The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) and Energy Solutions hosted a random selection event on December 17 to break tied scores for projects submitted into Illinois Shines’ Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) category during the 90-day application window of the 2025-26 program year.

The category initially opened with more than 34 MW for Group A and about 57 MW for Group B. Capacity was however adjusted to account for waitlisted projects, the addition of new capacity following the re-opening of the Long-Term Plan, and a project withdrawal from Dimension.

Group A includes projects located in Ameren Illinois, MidAmerican Energy, Mt. Carmel Public Utility territories, and rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities in MISO. Group B includes projects located in ComEd and rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities in PJM.

A total of 84 applications were accepted during the application window of June 2 to September 2, 2025. Group A received 14 applications totaling 41.46 MWac and Group B received 70 applications totaling more than 113 MWac.

For Group A, Dimension Energy was awarded five projects, while Solar Landscape and Flatiron Power were each awarded one project. Those projects include:

• Dimension, Sandoval CSG 1, Marion, 4.95 MWac
• Dimension, 21-27 Gateway Commerce Ctr., Madison, 1.92 MWac
• Dimension, Caseyville CSG 1, St. Clair, 4.95 MWac
• Dimension, Trenton CSG 1, Clinton, 4.95 MWac
• Dimension, Elm Grove CSG 1, Tazewell, 4.95 MWac
• Solar Landscape, SLDIL 114731, Peoria, 1.68 MWac
• Flatiron Power, Prime Storage IL08, St. Clair, 1.08 MWac

All remaining projects, which included five projects submitted by Trajectory Energy and one by Hawk-Attollo, received the required score of 10 to be placed on the waitlist.

For Group B, Solar Landscape was awarded 14 projects, Dimension four projects, Trajectory three projects, and one project from Flatiron.

All remaining project submissions received the required score of 10 to be placed on the waitlist with the exception of one Dimension project that received a score of zero.

Selected projects will be submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) within the next two meetings.

To break ties, the IPA uses a random selection process called command-line script to generate random numbers to assign to all projects. Those numbers are then put in a spreadsheet alongside each project and then ordered from highest to lowest project scores and then highest to lowest number. All projects are assigned a number regardless of their project score. The IPA said the script has no access to any project or scoring information and is used because it allows for full auditability and reproducibility.

The program will open another 45-day application window on January 16, 2026, regardless of capacity availability as of that date. Projects submitted during the second window will be placed behind any projects added to the waitlist.