The Illinois Power Agency is expanding and recalibrating the Consumer Protection Working Group pursuant to Section 9.8 of the 2022 Long-Term Plan. The expanded IPA Consumer Protection Working Group will be held on the first Friday of each month and will be utilized to discuss market trends, best practices, consumer education, updates to Program requirements and documents, and other consumer protection issues. The scope of these discussions will include Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA). This is an opportunity for consumers, solar companies, community, and nonprofit organizations, and other members of the public to directly provide their insight and perspectives to the ILSFA Program Administrator and IPA.

The Illinois Power Agency Act provides that the Agency “shall schedule regular meetings with representatives of the Office of the Attorney General, the Illinois Commerce Commission, consumer protection groups, and other interested stakeholders to share relevant information about consumer protection, project compliance, and complaints received.”[1] To date, participation in the Working Group has been primarily limited to the Agency, Program Administrator, Commission staff, Office of the Attorney General, and Citizens Utility Board, and the meetings have primarily focused on observed consumer protection issues and violations of program requirements, and disciplinary responses to violations.

By expanding the Consumer Protection Working Group, the IPA hopes to engage a diverse set of stakeholders to create a more robust discussion of consumer protection issues. The meetings will follow an agenda with a list of set topics for discussion.  The feedback received from each session will help inform the Agency’s strategies and decisions on a variety of consumer protection issues, including changes and updates to Program requirements and the development of consumer education materials and other resources. Meetings will be open to the public and to encourage open discussion, the session will not be recorded.

The Agency intends to use October 7, 2022, and November 4, 2022, Working Group meetings to discuss consumer protection topics raised in the 2022 Long-Term Plan proceeding, and to discuss other ideas for possible modifications to the proposed streamlined Disclosure Forms, Consumer Protection Handbook, and Contract Requirements. These discussions will inform the proposals and questions that the Agency plans to put out for written public comment in late Fall 2022.

Additional information about specific discussion topics will be provided closer to the dates of these meetings. If interested, please sign up to receive emails about the Consumer Protection Working Group and upcoming agendas.

[1] 20 ILCS 3855/1-75(c)(1)(M).