SB1876 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 26887 MXP 53251 b

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.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 605-1110 as follows:

(20 ILCS 605/605-1110 new)

Sec. 605-1110. Small Solar Online Permitting Grant Program.

(a) The General Assembly finds and declares all of the following:

(1) 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.

(2) Onsite solar energy and onsite energy storage are leading renewable distributed energy resource technologies that will help this State reach its energy and environmental goals, as well as provide essential resiliency benefits at times of high energy demand and in the event of grid outages.

(3) Implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of solar energy systems as well as energy storage systems is not a municipal affair but is instead a matter of statewide concern. The permitting processes governing the installation of onsite solar energy systems and energy storage systems vary widely across jurisdictions and, contrary to the intent of the law, are both obstacles to the State's clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals and burdensome costs to homeowners, businesses, schools, and public agencies.

(4) The United States Department of Energy, through its SunShot Initiative, has distributed millions of dollars in grants to local and state governments, including a number of State jurisdictions, to reduce the costs of rooftop solar through automated and standardized permitting.

(5) A modernized, automated, and standardized permitting process for installations of small-scale solar technology on residential rooftops, energy storage technology in residences, and associated distributed energy resource technology in residences will lower administrative costs for and time spent by municipalities throughout the State, while maintaining safety standards.

(6) A modernized, automated, and standardized permitting process for installations of small-scale solar technology on residential rooftops, energy storage technology in residences, and associated distributed energy resource technology in residences will lower costs of the deployment of solar and battery solutions, help to expand access to lower-income households, provide solar customers greater installation ease, improve the State's ability to reach its clean energy goals, expand grid resiliency solutions, and generate much needed jobs in the State, all while maintaining safety standards.

(7) A modernized, automated, and standardized permitting process for installations of small-scale solar technology on residential rooftops, energy storage technology in residences, and associated distributed energy resource technology will increase efficiencies in local government, reducing costs and time requirements for local jurisdiction staff.

(b) For the purposes of this Section:

"Economically disadvantaged community" means areas of one or more census tracts where the average household income does not exceed 80% of the area median income.

"Energy storage system" means commercially available technology that is capable of absorbing energy and storing it for a period of time for use at a later time, including, but not limited to, electrochemical, thermal, and electromechanical technologies, and may be interconnected behind the customer's meter or interconnected behind its own meter.

"Jurisdiction" means any unit of local government providing building or electrical permits to small photovoltaic solar energy systems.

"Photovoltaic solar energy system" means a solar collector or other solar energy device the primary purpose of which is to provide for the collection, storage, or distribution of electricity created from sunlight.

"Small residential photovoltaic solar energy system" means a photovoltaic solar energy system with an installed direct current capacity no greater than 25 kilowatts.

"SolarAPP+" means the most recent version of a web-based portal, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, that automates plan review, produces code-compliant approvals, and issues permits instantaneously for small residential photovoltaic solar energy systems and energy storage systems.

(c) Within 180 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department shall create and administer a grant program facilitating the implementation of an automated 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. Jurisdictions requiring permits for such systems may apply for a grant of up to $20,000 from the Department. A jurisdiction that accepts a grant shall implement an online, automated permitting platform, such as, but not limited to, SolarAPP+, that verifies code compliance and issues valid and usable permits in real time for eligible technologies. Online platforms shall include an inspection checklist and be consistent with the system parameters and configurations of SolarAPP+. As needed, a jurisdiction may amend its ordinance to authorize a small solar energy system, an energy storage system, or other eligible technology to use the online, automated permitting platform, as well as update its code as pertains to such technologies to the most recent version of the National Electrical Code, International Building Code, and International Residential Code available at that time.

A jurisdiction that accepts a grant shall ensure its online permitting platform includes:

(1) a clear description of all information required to obtain a permit;

(2) the electrical, building, and residential code year governing the jurisdiction's permitting requirements for small residential photovoltaic solar energy systems and energy storage systems; and

(3) the means to electronically pay for all permits for solar photovoltaic solar energy systems and energy storage systems.

(d) Nothing in this Section prohibits a jurisdiction that accepts a grant from using grant funds to modernize its permitting system for other items within that jurisdiction, so long as the core goals described in this Section are achieved.

(e) In establishing the grant program, the Department shall expedite processing grant applications from local jurisdictions serving environmental justice communities as defined by the Illinois Power Agency under the Illinois Power Agency Act and economically disadvantaged communities.

(f) The Department shall allocate a minimum of $1,000,000 in eligible funds received under the federal Inflation Reduction Act, federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or other funding sources to provide grants under the program.

(g) Each quarter, the Department shall disclose through a report available 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 information deemed relevant by the Department. The Department shall also maintain on its website a list of jurisdictions utilizing an online automated permitting platform.