Environmental Justice Communities
Illinois Solar for All ensures that projects are focused in areas that stand to benefit the most from access to solar energy, including environmental justice communities. This focus is based on the principle that all people should be protected from pollution and that all populations have a right to a clean and healthy environment.
Identifying environmental justice communities in Illinois
Identifying environmental justice communities is important for Illinois Solar for All because a quarter of all program incentives are targeted to projects that are in or serving environmental justice communities. One goal of the Illinois Solar for All program is to allocate 25% of funding toward environmental justice communities.
The Illinois Power Agency and Elevate Energy (Elevate) have identified environmental justice communities in Illinois based on a methodological framework established in the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan.
These communities were designated as such through a calculation utilizing the U.S. EPA tool EJ Screen and a demonstrated higher risk of exposure to pollution based on environmental and socioeconomic factors. Specific questions can be directed to info@Illinoissfa.com.
In addition to communities which were identified as environmental justice communities using the framework in the Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan, groups or individuals may also submit a proposal to request that their community be designated as an environmental justice community.
Examples of conditions for environmental justice communities
Environmental effects indicators
Based on measurements of different types of pollution that people may face. For example, a local newspaper reports on concerns over high levels of toxic releases from a nearby facility.
Sensitive population indicators
Based on the locations of toxic chemicals in or near communities. For example, the designator and community members live within close proximity to a cleanup site that has not been documented in an IEPA database.
Socioeconomic factor indicators
Measure the number of people in a community who may be more severely affected by pollution because of their age or health. For example, 500 Cities data indicates that in recent years, COPD prevalence is higher than the state average for census tracts in the designator’s community.
Exposure indicators
Conditions that may increase people’s stress or make healthy living difficult and cause them to be more sensitive to pollution’s effects. For example, the designator’s community experiences an affordable housing crisis, and local activists hold a protest.
Accessing the benefits of Illinois Solar for All
Do you reside in an identified environmental justice community?
Use this address lookup tool to see if your community or property resides in an identified environmental justice community.
Ready to designate your community?
To apply to designate your community, submit an application for review by the Program Administrator.