In short: Central Illinois has two very different setups. Springfield’s city-owned utility, CWLP, charged homes about 12¢ per kWh in 2024 and still gives full retail credit for solar. Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana are on Ameren Illinois, at about 15.3¢, with supply-only solar credits but $300 rebates (EIA, CWLP, CUB).
Which utility sends your bill decides most of your solar and battery math here, so this page goes city by city. For statewide rules, Illinois Shines and installer certification, see our Illinois energy guide.
Central Illinois at a glance
- City Water, Light and Power (CWLP), Springfield: about 12.0¢ per kWh in 2024; 83 minutes of outages per customer, with or without major events; about one interruption a year (EIA-861, 2024).
- Ameren Illinois (Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana): about 15.3¢ per kWh for homes buying from Ameren; 224 minutes with major events, 121 without (EIA-861).
- Rural co-ops: Corn Belt Energy around Bloomington-Normal (about 15.8¢; 312 minutes, with about five interruptions a year) and Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative around Champaign (about 17.1¢; 268 minutes) (EIA-861).
- Sun: about 4.0 kWh per square meter per day in Bloomington and Champaign, 4.1 in Springfield (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: 1,170 to 1,200 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: McLean and Champaign counties are “very high” for cold waves and “relatively high” for drought, strong wind, tornadoes and winter weather; Sangamon County is “relatively high” for cold waves, hail, lightning, strong wind, tornadoes and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 162 ports in Champaign-Urbana, 134 in Bloomington-Normal and 122 in Springfield, where 76 are DC fast (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
- CWLP (Springfield): full retail net metering for systems of 25 kW or less, through an application. In a month when your panels make more than you use, you pay for zero kWh and the extra is banked, but banked credits expire each March billing cycle, so CWLP warns against building more than you use in a year. Its Solar Application Packet includes the Springfield Fire Department’s rooftop setback rules and CWLP’s approved meter bases. CWLP also sells a share of its 250 kW mySolar array to customers without a suitable roof.
- Ameren Illinois: solar connected since 2025 earns supply-only export credits. Ameren pays $300 per kW of smart inverter size, and $300 per kWh for a battery paired with solar, if you choose Peak Time Rewards, Real Time Pricing or Power Smart Pricing, a choice that stays with the address (Citizens Utility Board, March 2026). Confirm the current rules with Ameren.
- Corn Belt, Eastern Illinois and other co-ops: each sets its own net metering policy; Ameren’s rebates do not apply. EIA counted 689 home solar systems on Corn Belt’s lines and 455 on Eastern Illinois’ in 2024.
Backup power in Central Illinois
Outage risk depends on your lines. Springfield’s CWLP reported 83 minutes per customer for 2024. Ameren customers averaged about 3.7 hours. Rural co-op members had it hardest: Corn Belt reported more than five hours and about five interruptions per customer, which is when a backup that switches on by itself matters (EIA). Out in open farm country, FEMA’s “relatively high” rating for strong wind and tornadoes is the main summer threat; cold waves are the winter one.
Frequent short outages favor a home battery or a portable power station: instant, quiet and indoor-safe. Long storm outages favor a generator, ideally standby on natural gas or propane. On a farm with a well pump, size for the pump’s starting load. Compare the options in backup power options and use the generator sizing tool or the battery backup calculator.
Generator safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the home, exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage, barn or shed. Use battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. A transfer switch or interlock must be installed by a licensed electrician with a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Central Illinois
Central Illinois gets more sun than Chicago: about 1,170 kWh a year per kW in Bloomington and Champaign and 1,200 in Springfield, by our rough estimate. Springfield’s case is unusual. CWLP’s power is cheap, and the utility itself suggests planning with 12¢ per kWh and no more than 2% a year of increases, so savings per kWh are smaller, but every kWh up to your annual use earns full retail credit. Fewer than 1% of CWLP homes had solar in 2024 (EIA). On Ameren’s lines, prices are higher and the rebate helps, but exported power earns only the supply credit, so size to your own use.
Run your roof through the solar potential tool and test each quote in the solar savings calculator; in Springfield, use CWLP’s 12¢ as the rate. More on the process in solar installation and how net metering works.
Batteries in Central Illinois
In Springfield, full retail net metering means a battery adds little to solar savings; buy one for backup. On Ameren’s lines, a battery keeps solar power for the evening instead of exporting it for a supply credit, and the $300 per kWh rebate can cover much of the cost if the required rate option suits you. For co-op members with frequent outages, backup is the main reason. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Central Illinois
Champaign has 127 public ports, Normal 102, Springfield 122, Urbana 35 and Bloomington 32 (AFDC, October 3, 2026). At home, Springfield drivers have cheap power: at CWLP’s 12¢ planning rate and about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs about $3.60 per 100 miles, or about $430 a year for 12,000 miles (our estimate). On Ameren, use your own rate in the EV charging cost calculator. A Level 2 charger needs a licensed electrician and a permit; in Springfield, use a licensed electrician registered with the city, as CWLP advises for solar. See EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Springfield: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Springfield: Office of Public Works, Building and Zoning handles building and electrical permits and inspections; solar also needs CWLP’s interconnection application and net metering contract.
- Champaign: Building Safety Division, with an online permit portal since January 1, 2025.
- Bloomington: Permits and Fees. Normal and Urbana have their own offices.
- Unincorporated McLean County: Department of Building and Zoning. Elsewhere, ask your county.
- HOAs: newer subdivisions may have rules on panels and generators; get written approval first.
Cities we cover
- Bloomington
- Champaign
- Springfield
Get help
Are you a licensed installer in Springfield? Join SolutionEnergy and get requests from homeowners and businesses →
Tell us about your project and we will connect you with a licensed, independent installer who serves the Central Illinois area. It is free, there is no obligation, and only the installer you choose gets your details. Read how it works.
Central Illinois energy FAQ
Does Springfield still have full net metering?
Yes, for CWLP customers. CWLP offers full retail net metering for systems of 25 kW or less: in a month you over-produce, you are billed for zero kWh and the surplus is banked. Banked credits expire each March billing cycle, so size the system to your yearly use. The 2025 supply-only change applies to ComEd and Ameren customers, not CWLP.
Is solar worth it in Springfield with CWLP’s low rates?
It can be, but the savings per kWh are smaller than elsewhere in Illinois. CWLP suggests planning with 12¢ per kWh and at most 2% yearly increases, and no Ameren or ComEd rebate applies. Compare the full cost of the system, including financing, with that rate over its life, and get two or three quotes, as CWLP itself recommends.
Who is my utility in Bloomington-Normal or Champaign-Urbana?
In town, usually Ameren Illinois, which delivers the power; you can buy the supply from Ameren or a licensed supplier. Rural homes may be on Corn Belt Energy or Eastern Illinois Electric Cooperative, which have their own rules. Your bill tells you which, and that decides your solar credits and rebates.
Why do rural Central Illinois homes need more backup?
Long rural lines see more interruptions. In 2024 Corn Belt Energy reported about five interruptions and more than five hours without power per customer, and Eastern Illinois Electric about 4.5 hours (EIA). A battery or standby generator that starts on its own keeps the well pump, furnace and freezer running.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. CWLP Renewable Energy page, read October 3, 2026. Ameren Illinois rebates and rate options: Citizens Utility Board fact sheet, March 2026 (Ameren’s site could not be reached). City of Springfield Public Works, City of Champaign Building Safety, City of Bloomington and McLean County permit pages. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.