Illinois has added substantial renewable capacity on its path to 100% clean energy by 2050, but battery storage has lagged. A law passed last fall requires 3 GW of batteries on the grid by 2030, and in August the Illinois Power Agency ran its first auction under a new incentive program using indexed storage credits. The results were mixed: statewide, developers committed to 600 MW, less than two-thirds of what the initial procurement sought.
The gap was most visible in ComEd's northern Illinois territory, where the state aimed for 588 MW but only one 80 MW project was selected. In Ameren Illinois' territory, three developers won bids totaling 520 MW. Even with the shortfall, the deals would dramatically expand storage in a state that currently has just 102 MW installed, according to data firm Cleanview. Advocates called the outcome encouraging, with one describing it as "a strong start" and evidence of developer interest.
Illinois is not alone in trying this approach. New York, which uses a similar incentive mechanism and has the same 3 GW goal, secured promises for 950 MW in September. But developers face hurdles, especially long interconnection delays in the PJM grid that serves ComEd's territory. The Illinois Power Agency is collecting feedback through late October to improve future procurement rounds. As one industry representative put it, uncertainty about interconnection timing "led to some cold feet."