Can Illinois handle a 2000% jump in solar capacity? We’re about to find out
(Inside Climate News, 30 Oct 2018) A new state law could turn Illinois into a Midwest solar energy leader in just a few years. First, it has to build a solar industry almost from scratch.
Illinois is about to learn what it takes to manage a nearly 20-fold increase in solar power.
A new state law requires utilities to dramatically increase their purchases of renewable energy, with a goal of getting at least 25 percent of the state's electricity from clean energy by 2025, a large part of it from solar.
For a state starting with very little solar power now—less than 100 megawatts—becoming a Midwest solar leader will mean building an industry infrastructure almost from scratch, and doing it fast.
To ramp up by the deadline, the state needs two things: workers and projects.
People involved in the effort describe an atmosphere of almost chaotic progress. State officials and clean energy advocates want Illinois to be a model for how to expand clean energy in a way that provides targeted help to the local communities.
"The stakes are high," said David Kolata, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, a Chicago-based consumer advocacy group involved in the process. "I think we have a good plan and we have reasons to be optimistic in general, but there's no question we'll face some roadblocks and things we didn't think of."