The state of solar development in Illinois can be evaluated by key factors such as federal and local regulations, incentives, grid interconnection and integration. The current state of development activity in Illinois is growing and can be seen in this analysis summarizing all facets of solar energy project development.
We will break down the various federal and state incentives available to solar energy developers in Illinois and how to access them.
As of August 2023, Illinois has 121 solar farms already operating with a current capacity of 875 MW1 and a current electricity generation of 5,44,136 MWh. Illinois has a significant amount of operating solar farms compared to the other states in the US, and it has one the largest development of solar farms with 11 solar farms under construction of 105 MW capacity total, 12 planned solar farms with 1,328 MW capacity total, as well as 230 Utility-Scale Queued projects and 17 site control projects. Overall, if all planned and under construction farms go into operating status, Illinois will expand its capacity by 1,433 MW. That’s a 64% growth in capacity for the state! In Illinois, the average solar farm size is 50 acres, producing 9MW of electricity under ideal conditions. So a solar farm in Illinois needs an average of 5 acres per MW of capacity.
Want to read more? Get the complete white paper for free:
Catch up with the recording of our webinar here:
