Illinois Shines · Adjustable Block Program
Illinois pays solar owners for the power they produce. We handle the paperwork.
Illinois Shines is a state incentive program that buys 15 years of renewable energy credits from your solar system through an Approved Vendor. Ag Technologies is Illinois Shines Approved Vendor #336 and has guided Illinois farms, businesses and homeowners through it since the program began.
In plain language
What Illinois Shines actually is
Not a tax credit. Not a rebate. Not a utility program. A 15-year contract that pays you for renewable energy credits.
One REC = 1,000 kWh
Every megawatt-hour your system produces creates one renewable energy credit. Your utility buys 15 years’ worth up front under a contract with your Approved Vendor.
You get paid through your vendor
The Approved Vendor receives the REC payments from the utility and passes the contracted value to you. The amount is fixed by the program’s published REC price for the year you apply.
Paperwork is on us
Disclosure Form, contract, Part I application, Part II verification after energization, and the quarterly invoicing. You sign; we file.
2026-27 program year
How much is it worth?
REC prices for applications submitted in the program year that began June 1, 2026. Group A is Ameren Illinois, MidAmerican, Mt. Carmel and co-ops or municipals in MISO; Group B is ComEd and co-ops or municipals in PJM.
| System size (AC) | Group A $/REC | Group B $/REC | Payment schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 10 kW | $70.37 | $80.77 | 50% at energization, 50% over 6 years |
| 10 – 25 kW | $60.92 | $79.21 | 50% at energization, 50% over 6 years |
| 25 – 100 kW | $59.53 | $69.65 | 15% at energization, rest over 6 years |
| 100 – 200 kW | $55.63 | $65.09 | 15% at energization, rest over 6 years |
| 200 – 500 kW | $45.64 | $53.40 | 15% at energization, rest over 6 years |
| 500 – 2,000 kW | $42.37 | $49.57 | 15% at energization, rest over 6 years |
| 2 – 5 MW | $31.96 | $37.39 | 15% at energization, rest over 6 years |
10 kW home, Ameren territory
About 188 RECs over 15 years ≈ $13,200, or about $16,900 with the $20/REC customer-owned adder. Roughly half arrives when the system is energized.
25 kW farm, ComEd territory
About 469 RECs ≈ $37,100, or about $46,500 with the adder. 50% at energization because the system is 25 kW AC or under.
100 kW business, Ameren territory
About 1,875 RECs ≈ $112,000, paid 15% at energization and the rest over six years. Large systems don’t receive the adder.
Examples assume about 1,250 kWh per kW-DC per year and a 1.25 DC/AC ratio, using the published 2026-27 REC prices. Your incentive is calculated by the program from a verified production estimate for your specific system and site. REC prices change each program year and capacity in each block is limited; we will tell you if your category is waitlisted at the time you sign. Incentive figures are estimates for illustration only and are not guarantees. Program rules, prices and availability change; eligibility is determined by the program administrator or USDA, not by Ag Technologies. Consult your tax advisor about credits and depreciation.
New for 2026-27
Two changes that favor small, customer-owned systems
- 50% at energization. Systems 25 kW AC and under that receive a REC contract on or after June 1, 2026 are paid half at energization and half in 24 quarterly payments. Earlier contracts were paid in full up front; the new split was set by Public Act 104-0458.
- $20-per-REC adder. Because the federal homeowner credit ended after 2025, Illinois now adds $20 per REC for customer-owned systems 25 kW and under whose owners will not claim a federal credit. It must be requested at Part I and disclosed on your Disclosure Form.
- Illinois sites only. The system must be in Illinois and interconnected to an Illinois utility, co-op or municipal. Our Indiana customers use the federal credit instead.
Step by step
From first call to first payment
Design & Disclosure Form
We design the system (orientation, shading, size) and give you the program’s Disclosure Form and brochure to review before any contract.
Contract & Part I
You sign a contract that matches the Disclosure Form. We submit the Part I application; the program batches it to the ICC for REC-contract approval.
Install & energize
We build and interconnect the system within the program’s 18-month window, usually far sooner.
Part II & payments
We file Part II verification with production data. Small systems receive 50% shortly after approval; the rest arrives quarterly over six years.
Net metering in Illinois today
Why your export credit matters as much as the REC
Customers of ComEd, Ameren and MidAmerican who interconnected after December 31, 2024 receive supply-only credits for exported energy instead of full retail net metering. The credits roll over, but they are smaller, so we size systems for self-consumption first.
In exchange, the utilities offer a distributed-generation (“smart inverter”) rebate of at least $300 per kW for residential and small customers, which we apply for on your behalf. Co-op and municipal customers follow their own utility’s policy, which we state on your Disclosure Form.
Who is eligible
Any Illinois home, farm, business, school or church connected to an Illinois utility (investor-owned, co-op or municipal), with a system up to 5 MW AC behind the customer’s meter. Off-grid systems and Indiana sites are not eligible.
Illinois Shines FAQ
Straight answers
Is this free solar?
No. You purchase (or finance) the system and the program pays you for its renewable energy credits over 15 years. Illinois Shines reduces the net cost; it does not eliminate it, and you will still have a utility bill.
Does it replace the federal tax credit?
For homeowners, it is now the primary incentive since the 25D credit ended after 2025, and the $20/REC adder was created for exactly that reason. Farms and businesses can combine Illinois Shines with the 30% business credit and depreciation; those systems do not get the adder.
When do I get paid?
After the program approves your Part II (post-energization) paperwork and the utility pays the first invoice, typically a few months after energization. Small systems receive 50% then; the rest is quarterly over six years.
Is there a waitlist?
As of the June 2026 program update, no distributed-generation category was waitlisted. Capacity is limited and we check the program’s current block status before you sign.
What happens if I sell the property?
The REC contract and remaining payments can transfer to the new owner through the program; the $20 adder is lost if ownership changes to someone taking a federal credit.
Who do I contact with a complaint about the program?
The Illinois Shines Program Administrator at 877-783-1820 or illinoisshines.com. Ag Technologies’ own contact is below.
Get started
Request an Illinois Shines estimate
Send us a recent electric bill and the address of the site. We’ll size the system, estimate the 15-year REC value at this year’s prices and show the net cost with the smart-inverter rebate.
Ag Technologies, Inc.
Illinois Shines Approved Vendor #336
1268 E 100 S, Rochester, IN 46975
(574) 475-8358 · call or text
Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm
Ag Technologies, Inc. is an Illinois Shines Approved Vendor (#336). We are not affiliated with any utility, the Illinois Power Agency or the State of Illinois; Illinois Shines is a state incentive program, not a utility program, and customers remain responsible for their utility bill. Savings depend on your usage, utility and system; individual results vary. Program details from the 2026-27 Illinois Shines Program Guidebook and Consumer Protection Handbook, effective June 1, 2026.