Minimum Equity Standards Compliance Plan

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (“CEJA”) created an equity accountability system mandating a minimum equity standard (“MES”) for certain IPA administered programs and procurements. CEJA requires that successful bidders in the IPA's Indexed REC procurements comply with the MES. Specifically, Section 1-75(c-10)(1)(A) of the IPA Act provides that MES compliance plans from each entity participating in a procurement program must demonstrate “how they [the successful bidder] will achieve compliance with the minimum equity standard percentage for work completed in that delivery year.” (20 ILCS 3855/1-75(c-10)(1)(A)).


Beginning with the Fall 2022 Indexed REC Procurement, each entity awarded a REC Contract through an Illinois Power Agency Indexed REC procurement must comply with the MES. Successful bidders in Indexed REC procurements are required to file an Initial MES Compliance Plan within 30 days of ICC approval of their REC Contract regardless of whether construction activities have been performed or will be performed in that delivery year. Subsequently, by June 1 of each delivery year, Seller (Seller was a winning bidder of a project selected through the procurement event) shall submit to the IPA an MES Compliance Plan demonstrating how Seller will achieve compliance with the MES in such delivery year.




The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page on the Agency’s website provides helpful resources and tips for MES Compliance Plan submissions: https://ipa.illinois.gov/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.html




Please complete the form below to submit your MES Compliance Plan for review by the IPA. Any supplemental documents to your MES Compliance Plan should be submitted to IPA.EnergyEquity@illinois.gov. Please include "[entity name] MES Compliance Plan Documentation" in the subject line.

I affirm intent to comply with all necessary requirements set forth in Public Act 102-0662 (Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) relating to the Minimum Equity Standard and agrees to comply with certain obligations, including hiring a diverse project workforce and working with Equity Eligible Contractors, where applicable.”*

Demographic breakdown of projected workforce


Please provide an estimate of the number of individuals that belong to the following demographic groups:

This is a person who graduated from or are current or former participants in the Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program, the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program, Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, or the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program, and the solar training pipeline and multi-cultural jobs program created in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(3) of Section 16-108.21 of the Public Utilities Act.


The Communication Plan for Outreach might answer questions such as:


•    What is the entity’s overall plan around outreach?


•    What messaging will the entity utilize, including what messaging forum (virtual, in-person, etc.)?


•    Which organizations (community colleges, unions, non-profits, etc.) will the entity reach out to and coordinate with?


•    What is the timeline for that outreach?


•    What are your plans to use social media and other communications for outreach?


•    What is the entity’s plan for following up on its outreach?


•    How do you plan to improve your EEP recruitment if your initial EEP recruitment is unsuccessful?


•    Where will you post job openings?


•    Will you offer job shadowing/mentorship opportunities for position exposure?


•    Are there townhalls and workshops held to advertise your company need?


•    Have you considered language accessibility needs to reach everyone in the community?


•    Have you reached out within your own firm for potential candidates?

Do you expect any work on this project to take place this delivery year?*
Privacy Notice|Report Abuse
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.