Understanding Renewable Energy Development in Illinois

RPS Goals and Progress

First established in 2007, the state’s renewable energy goals under the Illinois RPS have evolved over the years. Updated under the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the Illinois RPS requires that 40% of Illinois’ retail electricity sales[1] come from renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040 through the procurement of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).

RPS compliance is administered by the IPA, which develops plans, administers solar incentive programs, and conducts competitive procurement events for utility-scale solar, wind, and brownfield site photovoltaic projects to bring RECs under contract. Because larger projects take between 3-5 years to develop, understanding RPS progress requires accounting for REC contracts that have already been awarded:

29.1 million RECs or 29.1 million MWh under contract to be delivered annually by RPS projects

117.4 million MWh annual Illinois retail electricity sales

25.1% of retail electricity sales is covered by active project contracts awarded to date through IPA programs and procurements

[1] Retail electricity sales refer to the electricity delivered by Ameren Illinois, ComEd, and MidAmerican to their customers. It does not include electricity delivered by municipal electric utilities or rural electric cooperatives.

Renewable Electricity Generation

While the goals associated with the Illinois RPS are calculated based on retail electricity sales and only apply to projects that sell RECs through IPA-administered programs and procurements, overall renewable electricity generation casts a wider net.

In Illinois, the electricity mix is steadily shifting toward renewable sources. With tens of thousands of new solar projects coming online both within and outside of the state’s RPS, solar generation is increasingly positioned to help meet overall energy demand while supporting Illinois’ broader climate goals.

In 1990, renewable energy accounted for only 0.23% of Illinois' total in-state electricity generation. In 2025, that number has increased to 16.47%:

31.85 million MWh total annual electricity generation from renewables in Illinois

193 million MWh annual overall electricity generation in Illinois

16.47% of electricity generation in Illinois is generated by renewables

Much of this growth has occurred in the past decade: Renewables have tripled since 2014, rising from 10.83 million MWh or just 5.36%.

💡 Tip: In Illinois, not all renewable energy projects participate in the state’s RPS compliance framework — only projects that sell RECs to Illinois utilities through programs and procurements administered by the IPA count toward RPS compliance. 

💡 Tip: As the nation’s fifth-largest electricity producer, Illinois generates more electricity than it consumes, making it a net exporter of electricity.