Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Project Financing

The Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) is a state conduit issuer of tax-exempt bonds and credit enhancement for projects in Illinois. IFA funding is available to commercial and non-profit entities as long as those entities meet strict eligibility criteria. In 2012, the legislature also added schools and community colleges to the list of eligible entities for energy conservation funding. Entities seeking funding must demonstrate that their projects provide a significant public benefit for the citizens of Illinois. In 2009, the IFA was authorized by legislation (S.B. 1906 and S.B. 390) to provide funding via issuance of tax-exempt bonds for renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects. For the purposes of this program, renewable energy projects include those that utilize wind, solar thermal energy, photovoltaic cells and panels, biodiesel, crops and organic waste biomass, trees and tree trimmings, hydropower, Illinois-produced landfill gas, geothermal, and "other alternative sources of environmentally preferable energy." Transmission lines and associated equipment used to transfer electricity created by renewable energy and renewable energy storage technologies are also eligible. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act of 2021 created the Illinois Climate Bank within the IFA. The Climate Bank operates several funding programs (e.g. https://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/22747/energy-efficiency-revolving-loan-fund ).