Volts How Illinois passed its third big clean-energy bill in a decade
Dec 3, 2025
Kady McFadden is a seasoned organizer in Illinois clean energy, while John Delurey leads solar policy at Vote Solar. Together, they explore Illinois' striking shift towards central planning for clean energy. They discuss the urgent need for state-level planning to combat rising energy bills and the strategic framing of renewables as the most cost-effective solution. Kady shares insights on persuading lawmakers to empower the ICC to procure clean energy, ensuring affordability for consumers, and the ambitious storage goals set through 2030.
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Restructured State Embraces Targeted Planning
- Illinois blends market strengths with targeted central planning through a state-run IRP.
- The IRP lets the state steer renewables and storage to deliver least-cost, resilient outcomes faster than markets alone.
Socialize Planning Power Before You Give It
- Give the regulator authority to act and explain it clearly to lawmakers over time.
- Socialize the IRP concept early and use a legislative working group to build trust and buy-in.
Capacity Markets Are Too Slow And Painful
- Capacity markets are reactive and impose painful price spikes that hit ratepayers.
- Illinois chose proactive tools (IRP, procurement, storage, VPPs) to avoid punitive capacity-price shocks.