The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) is calling upon the public for their opinions on the evaluation of its Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) Program, extending an invitation to environmental justice groups and communities typically left in the shadows of such dialogues to lay down their vision for how the initiative might be assessed and reported, according to an announcement released on December 2nd.
The appeal for commentary is part of a larger commitment by the IPA to deepen engagement with stakeholders, particularly those from underserved areas and those who are looking to leverage the environmental benefits touted by the ILSFA Program, with the comment period set to run from the date of the announcement through the close of business on December 20, the IPA has outlined in their request a series of potential evaluation elements, and the way they're hoping to see these reports being utilized to further the agency's aims beyond the mandated requirements is set in a section of the Illinois Power Agency Act (IPA Act).
Participants are instructed to send in their written feedback by email to [email protected], including the subject line "[Responder’s Name] – Response to ILSFA Evaluation Feedback Request," and the agency has committed to publishing the responses on its website for public review.
Moreover, a deeper dive into the community's sentiments will be facilitated by a Stakeholder Feedback Session Workshop scheduled for December 16 from 12-1 p.m. CT, where additional dialogue on the criteria for the program's forthcoming evaluation will unfold, participation in which requires prior registration, allowing interested parties to voice their opinions and potentially influence the direction of the solar program's evaluation, feedback, which the agency deems vital to the program's transparency and effectiveness.
