new renewable energy project development. This report shall be published on the Agency's website and delivered to the Governor and General Assembly. To assist with developing this report, the Agency may retain the services of its expert consulting firm used to develop its procurement plans as provided in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 1-75. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-95 Insurance
(20 ILCS 3855/1-95) Sec. 1-95. Insurance. Upon the Authority's issuance of revenue bonds for an Agency facility, the Agency shall purchase an insurance policy to cover those construction and operation costs associated with the facility. The policy shall remain in effect for the time period under which the Agency may accrue any liabilities associated with the facility. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-100 Timely payment to Agency
(20 ILCS 3855/1-100) Sec. 1-100. Timely payment to Agency. Any party receiving electricity shall make timely payment on all bills rendered by the Agency. Any violation of contractual terms by a party receiving electricity from an Agency facility is grounds for cancellation and termination of the contract. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-105
(20 ILCS 3855/1-105) Sec. 1-105. Deposit of revenue. All revenue from contracts described in Section 1-80(d) shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-110 State Police reimbursement
(20 ILCS 3855/1-110) Sec. 1-110. State Police reimbursement. The Agency shall reimburse the Illinois State Police for any expenses associated with security at facilities from the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund. (Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-115
(20 ILCS 3855/1-115) Sec. 1-115. Revenue from real estate. All revenue from any sale, conveyance, lease, exchange, transfer, abandonment, or other disposition of real property shall be deposited into the Illinois Power Agency Facilities Fund. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-120
(20 ILCS 3855/1-120) Sec. 1-120. Protection of confidential and proprietary information. The Agency shall provide adequate protection for confidential and proprietary information furnished, delivered, or filed by any person, corporation, or other entity. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-125
(20 ILCS 3855/1-125) Sec. 1-125. Agency annual reports. (a) By March 15 of each year, the Agency shall report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the operations and transactions of the Agency. The annual report shall include, but not be limited to, each of the following: (1) The average quantity, price, and term of all contracts for electricity procured under the procurement plans for electric utilities. (2) (Blank). (3) The quantity, price, and rate impact of all energy efficiency and demand response measures purchased for electric utilities, and any measures included in the procurement plan pursuant to Section 16-111.5B of the Public Utilities Act. (4) The amount of power and energy produced by each Agency facility. (5) The quantity of electricity supplied by each Agency facility to municipal electric systems, governmental aggregators, or rural electric cooperatives in Illinois. (6) The revenues as allocated by the Agency to each facility. (7) The costs as allocated by the Agency to each facility. (8) The accumulated depreciation for each facility. (9) The status of any projects under development. (10) Basic financial and operating information specifically detailed for the reporting year and including, but not limited to, income and expense statements, balance sheets, and changes in financial position, all in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, debt structure, and a summary of funds on a cash basis. (11) The average quantity, price, contract type and term, and rate impact of all renewable resources procured under the long-term renewable resources procurement plans for electric utilities. (12) A comparison of the costs associated with the Agency's procurement of renewable energy resources to (A) the Agency's costs associated with electricity generated by other types of generation facilities and (B) the benefits associated with the Agency's procurement of renewable energy resources. (13) An analysis of the rate impacts associated with the Illinois Power Agency's procurement of renewable resources, including, but not limited to, any long-term contracts, on the eligible retail customers of electric utilities. The analysis shall include the Agency's estimate of the total dollar impact that the Agency's procurement of renewable resources has had on the annual electricity bills of the customer classes that comprise each eligible retail customer class taking service from an electric utility. (14) (Blank). (b) In addition to reporting on the transactions and operations of the Agency, the Agency shall also endeavor to report on the following items through its annual report, recognizing that full and accurate information may not be available for certain items: (1) The overall nameplate capacity amount of installed and scheduled renewable energy generation capacity physically located in Illinois. (2) The percentage of installed and scheduled renewable energy generation capacity as a share of overall electricity generation capacity physically located in Illinois. (3) The amount of megawatt hours produced by renewable energy generation capacity physically located in Illinois for the preceding delivery year. (4) The percentage of megawatt hours produced by renewable energy generation capacity physically located in Illinois as a share of overall electricity generation from facilities physically located in Illinois for the preceding delivery year and as a share of retail electricity sales in Illinois. (5) The renewable portfolio standard expenditures made pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75 and the total scheduled and installed renewable generation capacity expected to result from these investments. This information shall include the total cost of REC delivery contracts of the renewable portfolio standard by project category, including, but not limited to, renewable energy credits delivery contracts entered into pursuant to subparagraphs (C), (G), (K), and (R) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) Section 1-75. The Agency shall also report on the total amount of customer load featuring renewable portfolio standard compliance obligations scheduled to be met by self-direct customers pursuant to subparagraph (R) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75, as well as the minimum annual quantities of renewable energy credits scheduled to be retired by those customers and amount of installed renewable energy generating capacity used to meet the requirements of subparagraph (R) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. The Agency may seek assistance from the Illinois Commerce Commission in developing its annual report and may also retain the services of its expert consulting firm used to develop its procurement plans as outlined in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 1-75. Confidential or commercially sensitive business information provided by retail customers, alternative retail electric suppliers, or other parties shall be kept confidential by the Agency consistent with Section 1-120, but may be publicly reported in aggregate form. (Source: P.A. 104-458, eff. 6-1-26.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-127
(20 ILCS 3855/1-127) Sec. 1-127. Minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities; reports. (a) The Director of the Illinois Power Agency, or his or her designee, when offering bids for professional services, shall conduct outreach to minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities. Outreach shall include, but is not limited to, advertisements in periodicals and newspapers, mailings, and other appropriate media. (b) The Director or his or her designee shall, upon request, provide technical assistance to minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities seeking to do business with the Agency. (c) The Director or his or her designee, upon request, shall conduct post-bid reviews with minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities whose bids were not selected by the Agency. Post-bid reviews shall provide a business with detailed and specific reasons why the bid of that business was rejected and concrete recommendations to improve its bid application on future Agency professional services opportunities. (d) The Agency shall report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly by July 1. The report shall identify the businesses that have provided bids to offer professional services to the Agency and shall also include, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) whether or not the businesses are minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, or businesses owned by persons with disabilities; (2) the percentage of professional service contracts that were awarded to minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities as compared to other businesses; and (3) the actions the Agency has undertaken to increase the use of the minority owned businesses, female owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities in professional service contracts. (e) In this Section, "professional services" means services that use skills that are predominantly mental or intellectual, rather than physical or manual, including, but not limited to, accounting, architecture, consulting, engineering, finance, legal, and marketing. "Professional services" does not include bidders into the competitive procurement process pursuant to Section 16-111.5 of the Public Utilities Act. (Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-128 Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force
(20 ILCS 3855/1-128) Sec. 1-128. Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force. (a) By January 1, 2028, the Nonprofit Electric Generation Task Force shall be established to assess the technological, economic, and regulatory feasibility as well as legislative support mechanisms necessary to achieve the carbon emission reduction targets described in Section 9.15 of the Environmental Protection Act through the use of carbon capture, sequestration, and utilization technology. (b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members: (1) one representative of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (2) one representative of an association representing municipal utilities, joint municipal electric power agencies, or municipal electric generators with an ownership interest in Prairie State Generating Company, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (3) one representative of an association of electric cooperatives with ownership interests in Prairie State Generating Company, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (4) one representative of a labor union or building trade with technical experience at a coal generation facility, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (5) the Director of Natural Resources, or his or her designee; (6) the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, or his or her designee; (7) the Governor, or his or her designee; (8) one expert in power sector reliability, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (9) one expert in financing large scale power sector carbon reduction projects, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; (10) one designee of the President of the Senate; (11) one designee of the Speaker of the House; (12) one designee of the Senate Minority Leader; and (13) one designee of the House Minority Leader. (c) The Task Force shall have the following duties: (1) investigating the technical and financial options to install carbon capture, sequestration, utilization, and direct air capture at the Prairie State Generation Campus; (2) assessing the existing regulatory construct and any legislative support mechanisms necessary to reduce carbon at the Prairie State Generating Company in accordance with Section 9.15 of the Environmental Protection Act; and (3) preparing and filing a report with the Governor and the General Assembly that sets forth the Task Force's findings. (d) The Task Force may hire an independent third-party auditor with relevant financial expertise to conduct a financial audit of the Prairie State Generating Company, including an examination of potential financial solutions to alleviate the existing indirect debt obligations facing the joint indirect Prairie State Generating Company owners in Illinois. The audit shall include a review of the existing debt structure for the Prairie State Generating Company and the individual finances of each joint direct company owner in Illinois in order to recommend an appropriate and equitable method for allocating any funds, whether from the State or federal government, or any other legal source, that may be provided to support the joint indirect owners in Illinois. Any commercially sensitive information reviewed pursuant to this audit shall be reasonably redacted from the Task Force's final report and shall not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. (Source: P.A. 102-662, eff. 9-15-21.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-129
(20 ILCS 3855/1-129) Sec. 1-129. Policy study. (a) The General Assembly finds that: (1) in 2021, Illinois became the first state in the Midwest to mandate a clean energy future when it enacted the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Public Act 102-662); (2) through the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, Illinois established a plan to completely decarbonize its energy sector by 2050 in an equitable manner that invests in the State's workforce; (3) technology in the energy sector continues to advance creating cleaner and more efficient options to help the State attain the target of 50% renewable energy by 2040; and (4) while numerous legislative proposals purport to help the State on its path to equitably attain 100% clean energy, it is important to have a neutral party with relevant expertise evaluate each proposal to ensure it is consistent with the State's goals and maximizes benefits to Illinois residents. (b) The General Assembly intends: (1) to prioritize the public interest over the profit motives of utilities and private developers; and (2) to invest in projects that reduce harmful emissions and contribute to the clean economy. (c) The Agency shall commission and publish a policy study to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposals described in subsection (g). The potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, support for Illinois' decarbonization goals, the environment, grid reliability, carbon and other pollutant emissions, resource adequacy, long-term and short-term electric rates, environmental justice communities, jobs, and the economy. Where applicable, the study shall address the impact of a proposal with respect to reports by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, PJM, and North American Electric Reliability Corporation staff that Illinois has begun to experience resource adequacy issues. (d) The Agency shall retain the services of technical and policy experts with energy market and other relevant fields of expertise. The technical and policy experts may include the existing planning and procurement consultant and applicable subcontractors and the procurement administrator and applicable subcontractors. The Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall provide support to and consult with the Agency. The Agency may consult with other State agencies, commissions, or task forces as needed. The Agency may consult with and seek assistance from the Regional Transmission Organizations PJM and MISO. (e) The Agency may solicit information, including confidential or proprietary information, from entities likely to be impacted by the proposals described in subsection (g) for purposes of this study. Any information designated as confidential or proprietary information by the entity providing the information shall be kept confidential by the Agency, its consultants, and its contractors and is not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. (f) The Agency shall publish a final policy study no later than March 1, 2024 and suitable copies shall be delivered to the Governor and members of the General Assembly. Prior to publishing the final policy study, the Agency shall publish a preliminary draft of the policy study and provide for a 20-day open public comment period. The Agency shall review public comments and publish a final policy study no later than 20 days after the public comment period ends. The policy study shall include policy recommendations to the General Assembly. (g) The policy study shall evaluate the following proposals and may consider or suggest additional or alternative items: (1) House Bill 2132 of the 103rd General Assembly as it passed out of the House on March 24, 2023 or a similar pilot program to establish one new utility-scale offshore wind project capable of producing at least 700,000 megawatt hours annually for at least 20 years in Lake Michigan that includes an equity and inclusion plan to create job opportunities for underrepresented populations in addition to equity investment eligible communities and a fully executed project labor agreement. The pilot program may result in an increase in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service that shall not exceed 0.25% of the amount paid per kilowatt hour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009. (2) Senate Bill 1587 and amendments to Senate Bill 1587 of the 103rd General Assembly filed prior to May 31, 2023 or a similar proposal for the deployment of energy storage systems supported by the State through the development of energy storage credit targets for the Agency to procure on behalf of Illinois electric utilities from privately owned, large scale energy storage providers using energy storage contracts of at least 15 year durations based on a competitive energy storage procurement plan developed by the Agency designed to enhance overall grid reliability, flexibility and efficiency, and to lower electricity prices. The plan must require participants to comply with the equity accountability system requirements in subsection (c-10) of Section 1-75 and to submit proof of project labor agreements. For purposes of this policy study, it should be assumed that the costs associated with procuring energy storage credits shall be recovered through tariffed charges assessed across all retail customers in a uniform cents per kilowatt hour charge. In addition to large scale energy storage, the proposal shall also include the creation of distributed level energy storage programs through utility tariffs as approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The programs shall include a residential and a commercial storage program that would allow customer-sited batteries to provide grid benefits and cost-savings to ratepayers. The proposal shall also include a community solar energy storage program intended to serve as a peak reduction program by utilizing community solar paired storage projects deployed daily in summer months during peak hours. The installation of the energy storage systems associated with these distributed renewable systems must comply with the prevailing wage requirements described in subparagraph (Q) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 1-75. The policy study shall include a review of the ability of coal-fueled generating plant sites located in Illinois that have been closed since 2016 or are scheduled to be closed by 2030 to support the installation of energy storage systems and potential associated interconnection costs. This review shall include: (i) whether those sites are already in a regional transmission organization interconnection queue, including MISO's replacement power interconnection queue, or would be submitted to the replacement power interconnection queue no later than September 1, 2023, and, if a site is in a queue, the site's position in the queue; and (ii) how soon those sites could support development and installation of energy storage systems and any barriers to that development. This review shall also include consultation with electric generation facility owners or operators and renewable developers that own or are in the process of developing energy storage systems in Illinois or that have experience developing energy storage systems in other States. (3) A policy establishing high voltage direct current renewable energy credits that requires the Agency to procure contracts with at least 25 years but no more than 40 years duration for the delivery of renewable energy credits on behalf of electric utilities in Illinois with at least 300,000 customers from a high voltage direct current transmission facility with more than 100 miles of underground transmission lines in this State capable of transmitting electricity at or above 525 kilovolts and delivering power in the PJM market. High voltage direct current renewable energy credits procured by the Agency pursuant to this policy would not count toward the renewable energy credit purchase targets in subsection (c) of Section 1-75. The study shall also evaluate: (i) this policy's potential for wholesale electricity price impacts in both PJM and MISO, the net rate impact to Illinois ratepayers, and the impact on grid reliability and resilience; (ii) whether a 25-year to 40-year guaranteed contract is necessary to build a high voltage direct current transmission facility; (iii) whether specific high voltage direct current transmission facility projects are committed to Illinois' fair labor and equity standards; and (iv) whether the policy creates incentives for renewable development outside of Illinois rather than within the State. (Source: P.A. 103-580, eff. 12-8-23.)
20 ILCS 3855/1-130
(20 ILCS 3855/1-130) (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026) Sec. 1-130. Home rule preemption. (a) The authorization to impose any new taxes or fees specifically related to the generation of electricity by, the capacity to generate electricity by, or the emissions into the atmosphere by electric generating facilities after the effective date of this Act is an exclusive power and function of the State. A home rule unit may not levy any new taxes or fees specifically related to the generation of electricity by, the capacity to generate electricity by, or the emissions into the atmosphere by electric generating facilities after the effective date of this Act. This Section is a denial and limitation on home rule powers and functions under subsection (g) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution. (b) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2026. (Source: P.A. 102-671, eff. 11-30-21; 102-1109, eff. 12-21-22; 103-563, eff. 11-17-23; 103-1059, eff. 12-20-24.)
20 ILCS 3855/99-97 Severability
(20 ILCS 3855/99-97) Sec. 99-97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
20 ILCS 3855/99-99
(20 ILCS 3855/99-99) Sec. 99-99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law. (Source: P.A. 95-481, eff. 8-28-07.)
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