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IPA Minimum Equity Standard (MES) – Updated Submission Materials And Supplemental Guidance
With the close of the current Program Year on May 27, 2024, the IPA and Program Administrator are providing additional guidance to supplement the Minimum Equity Standards (MES) information shared on February 27, 2024. This announcement includes the release of the Equity Eligible Person (EEP) Attestation form, an updated MES Year-End Report template, release of the MES Compliance Plan form for Program Year 2024-25, and additional guidance for union entities seeking a waiver from the MES. Please review both announcements as you prepare to submit your Minimum Equity Standard (MES) Year-End Report for the 2023-24 Program Year and prepare for MES compliance for the 2024-25 Program Year.
The Illinois Power Agency Act (IPA Act) required the Illinois Power Agency to establish an Equity Accountability System, including a Minimum Equity Standard (MES) for the project workforce of entities applying for Renewable Energy Credit (REC) contracts under the IPA’s Indexed REC procurements and Illinois Shines program. The MES requires a certain minimum percentage of an Approved Vendor or Designee’s project workforce to be Equity Eligible Persons, with this required percentage increasing to 30% by 2030. Beginning in the current Program Year, all Approved Vendors and Designees participating in the Illinois Shines program, except for Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs), must meet a required minimum percentage of 10% EEPs in their project workforce. For more information on the Minimum Equity Standard, please visit www.illinoisshines.com/equity-accountability-system, which provides informational resources including the Guide to the Equity Accountability System & Illinois Shines.
Key Dates:
- April 11, 2024 – MES Compliance Plan for next Program Year (2024-25) opens for submissions.
- May 1, 2024 – MES Year-End Report opens for submissions.
- May 27, 2024 – Conclusion of the 2023-24 Program Year
- June 3, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Compliance Plan for 2024-25 Program Year
- July 15, 2024 – Deadline for submission of MES Year-End Report for Program Year 2023-24
Additional resources on the MES and the Equity Accountability System can be found here: https://illinoisshines.com/equity-accountability-system/
For any questions related to the MES Year-End Report, please reach out to mes@IllinoisShines.com.
