Illinois Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: Small Utility Clean Energy Planning Grant Program - Fourth Round

The Small Utility Clean Energy Planning Grant Program will support municipal electric utilities and cooperative electric utilities in aligning power generation planning and procurement with Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA’s) goal of 100% carbon-free power by 2045. The program will provide financial assistance to support the planning and implementation of clean energy strategies, including the transition away from fossil fuels, and to track resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions related to those strategies. This program is designed to ensure that small utilities can fully participate in Illinois’ clean energy transition by building the capacity to plan, execute, and evaluate their progress toward CEJA-aligned goals. Subaward Objectives: Administered by IFA/ICB, Illinois will conduct a competitive selection process to award up to $400,000 per year in federal funding through approximately 2 grants of up to $200,000 each. These grants will be made on a competitive basis to municipal and cooperative electric utilities, supporting strategic clean energy planning, procurement, and implementation efforts. IFA/ICB will select projects that support all three core objectives: 1. Clean Energy Roadmap and Strategy Development, 2. Utility Capacity Building and Procurement Readiness, and 3. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions These are the central pillars of the program, every selected project must demonstrate how it contributes to each. Projects that already have an already completed roadmap or clean energy strategy may use grant funding solely to support Objectives 2 and 3. However, if a roadmap or strategic plan is being developed under Objective 1, it must be completed within 12 months of contract execution. The set of metrics and strategies described below will be used to effectively track whether investments achieve State and programmatic goals.