The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is seeking applications for its Equitable Energy Future Grant Program to provide pre-development funding opportunities to eligible contractors to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects benefitting businesses, community organizations, and the workforce in Illinois with a specific focus on historically disadvantaged communities.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/31/2025
Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
The grant program is designed to help remove barriers to project, community, and business development caused by lack of capital.
The Equitable Energy Future Grant Program is intended to provide grants of up to $1 million promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that seek to achieve many of the following:
- Provide benefits to low-income communities wherein at least 50% of projected energy produced or saved benefits low-income households or not-for-profit organizations providing services to low-income households, affordable housing owners, or community-based businesses providing services to low-income households;
- Invest in equity investment eligible communities
- Provide on-the-job training;
- Support contractors who are participating in or have demonstrated an intent to participate in the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program and the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program (when operational);
- Employ a minimum of 51% of its workforce from graduates or current or former participants of the following Clean and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) workforce programs: the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program (when operational), the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program (when operational, the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program (when operational).
- Provide avenues of employment for the workforce training efforts for programs created by FEJA, including the Solar Training Pipeline Program and the Multi-cultural Jobs Program.
“Equity investment eligible communities” are defined as geographic areas throughout Illinois which would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination. Specifically, the eligible communities are defined as the following areas:
- Restore. Reinvest. Renew (R3) areas as established pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. R3 areas are defined as Illinois communities that have been harmed by violence, excessive incarceration, and economic disinvestment and have been excluded from economic opportunities, including opportunities in the energy sector; and
- Environmental Justice communities, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power Agency Act, where residents have historically been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution from the energy sector.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $25,500,000
- Award Range: $250,000 – $1,000,000.
Grant Period
The period of performance is expected to be the date of grant agreement execution through up to four years from the date of grant agreement execution.
Eligible Activities
Grant funds may be used to support a wide array of pre-development activities to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, including:
- Planning and project development, including costs for professional services such as architecture, design, engineering, auditing, consulting, and developer services
- Application (e.g. Funding, Credentials, Agency Applications, Utility Applications etc.), deposit, and approval
- Purchasing and leasing of land
- Permitting and zoning
- Interconnection application costs and fees, studies, and expenses
- Equipment and supplies (for pre-development uses)
- Community outreach, marketing, and engagement
- Staff and operations expenses (for pre-development uses).
Eligibility Criteria
- Equity Eligible Contractors (EEC) that can provide an Illinois Power Agency EEC certification. An EEC per the definition in the Illinois Power Agency Act, is defined as:
- A business that is majority-owned by equity eligible persons
- A nonprofit or cooperative that is majority governed by equity eligible persons
- A natural person that is an equity eligible person offering personal services as an independent contractor.
- An Illinois business or nonprofit or cooperative organization that meets the equity building criteria in paragraph (9.5) of subsection (g) of Section 8-103B of the Public Utilities Act.
For more information, visit DCEO.
