Illinois approved 600 MW of new four-hour batteries, but the PJM zone got only 80 MW of its 588 MW target
The ICC approved the first storage procurement under the CRGA on 1 September: 520 MW in MISO Zone 4, above a 450 MW target, and 80 MW in PJM against a 588 MW target. Standalone four-hour storage only. Goal: 3,000 MW by 2030, with more rounds in 2027 and 2028.
Illinois has two grids. One of them filled its battery order. The other, the one serving the Chicago area, did not.
Advanced Energy United reported on 3 September 2026 that the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the state's first energy storage procurement under the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act on 1 September. The round awarded 600 MW: 520 MW in MISO Zone 4 in central and southern Illinois, above a 450 MW target, and 80 MW in the PJM zone in the north, against a 588 MW target.
The round was limited to standalone four-hour storage. The state aims for 3,000 MW by 2030, with further procurements planned for 2027 and possibly 2028.
Analogy: it is a school canteen that ordered extra milk for two buildings. One got more than it asked for. The other got a seventh.
Good: a real, approved procurement with named sizes, run by a state regulator. Batteries are becoming part of the Illinois grid plan, not a pilot.
Bad: the PJM shortfall means northern Illinois, where capacity prices are tight, got the least.
Ugly: standalone grid batteries do nothing directly for a business meter. Commercial sites wanting backup or bill savings still build their own.
Source: Advanced Energy United, 3 Sep 2026 - Illinois approves 600 MW of new energy storage.