Guidance Document

The DEI Advisory Committee will address a range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Equity Portal and SEB Hub: Discuss the development and implementation of tools and resources that support EEPs and clean energy companies to enter and grow in the sector.

• EEC Ownership Stakeholder Feedback: Gather feedback on the development of an inclusive stakeholder feedback process to comprehensively assess the EEC ownership eligibility criteria. 

• Expansion of Outreach & Partnership Development: Gather information on community outreach opportunities and identify local/regional community organizations to expand partnerships.

• Racial Disparity Study:  Collaborate with the Agency to interpret the statutorily required Racial Disparity Study of the Illinois clean energy sector and advise on effective implementations to address any recommendations made as a result of the study. 

The Advisory Committee will discuss and inform on DEI-related advisements and implementations. The Illinois Power Agency will hold the final decision on if and how to implement the changes in programming in response to Committee discussions.

The IPA will take into full consideration potential barriers to participation for attendees of the Committee to ensure full participation. 

To ensure full accessibility, meetings will always have an online convening option, even if there is a possibility to convene in person.

The Advisory Committee will convene quarterly.

The IPA will keep administrative records of the meetings and will post attendee lists, agendas, minutes, materials, and schedules on the IPA website. 

Members involved in the Advisory Committee should expect to participate in 4-6 meetings per year. In the event a member is unable to attend a meeting, they may send a replacement, if possible. For example, if a representative from a specific organization cannot attend, they may have another representative from their organization attend the meeting. Regular attendance is an expectation of membership in the Advisory Committee; if a member is consistently absent for meetings, actions may be taken by the IPA to ensure representative participation goals are fulfilled.

The composition of the following membership categories is meant to foster equitable participation by all stakeholders involved in this work in order for this committee to achieve the goal of advising on topics that will increase equity and access. 

The IPA DEI Advisory Committee will be composed of 10-15 members. The IPA will invite representatives from each of the categories below to participate in the Advisory Committee. Members will represent the following segments of the clean energy sector:

1. Coalitions
2. Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
3. Community Action Agencies
4. Equity Eligible Persons (EEPs)
5. Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs)
6. Environmental Justice Advocates
7. Clean Energy Companies
8. Unions
9. Educational Institutions

Each Advisory Committee meeting will be facilitated by a representative from the IPA. IPA staff and committee members will co-develop the agenda, which will be sent out the day before the meeting. All meeting agendas will also be available to the public on the IPA websites. 

Members will be asked to serve on the committee for two years. After two years, the IPA team will review and may revise the committee membership to allow for new voices and any members that would like to terminate their membership.

Administrative records will be kept on all meetings, whether online or in-person. Attendee lists, agendas, minutes, materials, and schedules will be posted on the IPA website. 

The purpose of this Advisory Committee is to converse over EAS feedback and concerns to provide impartial responses and expertise on potential changes or improvements to IPA programming. This requires all members to disclose any potential conflicts of interest they may have related to an agenda item to ensure all voices are heard and addressed equitably.