Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB1876
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Full Text of SB1876  103rd General Assembly

SB1876 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  

 


 
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1876

 

Introduced 2/9/2023, by Sen. Bill Cunningham

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 605/605-1110 new

    Amends the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that it is the policy of the State to promote and encourage the installation of distributed energy resources, such as distributed generation technology and advanced energy storage, and to limit obstacles to their use. Establishes that within 180 days of the effective date of the amendatory Act, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall create and administer a grant program facilitating the implementation of an online permitting process for residential photovoltaic solar energy systems for the purpose of modernizing and reducing the cost and time to obtain building permits for distributed generation. Provides that jurisdictions requiring permits for such systems may apply for a grant of up to $20,000 from the Department. Requires the Department to allocate a minimum of $1,000,000 in eligible funds to provide grants under the program. Requires the Department to disclose in a report on its website each jurisdiction which received a grant, the amount of each grant, the anticipated implementation date of the recipient jurisdiction's automated permitting platform, and other relevant information.


LRB103 26887 MXP 53251 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1876LRB103 26887 MXP 53251 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic
5Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
6is amended by adding Section 605-1110 as follows:
 
7    (20 ILCS 605/605-1110 new)
8    Sec. 605-1110. Small Solar Online Permitting Grant
9Program.
10    (a) The General Assembly finds and declares all of the
11following:
12        (1) It is the policy of the State to promote and
13    encourage the installation of distributed energy
14    resources, such as distributed generation technology and
15    advanced energy storage, and to limit obstacles to their
16    use.
17        (2) Onsite solar energy and onsite energy storage are
18    leading renewable distributed energy resource technologies
19    that will help this State reach its energy and
20    environmental goals, as well as provide essential
21    resiliency benefits at times of high energy demand and in
22    the event of grid outages.
23        (3) Implementation of consistent statewide standards

 

 

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1    to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of
2    solar energy systems as well as energy storage systems is
3    not a municipal affair but is instead a matter of
4    statewide concern. The permitting processes governing the
5    installation of onsite solar energy systems and energy
6    storage systems vary widely across jurisdictions and,
7    contrary to the intent of the law, are both obstacles to
8    the State's clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction
9    goals and burdensome costs to homeowners, businesses,
10    schools, and public agencies.
11        (4) The United States Department of Energy, through
12    its SunShot Initiative, has distributed millions of
13    dollars in grants to local and state governments,
14    including a number of State jurisdictions, to reduce the
15    costs of rooftop solar through automated and standardized
16    permitting.
17        (5) A modernized, automated, and standardized
18    permitting process for installations of small-scale solar
19    technology on residential rooftops, energy storage
20    technology in residences, and associated distributed
21    energy resource technology in residences will lower
22    administrative costs for and time spent by municipalities
23    throughout the State, while maintaining safety standards.
24        (6) A modernized, automated, and standardized
25    permitting process for installations of small-scale solar
26    technology on residential rooftops, energy storage

 

 

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1    technology in residences, and associated distributed
2    energy resource technology in residences will lower costs
3    of the deployment of solar and battery solutions, help to
4    expand access to lower-income households, provide solar
5    customers greater installation ease, improve the State's
6    ability to reach its clean energy goals, expand grid
7    resiliency solutions, and generate much needed jobs in the
8    State, all while maintaining safety standards.
9        (7) A modernized, automated, and standardized
10    permitting process for installations of small-scale solar
11    technology on residential rooftops, energy storage
12    technology in residences, and associated distributed
13    energy resource technology will increase efficiencies in
14    local government, reducing costs and time requirements for
15    local jurisdiction staff.
16    (b) For the purposes of this Section:
17    "Economically disadvantaged community" means areas of one
18or more census tracts where the average household income does
19not exceed 80% of the area median income.
20    "Energy storage system" means commercially available
21technology that is capable of absorbing energy and storing it
22for a period of time for use at a later time, including, but
23not limited to, electrochemical, thermal, and
24electromechanical technologies, and may be interconnected
25behind the customer's meter or interconnected behind its own
26meter.

 

 

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1    "Jurisdiction" means any unit of local government
2providing building or electrical permits to small photovoltaic
3solar energy systems.
4    "Photovoltaic solar energy system" means a solar collector
5or other solar energy device the primary purpose of which is to
6provide for the collection, storage, or distribution of
7electricity created from sunlight.
8    "Small residential photovoltaic solar energy system" means
9a photovoltaic solar energy system with an installed direct
10current capacity no greater than 25 kilowatts.
11    "SolarAPP+" means the most recent version of a web-based
12portal, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
13United States Department of Energy, that automates plan
14review, produces code-compliant approvals, and issues permits
15instantaneously for small residential photovoltaic solar
16energy systems and energy storage systems.
17    (c) Within 180 days of the effective date of this
18amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department
19shall create and administer a grant program facilitating the
20implementation of an automated online permitting process for
21residential photovoltaic solar energy systems for the purpose
22of modernizing and reducing the cost and time to obtain
23building permits for distributed generation. Jurisdictions
24requiring permits for such systems may apply for a grant of up
25to $20,000 from the Department. A jurisdiction that accepts a
26grant shall implement an online, automated permitting

 

 

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1platform, such as, but not limited to, SolarAPP+, that
2verifies code compliance and issues valid and usable permits
3in real time for eligible technologies. Online platforms shall
4include an inspection checklist and be consistent with the
5system parameters and configurations of SolarAPP+. As needed,
6a jurisdiction may amend its ordinance to authorize a small
7solar energy system, an energy storage system, or other
8eligible technology to use the online, automated permitting
9platform, as well as update its code as pertains to such
10technologies to the most recent version of the National
11Electrical Code, International Building Code, and
12International Residential Code available at that time.
13    A jurisdiction that accepts a grant shall ensure its
14online permitting platform includes:
15        (1) a clear description of all information required to
16    obtain a permit;
17        (2) the electrical, building, and residential code
18    year governing the jurisdiction's permitting requirements
19    for small residential photovoltaic solar energy systems
20    and energy storage systems; and
21        (3) the means to electronically pay for all permits
22    for solar photovoltaic solar energy systems and energy
23    storage systems.
24    (d) Nothing in this Section prohibits a jurisdiction that
25accepts a grant from using grant funds to modernize its
26permitting system for other items within that jurisdiction, so

 

 

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1long as the core goals described in this Section are achieved.
2    (e) In establishing the grant program, the Department
3shall expedite processing grant applications from local
4jurisdictions serving environmental justice communities as
5defined by the Illinois Power Agency under the Illinois Power
6Agency Act and economically disadvantaged communities.
7    (f) The Department shall allocate a minimum of $1,000,000
8in eligible funds received under the federal Inflation
9Reduction Act, federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
10or other funding sources to provide grants under the program.
11    (g) Each quarter, the Department shall disclose through a
12report available on its website each jurisdiction which
13received a grant, the amount of each grant, the anticipated
14implementation date of the recipient jurisdiction's automated
15permitting platform, and other information deemed relevant by
16the Department. The Department shall also maintain on its
17website a list of jurisdictions utilizing an online automated
18permitting platform.