About  Energy Jobs Act (FEJA)

A few years ago, Governor Bruce Rauner signed the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) into law. It outlines policies to transition Illinois to a cleaner electricity grid, generate well-paying jobs in the renewables energy economy, and position the state as a leader in clean energy deployment. Solar power helps Illinois meet these goals, with the law calling for an estimated 2,700 megawatts (MW) of new installations by 2030 (an over 3,000% increase in installations at the time of passage). This electricity powers almost half-a-million homes within the state. It shares policies and programs to support growth, incentives, and support income buyers. Below are these policies and programs:
 

Clean energy incentive

The Distributed Generation rebate is straightforward: install a system that conforms to a specified design with qualified equipment and the owner gets  a rebate worth $250 per kilowatt (kW) of system capacity. For a 5 kW system (a typical size for a residential rooftop), that amounts to $1,250. For larger ground-mounted systems such as community solar installations, that rebate could be as high as $500,000.
 

Ensure diverse power users benefit from the new policies
 
Projects may be eligible for the Adjustable Block Incentive (ABI). Solar projects within a certain size range will receive an income stream from the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) to the Illinois Power Authority. This revenue decreases the price of the energy each system generates. When the rebate and the ABI are combined, clean energy can compete with energy purchased from your utility or alternative retail energy provider. This makes renewables energy a smart decision for those looking to save on electricity costs.
 
The Future Energy Jobs Act carves up its 2,700 MW solar goal into the following separate buckets:
40% for utility-scale or large systems over 2 MW (sold to electricity buyers in the energy markets)
2% for brownfields or systems on landfills
50% for “distributed systems”, a general category comprised of three separate sub-categories:
Small distributed systems of less than 10 kW (primarily residential customers)
Mid-sized to large systems from 10 kW to 2,000 kW
Community solar

The plan includes these to ensure that diverse power users benefit from the new policies. It is also important to note that the 8 percent remaining is left for IPA discretion in the future. The Future Energy Jobs Act makes it a reality for electricity customers in  Illinois to adopt solar and save money. The new polices make Illinois a leading state for solar development, adding jobs and contributing to the state’s economy. 

If you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much you can save over the next 20 years by going solar, and we can help find local solar installers who can help. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.