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Solar on Earth pitches Illinois Shines community solar to village, promises 10–15% monthly savings
Summary
Solar on Earth representative Marcus explained the Illinois Shines community solar program and said subscribing municipal and commercial accounts can expect roughly 10–15% off the portion of their energy covered by the farm, with no upfront cost to participants.
Marcus, a representative of Solar on Earth, described the Illinois Shines community solar program and urged the committee to consider attaching municipal accounts to a nearby solar farm. He said the state-funded program uses tax incentives and developer credits so participating accounts can receive monthly production credits on their ComEd bills, and that developers currently offer about 10–15% discounts on covered usage.
"We're working with farms that are giving out between 10 to 15% discounts, and that's every month," Marcus said, explaining that farms allocate subscribers roughly 93% of their annual usage (to avoid over-crediting) and that participants still receive a guaranteed percentage discount of production credited to ComEd. He acknowledged limits — for example, unmetered lighting cannot be included — and offered the committee a nonbinding sample agreement and follow-up materials from the Illinois Power Agency for review.
Why it matters: the program would let municipal accounts share in offsite solar generation without capital outlay, but the committee asked follow-up questions about contract terms (three-year minimums vs. potential 20-year extensions), dual-billing mechanics, and how the developer handles slot transfers if customers move. The presenter suggested the committee provide sample bills for a more precise cost estimate and left contact details for a follow-up meeting.
