Illinois signs clean energy bill, will drive investments for solar PV, battery storage and VPPs
Illinois signs clean energy bill, will drive investments for solar PV, battery storage and VPPs - Illinois has passed one of the most comprehensive state energy laws in recent years, pairing clean energy growth with a clear focus on affordability and reliability. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act expands battery storage, virtual power plants, and community solar while aiming to save customers more than $13 billion over the next two decades.
Good News, Thursday. Illinois just made a big move on clean energy.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act into law, and it’s one of the more comprehensive state-level energy bills we’ve seen in a while.
The goal is straightforward: lower electricity costs while continuing to scale clean energy.
This legislation builds on Illinois’ earlier clean energy efforts. Since the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed in 2021, the state has already supported more than 6 GW of renewable energy, with another 6 GW under development. The difference now is a sharper focus on affordability and grid reliability, not just adding new generation.
With the signing of CRGA, Illinois is explicitly targeting rising electricity costs while expanding cleaner, more flexible resources. The state projects that the law’s provisions could save energy customers an estimated $13.4 billion over the next two decades, underscoring affordability as a central aim of the legislation.
A few parts of the bill stand out to me:
- A plan to procure 3 GW of grid-scale battery storage by 2030, which can help smooth peaks, manage congestion, and lower system costs.
- New virtual power plant programs, allowing homes with solar, batteries, and EVs to support the grid and get paid for it.
- An expanded Integrated Resource Planning process aimed at finding the lowest-cost ways to keep energy reliable as demand grows.
- Stronger support for community solar, including raising project size limits to 10 MW. Illinois already ranks among the top states for community solar, and this should push that even further.
The bill also includes a Solar Bill of Rights, ensuring customers served by municipal and cooperative utilities can install rooftop solar, and extends clean energy siting reforms for storage projects.
All of this comes at a time when electricity demand is rising, grids are under pressure, and many states are struggling to balance reliability, cost, and climate goals. Illinois is showing that those priorities don’t have to be in conflict.
Looking ahead, the Solar Energy Industries Association projects 14.6 GW of new solar in Illinois over the next five years, on top of the roughly 6.5 GW already installed. Pairing that growth with storage, VPPs, and planning for affordability feels like the right direction.
State policy can’t solve everything, but this is a strong example of how thoughtful design can support cleaner power, lower costs, and a more resilient grid at the same time.
Curious to see how other states respond, and whether we start to see more legislation that treats storage, distributed resources, and affordability as core parts of the energy system, not side programs.