With the signature today of Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois becomes the 13th state to adopt an energy storage procurement goal. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act directs the Illinois Power Agency to procure 3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, among other energy-related provisions.
Analysis shows that this energy storage mandate could save Illinois residents $3 billion over the next 20 years.
"States across the country are increasingly using energy storage to support the transition to clean, reliable and affordable energy," says Todd Olinsky-Paul, a Senior Project Director at the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). "Energy storage can reduce reliance on costly and polluting fossil fuel peaker' plants, integrate clean renewable power onto the grid, increase energy resilience, lower air emissions and support ratepayer affordability. We congratulate Governor Pritzker, the Illinois Legislature, and our colleagues at the Illinois Power Agency on their leadership in advancing clean energy."
"The Illinois Power Agency supports the state's goal for new energy storage projects and recognizes storage is a necessary component of Illinois' clean energy future," said IPA Director Brian Granahan. "In adding new supply through 3 GW of dispatchable energy storage, the benefits of these investments are anticipated to meaningfully outweigh their costs, ultimately making electricity more affordable for Illinois residents and businesses."
The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act also includes provisions for Illinois to establish a virtual power plant (VPP) program. VPP programs allow residential and commercial customers with battery systems to sell energy storage services to utilities, which can dispatch the aggregated stored generation en masse during times of peak demand or low generation, offsetting the need to build additional expensive power plants or grid infrastructure. At least 24 states, plus Puerto Rico, now have operational virtual power plants that include energy storage.
Illinois currently has about 200 megawatts of grid-scale energy storage. Existing energy storage capacity in Illinois was supported by state programs including a distributed generation rebate, a coal-to-solar energy storage grant program, a smart inverter rebate for customer-sited solar+storage systems, and an energy storage loan program.
Illinois' energy storage mandate supports the state's goal to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, with Renewable Portfolio Standard targets of 40% by 2030 and 50% by 2040. Illinois is one of 24 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico, with a 100% clean energy goal.
With the addition of Illinois, a total of thirteen states have adopted energy storage procurement targets, mandates, and goals. Twelve of these states, including Illinois, are members of the Clean Energy States Alliance. Information about all the states with energy storage goals is available in CESA's online Table of State Energy Storage Targets.
"Now more than ever, state leadership on clean energy is imperative," says CESA Executive Director Warren Leon. "Illinois' support for energy storage comes at a critical time. Americans need lower energy costs and more clean electricity generation, and energy storage helps deliver that."
About the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)
CESA is the leading coalition of state energy agencies working together to advance the rapid expansion of clean energy technologies and bring the benefits of clean energy to all. Established in 2002, CESA is a national, member-supported nonprofit that works with its members to develop and implement effective clean energy policies and programs. CESA's members primarily state energy agencies representing 18 states and the District of Columbia include many of the nation's most innovative, successful, and influential implementers of clean energy policies. Learn more at www.cesa.org.
