Exciting progress is underway for Springfield’s future in clean energy and community empowerment! It's time to "solarbrate!" CWLP has officially launched Phase 1 of its Sunshine Savings Community Solar Program—an initiative with the goal of bringing solar power benefits directly to low-income residents by reducing their electric bills. Springfield City Council approved the contract for the first phase of the work in May.
Backed by a Community Solar Energy Sovereignty Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Sunshine Savings program is more than a renewable energy project—it’s a community wealth-building effort. This initiative, shaped in partnership with CWLP, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good and Sustainable Springfield, aims to create a model that other cities can replicate.
“Sunshine Savings represents a powerful example of what it looks like when clean energy solutions are designed with community empowerment in mind,” said Tom Chi, CWLP Projects Manager and Sunshine Savings Grant Administrator. “This program presents an opportunity to not only reduce energy burdens for low-income households, but to also serve as a replicable model for how municipalities can use renewable energy to drive real community improvement.”
What is Community Solar?
Community solar projects allow multiple customers in a geographic area to benefit from a shared solar energy system.
The project’s first major milestone is underway as the Springfield City Council approved award of the contract for Baker Tilly Advisory Group to develop the program’s framework.
• Identify locations suitable for a CWLP-owned solar array
• Build a detailed financial model for how the solar-generated revenue will translate into monthly bill credits for eligible residents
• Set up a transparent governance structure led by CWLP
• Engage the community to ensure the project meets real local needs
Environmental and technical studies will also be conducted to ensure the project is both sustainable and feasible. The first phase concludes with a finalized plan that will lay the groundwork for construction and operation in later phases.
Mayor Misty Buscher sees this as a bold step forward:
“I’m very excited to put a grant like this to work, which will empower our City utility to help people in need in Springfield,” said Mayor Buscher. “To be able to transfer the advantages of solar energy to some of our community members who are in need will be a very rewarding and unique effort among local assistance programs.”
Doug Brown, CWLP’s Chief Utility Engineer, echoed this sentiment and emphasized the benefits of a local municipal solar asset:
“To be able to pilot a program model that will keep all the benefits of solar local, using public assets to uplift vulnerable residents without relying on private developers or outside parties is a plus,” he said. "This is how public power, community utilities operate, working to find ways to benefit its customer-owners with local jobs and public assets to uplift vulnerable residents.”
What’s Next?
With the grant secured and contractor hired, Baker Tilly is set to complete Phase 1 in 2026. Consequently, additional grant opportunities would be pursued to fund the actual construction and launch of the solar array and the Sunshine Savings program in Phase 2.
This is more than just energy savings—it’s a pathway toward local empowerment, environmental justice, and community investment.