The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) is pleased to announce that it has selected Energy Solutions to serve as the Joint Program Administrator for both its Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) and Illinois Shines solar incentive programs.

The IPA's selection was made through a competitively bid consultant retention process, beginning with a Request for Qualifications published last fall, followed by a Request for Proposals issued to qualified respondents. Proposals were evaluated against RFP scoring criteria, and the IPA's Joint Program Administrator selection was approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission at its Regular Open Meeting on July 1, 2026.

While Illinois Shines and ILSFA will continue to operate as separate programs with distinct eligibility requirements, a Joint Program Administrator should offer back both cost efficiencies and service improvements. By consolidating application portals, call centers, consumer protection processes, and points of contact, a Joint Program Administrator will serve to make both programs more accessible, navigable, and consistent for participants and vendors.

Illinois Shines

Energy Solutions currently administers Illinois Shines, so no change in service is anticipated for Illinois Shines participants and vendors during this transition.

ILSFA

Elevate has been a vital partner in building ILSFA into a nationally recognized income-eligible solar incentive program. Since its inception, ILSFA has approved 34 Community Solar projects totaling more than 63 MW of capacity, 232 Non-profit and Public Facilities projects totaling more than 33 MW of capacity, and nearly 3,300 Residential systems totaling more than 29 MW of capacity.

The Program has also been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy with Sunny Awards for its exemplary work connecting vulnerable communities throughout Illinois with affordable community solar options. The IPA is deeply appreciative of Elevate's staff and leadership, whose contributions have been integral in shaping ILSFA into the program it is today. ILSFA's success stands as a testament to the strong foundation Elevate helped establish over the past eight years.

For ILSFA, administration will begin to transition from Elevate to Energy Solutions in July 2026 with that transition expected to be completed by June 30, 2027.

ILSFA project submission processes are anticipated to remain the same through the initial submission windows for the 2026-2027 Program Year. ILSFA Participants should continue to correspond and work with their existing contacts at Elevate until notified otherwise. Additional communications to ILSFA stakeholders will be forthcoming and will include more details on the transition process.