Top Tier IL Battery Sales Reference

Internal Sales Team Resource — Q2 2026 Edition

Illinois is Top Tier's 13th active market and the most cohort-complex training content in the platform. Read this guide in full before any IL customer conversation. The pitch architecture differs materially from any prior Top Tier market because IL's two IOUs (ComEd and Ameren) have fundamentally different interconnection-trigger mechanics — creating a binary frame at ComEd and a real customer tradeoff at Ameren.

Sales Architecture (Read First)

This section establishes the pitch architecture every IL rep uses — takeover-led lead, 5-cohort identification (most complex in the platform), cohort-routed Bridge + Hidden Costs + Own vs Rent + Key Milestones, DG Rebate framing, rate-plan-switch disclosures. Read this FIRST. Per-utility detail (rate values, outage anchors, RTO-specific framing) lives in the per-utility sections below.

Standing Rules (Do NOT Violate)

• ❌ NEVER pre-decide the rebate-vs-grandfather choice for any IL customer. This is the central pitch principle for IL. For Ameren Cohort B (real tradeoff), present BOTH paths via the side-by-side disclosure; customer chooses. For ComEd Cohort A (binary frame), present the mechanical reality honestly; the customer's choice is take-rebate or no-battery, not "battery without rebate."
• ❌ NEVER pitch a present-tense Illinois Shines SREC payment in the initial Top Tier IL build. Top Tier's Approved Vendor status is pending verification. Until AV registration is confirmed via illinoisshines.com/find-a-vendor, Cohort D customers receive DG Rebate only. If AV status confirms positive post-launch, the SREC layer activates without a new build cycle and reps will be notified.
• ❌ NEVER import the ComEd PJM 833% framing into Ameren content. ComEd operates in PJM ComEd Zone (833% capacity-spike framing applies). Ameren operates in MISO (separate dynamics; PJM framing does NOT apply). If you accidentally cite PJM 833% to an Ameren customer, you're surfacing a credibility-destroying error and Ameren customers who know their utility will catch it.
• ❌ NEVER pitch BESH (ComEd) or Peak Time Rewards (Ameren) as risk-free for non-battery customers. Both rate plans carry real price-exposure or DR-participation risk in isolation. The battery is what makes them work — frame the rate-plan switch as the mechanism that enables battery upside, not as a free-standing benefit.
• ❌ NEVER promise the DG Rebate amount before the customer's system size (kW solar + kWh battery) is known. The formula is $300/kW + $300/kWh. Show the worked example with the customer's actual system; never quote a generic flat dollar amount.
• ❌ NEVER coach reps to disqualify based on home tenure. If a customer plans to sell in 3 years, the resale story applies (system raises home value; closing equity pays off loan; warranties carry over per their actual transfer rules).
• ❌ NEVER claim "all warranties transfer." Workmanship transfers WITH WRITTEN CONSENT. Manufacturer warranties transfer per their own terms. The 5-year Align Solar Protection service contract is NON-TRANSFERABLE.
• ❌ NEVER fabricate inspection findings. Inspection is educational + diagnostic + future-failure-prevention.
• ❌ NEVER pitch the Section 25D federal battery-with-solar 2026 residual credit. Federal solar ITC expired 12/31/2025. IL has no state extension. Installer-blog Section 25D claims have no primary IRS affirmation — tax-counsel review required before any rep mention.

The LEAD: Takeover-Led Opening (use for all 5 IL cohorts)

The customer booked the appointment because they're frustrated about their utility bill AND their installer is unreachable. Don't open with DG Rebate math. Don't open with cohort identification. Don't open with the BESH/PTR rate-plan switch. Open with:

1. The free system inspection. "I'm here to inspect your existing solar system at no cost. If it's running well, we'll confirm that. If anything's wrong, we'll surface it. Either way, you walk away with a clearer picture of what you own."
2. System takeover. "When your inverter fails — and inverters do fail, usually between year 8 and year 20 — you need someone to handle the warranty claim and the replacement. Top Tier becomes your single point of contact for the next 10 years on the entire system."
3. Then bridge to the bill — AFTER cohort identification. "You're still seeing a [ComEd / Ameren] bill after going solar. The reason depends on which cohort you're on — let me ask you a few questions to make sure we walk through the right numbers."

IL-specific bridge to the rate environment: Illinois sits between two distinct grid contexts. ComEd customers face PJM capacity-cost pressure (the 2025/26 PJM auction cleared at 833% over the prior auction — same pattern hitting OH FE, MD BGE/Pepco, VA Dominion, NC Dominion, PA all, WV APCo). Ameren customers sit in MISO — softer than PJM but tightening as central/southern IL load grows. Both utilities run parallel DG Rebate programs at $300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage, applied point-of-sale via the installer.

The battery is the upsell that makes the deal economic for Top Tier; the takeover is what the customer is buying. Reps get paid on battery sales. Don't lose the open by leading with the close.

Cohort Identification Protocol — REQUIRED First 60 Seconds

IL has the most cohort-rich architecture in the platform (5 cohorts; one with binary mechanics; one with real tradeoff). Cohort identification BEFORE the bridge is non-negotiable.

Step 1: Identify utility

"Which utility serves your address?" → ComEd / Ameren Illinois / other

(MidAmerican IL, ComEd cooperatives, IL munis — out of scope for Top Tier IL at launch. Document and pass.)

Step 2: Identify install year + cohort

"When did your solar system get interconnected?"

• Pre-January 1, 2025: customer has grandfather treatment (Cohort A at ComEd; Cohort B at Ameren)
• Post-January 1, 2025: customer is post-cohort already (Cohort C)
• No existing solar: customer is a new co-install candidate (Cohort D)

Step 3: Route per utility

ComEd pre-2025 grandfather customer → Cohort A (binary frame)

Adding a battery requires a new ComEd interconnection application, which mechanically triggers NEM 2.0 transition regardless of DG Rebate acceptance. Decision frame is binary:

• Take rebate → get NEM 2.0 + offset from rebate
• No battery → keep grandfather NM (but no battery)

There is NO "decline rebate, keep grandfather" path. Use CohortAComEdDisclosure section in the proposal; surface this honestly.

Ameren pre-2025 grandfather customer → Cohort B (real tradeoff between B1 and B2)

Ameren only triggers NEM 2.0 on 100%+ capacity-increase interconnections. Battery additions typically stay under threshold, so the act of adding battery does NOT mechanically destroy grandfather. The customer faces a genuine choice:

• B1 (accept DG Rebate): Take the one-time $300/kW + $300/kWh rebate. Forfeit grandfather (exports credited at post-cohort ~6¢ vs grandfather ~16¢ retail). Switch to Peak Time Rewards.
• B2 (decline DG Rebate): Keep grandfather NM (retained export value over time). No rebate. Retain current rate plan.

Use CohortTradeoffDisclosure section in the proposal — side-by-side math sized to customer's actual export volume + crossover analysis. CUSTOMER CHOOSES. Top Tier reps NEVER pre-decide.

Post-2025 customer at either utility → Cohort C

No grandfather to lose. Standard rebate-and-rate-plan-switch route. Use the standard rebate workflow with the appropriate rate-plan-switch disclosure (BESH for ComEd; PTR for Ameren).

New solar+battery co-install at either utility → Cohort D

No existing solar; this is a new install. DG Rebate applies at full value. IMPORTANT: Illinois Shines SREC payments are NOT included in the initial Top Tier IL build (Top Tier's AV status is pending verification). Cohort D customers receive DG Rebate only at launch.

Step 4: Verify with interconnection paperwork

"Do you have a copy of your interconnection paperwork or your most recent utility bill?" Document the cohort in rep notes.

What happens if you skip cohort identification

• ComEd Cohort A customer told they can "decline the rebate to keep grandfather" → false. Customer signs up; loses grandfather mechanically via the interconnect; expects to keep it; rep credibility destroyed.
• Ameren Cohort B customer told they "must take the rebate" → false. Customer feels pressured; doesn't realize B2 path exists; either walks away or accepts under false framing.
• Cohort D customer told they can stack Illinois Shines SREC payments → false. Top Tier AV status pending; SREC layer disabled; refund / complaint risk.

The cohort identification is non-negotiable. Five minutes of questions saves five years of regret.

Bridge — Cohort-Aware "Why You Still Have a Bill"

IL utilities (ComEd + Ameren) both route to the edg_net_billing cohort template for the default bridge (since both are EDG-pattern post-cohort customers after the DG Rebate workflow lands). The IL-specific cohort copy supplements this with the per-cohort framing surfaced via the dedicated disclosure components.

Default Bridge — edg_net_billing cohort

Verbatim from the proposal copy (lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts, edg_net_billing cohort):

You went solar and still see a bill. Here's why.

[utility] doesn't pay you the same rate for the energy you export as the rate you pay when you import. They credit your exports at an export rate (their "EDG" or net-billing rate), but you buy electricity back at the full retail rate. The spread between the two is where your residual bill comes from. Every kWh your solar produces during the day that you don't use immediately gets credited at the lower export rate. Every kWh you import after sunset costs you retail. A battery stores your daytime production for nighttime use — closing the spread by self-consuming what you'd otherwise export.

IL Cohort Copy (supplementary — lib/why-bill-own-rent.ts IL_COHORT_COPY)

Cohort A (ComEd grandfather + battery):

ComEd Cohort A — adding a battery moves you to NEM 2.0 either way.

Adding a battery to your existing pre-2025 ComEd solar requires a new ComEd interconnection application. That new interconnection mechanically triggers NEM 2.0 transition — moving you from full-retail net metering to supply-only NEM — regardless of whether you accept the DG Rebate. The grandfather loss is mechanical, not optional. Given that, accepting the DG Rebate ($300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage, point-of-sale via Top Tier) offsets the loss; declining the rebate provides no NM benefit because the grandfather is already gone. If grandfather NM preservation is non-negotiable for you, the honest answer is no battery — not 'battery without rebate.' That option does not exist at ComEd.

Cohort B1 (Ameren grandfather + accept rebate):

Ameren Cohort B1 — take the rebate, switch to Peak Time Rewards.

Ameren only triggers NEM 2.0 on 100%+ capacity-increase interconnections, so adding a battery to your existing solar does NOT mechanically destroy your grandfather treatment. If you choose to accept the DG Rebate ($300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage, point-of-sale via Top Tier), you forfeit grandfather NM (exports get credited at the supply-only post-cohort rate) and switch to Peak Time Rewards (Ameren's residential demand-response program). PTR earns ongoing bill credits on top of the one-time rebate. This is a permanent decision — once you accept, the choice cannot be reversed.

Cohort B2 (Ameren grandfather + decline rebate):

Ameren Cohort B2 — decline the rebate, keep your grandfather.

You can also choose to decline the DG Rebate and retain your grandfather 1:1 retail net metering treatment. No rebate, no rate-plan switch, no PTR enrollment. The battery still provides resilience (backup during outages) and self-consumption value through behind-the-meter optimization — but the dollar story is dominated by your retained export value, not by a one-time rebate. Top Tier presents B1 and B2 side-by-side with worked math for your actual export volume; you choose. This is a permanent decision — once you decline, the rebate is gone for this install.

Cohort C-ComEd (post-2025 ComEd customer):

ComEd Cohort C — post-2025 customer, supply-only NM by default.

Because your solar was interconnected after January 1, 2025, you don't have grandfather NM to lose — your exports were already on supply-only NEM from day one. Adding a battery doesn't change your NM treatment. The DG Rebate ($300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage, point-of-sale via Top Tier) is straightforward incentive value with no grandfather tradeoff. The required rate-plan switch to BESH (real-time hourly pricing) is the mechanism that lets the battery do arbitrage — charge cheap overnight, discharge during peak. Recurring monthly upside on top of the one-time rebate.

Cohort C-Ameren (post-2025 Ameren customer):

Ameren Cohort C — post-2025 customer, supply-only NM by default.

Because your solar was interconnected after January 1, 2025, you don't have grandfather NM to lose. Adding a battery doesn't change your NM treatment. The DG Rebate is straightforward incentive value with no grandfather tradeoff. The required Peak Time Rewards enrollment is the mechanism that earns ongoing DR credits — utility dispatches battery during peak events; customer earns bill credits. Ongoing monthly upside on top of the one-time rebate.

Cohort D (new co-install, either utility):

Illinois Cohort D — new solar + battery co-install, DG Rebate only.

You're installing solar and battery together, so there's no existing grandfather to preserve or forfeit. The DG Rebate ($300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage, point-of-sale via Top Tier) applies at full value. The required rate-plan switch (BESH for ComEd; Peak Time Rewards for Ameren) is the mechanism that captures ongoing battery upside. NOTE: Illinois Shines / Adjustable Block Program SREC payments are NOT included in the initial Top Tier IL build — Top Tier's Approved Vendor registration status is pending verification. If AV status confirms positive post-launch, the SREC layer activates without a new build cycle. Until then, Cohort D customers receive DG Rebate only.

DG Rebate — Mechanics + Conservation

The single load-bearing IL incentive. Available at both ComEd and Ameren under parallel ICC-regulated programs. Identical amounts; different rate-plan requirements.

Worked example (typical residential install):

• 8 kW solar AC capacity → 8 × $300 = $2,400 solar rebate
• 13.5 kWh battery (Tesla Powerwall 3) → 13.5 × $300 = $4,050 storage rebate
• Total DG Rebate: $6,450 applied at point-of-sale

Customer-facing pitch language:

"There's a state rebate that both ComEd and Ameren administer — $300 per kW of solar plus $300 per kWh of battery storage. For your specific system size, that comes out to about $X. Top Tier nets that against the contract price at signing — you see the reduction immediately, not as a post-install reimbursement weeks later. The catch: it requires switching your rate plan ([BESH at ComEd / Peak Time Rewards at Ameren]). The rate-plan switch is what makes the battery work for you economically — but it's a required step, not optional."

What NOT to say about the DG Rebate:

• ❌ "The DG Rebate runs out in [date]." — Funding status is ongoing per current pattern; do not invoke false urgency.
• ❌ "Top Tier will get you the rebate as cash after install." — POS via installer means it's a price reduction at signing, not post-install cash.
• ❌ "You can stack federal ITC with the DG Rebate." — Federal ITC expired 12/31/2025; no federal credit applies in 2026.
• ❌ "You can keep your current rate plan AND get the DG Rebate." — Rate-plan switch is non-optional.
• ❌ "The DG Rebate is paid by Top Tier as a discount." — Top Tier administers the application but the funding is utility/ICC-program-funded; the price reduction reflects the rebate program, not Top Tier discount margin.

Hidden Costs Avoided: The $11K System Takeover Bundle

Pillar 3 of the pitch — consistent across all 12 prior Top Tier markets and applies identically in IL.

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/HiddenCostsAvoided.tsx):

IL-specific tie-ins:

• 2020 August Midwest Derecho — ~800K ComEd customers out at peak; multi-day restoration in Chicago suburbs. Service-call wait times stretched weeks across northern IL. Pre-paid Align coverage means no 6-8 week waitlist for post-storm diagnostics.
• 2021 December derecho + 2025 June derecho — central/southern IL Ameren territory; recurring severe-thunderstorm pattern. Same post-event service-call queue stretch.
• 2024 January cold snap — statewide capacity strain. Both PJM (ComEd) and MISO (Ameren) flagged tight conditions. Backup capability is the load-bearing resilience anchor.
• TX summer heat parallel doesn't apply here — IL summer heat is real but milder than TX; the inverter-stress profile is closer to OH/PA than to TX.

What You Own vs What You Rent — Cohort-Routed Reframe

Pillar 4 of the pitch. IL's cohort split routes to different OwnVsRent templates per cohort.

DOLLAR-COMPARISON template (Cohort A, B1, C, D — all routes that accept DG Rebate + switch rate plan)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, DOLLAR-COMPARISON branch):

Over 25 years: are you renting power or owning it?

The 25-year horizon isn't about which line is lower on the chart — it's about whether you walk out with an asset.

These cohorts are on post-cohort EDG net billing; the battery captures the spread on every shifted kWh; the rate-plan switch (BESH or PTR) adds ongoing arbitrage/DR credits on top of the one-time rebate. Use the dollar comparison; lead with bill-spread savings; layer resilience + home value + ongoing rate-plan upside.

QUALITATIVE template (Cohort B2 — Ameren grandfather + declined rebate)

Verbatim from the proposal copy (components/multistate/sections/OwnVsRent.tsx, QUALITATIVE branch):

Your bill is small today — your solar's doing what it should.

That depends on net metering rules continuing as-is. The 25-year horizon for you isn't about a dollar gap on the chart — it's about what your monthly loan payment actually buys you that your current bill doesn't.

Cohort B2 retains grandfather 1:1 retail NM; bill stays small under grandfather; battery doesn't reduce monthly bill in any meaningful way today. Value is forward-looking (resilience + lock-in before any future grandfather change + takeover bundle).

Per-Utility Layering

ComEd

• PJM ComEd Zone — 833% capacity-spike framing applies. Use this in rate-trajectory conversations: "PJM capacity prices spiked 833% in the 2025/26 auction — this is flowing through ComEd's supply rates over multi-year recovery cycles. Same pattern hitting OH FE customers, MD BGE/Pepco, VA Dominion, NC Dominion, PA all, WV APCo. Battery installed NOW hedges where ComEd's retail rate goes next."
• BESH battery arbitrage pitch — "BESH isn't a constraint, it's the mechanism. Battery charges during cheap overnight hours (~3-7¢/kWh), discharges during peak hours (~25-50¢/kWh). Recurring monthly arbitrage on top of the one-time rebate."
• Chicago metro outage anchors — 2020 August Midwest Derecho (defining recent event); 2023 July Chicago metro derecho. Customers personally remember these.
• CEJA + Illinois Solar for All context — Illinois preserved 1:1 retail NM for residential ≤25 kW via CEJA 2021. Most pro-solar state law in any Top Tier market.

Ameren Illinois

• MISO — distinct from PJM. Capacity-market dynamics are softer than PJM's 833% spike but still tightening. NEVER import PJM 833% framing into Ameren content. "Ameren operates in MISO. MISO capacity-market tightening is real but at different magnitudes — use MISO-specific rate-trajectory framing." If a rep accidentally cites 833% to an Ameren customer, it's a credibility-destroying error.
• Peak Time Rewards DR pitch — "PTR isn't a constraint, it's the mechanism. Ameren dispatches the battery during peak events (5-10 events per summer, 2-4 hours each); battery maintains 20% state-of-charge floor (backup preserved); customer earns ongoing bill credits."
• Central + southern IL outage anchors — 2021 December derecho, 2025 June derecho. Recent + recurring pattern.
• CEJA context — same statewide framework; same 8% peak-demand NM cap; same grandfather treatment for pre-2025 customers.

Federal & State Tax Credits — IL

What's Gone

• Federal ITC expired December 31, 2025 per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. New 2026 cash or financed residential battery installations do not qualify. Approximately $5,000-7,000 of lost incentive value on a typical $18,500 install.

What Remains for IL

• DG Rebate (covered above) — $300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage; point-of-sale via installer; rate-plan switch required. This IS the IL state-level battery incentive.
• NO IL state solar income tax credit. IL's program ecosystem is SRECs (Illinois Shines) + DG Rebate, not tax credits.
• NO standalone IL state battery rebate separate from the DG Rebate. The DG Rebate IS the state-level battery incentive.
• Illinois Shines / Adjustable Block Program (ABP) — administered by Illinois Power Agency via Approved Vendor pathway; pays SRECs over 15 years. NOT included in initial Top Tier IL build (AV status pending verification). Single-line flag flip when AV registration confirmed post-launch.
• Illinois Solar for All — income-qualified program; not relevant to typical Top Tier customer base.

Section 25D residual battery-with-solar 2026 eligibility

Some installer sources reference residual Section 25D battery-with-solar eligibility for 2026 installations — primary IRS guidance does NOT clearly affirm this. DO NOT pitch this to customers without tax-counsel review. The federal ITC expiration is the simple, accurate framing.

VPP / Future Income — IL has forward-framing only

No present-tense IL residential battery VPP today. Document this honestly:

• ComEd ConnectedHomes is a smart-thermostat + AC-cycling DR program — NOT a battery VPP. Do not pitch as battery upside.
• Ameren Peak Time Rewards IS battery-eligible when batteries are enrolled and dispatched — but PTR enrollment is tied to the DG Rebate rate-plan switch (covered above in per-cohort framing), not as a free-standing VPP.
• FERC Order 2222 implementation + ICC dockets exploring residential battery aggregator pathways — evolving the IL VPP landscape. Forward-framing: "When a present-tense IL battery VPP launches, customers with batteries installed are first in line — similar to the VA Community Energy Act and MD DRIVE Act pattern."

What NOT to Say — IL Quick Reference

Per-Utility Deep Dive

ComEd (Commonwealth Edison)

Service area: Northern IL — Chicago metro plus Cook + DuPage + Lake + Will + Kane + McHenry + Kendall counties + extension to Rockford / Aurora / Joliet. ~4M residential customers.

Parent company: Exelon Corporation.

RTO: PJM ComEd Zone. 833% capacity-spike framing applies. Same dynamic hitting OH FE quartet, MD BGE/Pepco, VA Dominion, NC Dominion, PA all 7 utilities, WV APCo.

Net metering posture (CEJA preserved): 1:1 retail NM for residential ≤25 kW system size; per-utility 8% peak-demand cap.

Cohort A binary frame (THE central IL pitch element):

Pre-2025 grandfather customers adding a battery face NEM 2.0 transition regardless of DG Rebate acceptance. The new ComEd interconnection application mechanically triggers it. Decision frame:

• Take rebate path: Battery interconnect → mechanical NEM 2.0 → take DG Rebate ($300/kW solar + $300/kWh storage) to offset the loss + switch to BESH for arbitrage upside.
• No battery path: Keep grandfather NM. But no battery.

There is NO "decline rebate, keep grandfather with battery" path. If the customer's grandfather NM is non-negotiable, the answer is no battery — Top Tier walks away cleanly rather than misrepresent this rule.

Cohort C ComEd (post-2025): Standard rebate + BESH switch route. No grandfather to lose.

Cohort D ComEd (new co-install): DG Rebate at full value. Illinois Shines NOT included in initial build.

BESH (Basic Electric Service Hourly Pricing):

• Required rate plan to receive DG Rebate at ComEd
• Real-time hourly supply pricing — typical range ~3-50¢/kWh
• Overnight hours (~midnight-6am): low end (~3-7¢/kWh)
• Peak hours (4-8pm summer weekdays): can spike to 25-50¢/kWh during PJM tight days
• Battery is the mechanism — charge cheap overnight, discharge during peak. Recurring monthly arbitrage on top of one-time rebate.
• Without battery: BESH carries real price-exposure risk. NEVER pitch BESH as risk-free in isolation.
• Customer can switch back to flat BES at any time — but within the DG Rebate program window may trigger clawback. Top Tier recommendation: stay on BESH for the full program term.

Rate trajectory framing:

• Optimistic (4%/yr): PJM capacity prices stabilize post-2025/26 spike. ICC moderates ComEd formula-rate-plan asks. CEJA-mandated grid investment costs amortize over longer windows.
• Moderate (6%/yr): Continues the documented ComEd trajectory — 2025/26 PJM 833% absorbed; capacity remains tight; ComEd formula rate plan adds ~3-5%/yr distribution; CEJA grid-modernization capital recovery continues.
• Aggressive (8%/yr): Sustained PJM capacity spikes compound. CEJA-driven coal retirement + replacement-capacity build accelerates. Data-center load growth in Chicago metro compounds capacity-tightness.

Outage anchors for Chicago metro pitch:

• August 10, 2020 — Midwest Derecho. ~800K ComEd customers out at peak; 1.1M total across IL. Multi-day restoration in worst-impacted Chicago suburbs. Tornadic embeds; localized severe damage. Iconic + recent — most northern IL customers remember it personally. Load-bearing resilience anchor.
• July 2023 — Chicago metro derecho. Severe derecho across DuPage / Will / Kane / Cook counties. Peak outages in the high six figures. Multi-day restoration. Reinforces the 2020 anchor — high-impact severe-thunderstorm events recur in ComEd footprint, not once-a-decade outliers.
• January 2024 — statewide cold snap. PJM (ComEd) flagged tight conditions. Limited rolling outages avoided but the event illustrated grid tightness.

Ameren Illinois

Service area: Central + southern IL — Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington-Normal, East St. Louis fringe, Carbondale, Marion. ~1.2M residential customers.

Parent company: Ameren Corporation.

RTO: MISO. PJM 833% framing does NOT apply. MISO capacity-market dynamics are softer than PJM but still tightening. Use MISO-specific framing in Ameren conversations.

Net metering posture (CEJA preserved): Same 1:1 retail NM for residential ≤25 kW; same per-utility 8% peak-demand cap.

Cohort B1 vs B2 real tradeoff (THE other central IL pitch element):

Ameren only triggers NEM 2.0 on 100%+ capacity-increase interconnections. Battery additions stay under threshold, so the act of adding battery does NOT mechanically destroy grandfather. Real customer decision:

• B1 (accept DG Rebate): One-time $300/kW + $300/kWh rebate at point-of-sale. Forfeit grandfather (exports credited at post-cohort ~6¢/kWh vs grandfather ~16¢/kWh retail). Switch to Peak Time Rewards (ongoing DR credits).
• B2 (decline DG Rebate): Keep grandfather NM (retained export value over time horizon). No rebate. Retain current rate plan.

Top Tier reps NEVER pre-decide. CohortTradeoffDisclosure section shows side-by-side math sized to customer's annual export volume + crossover analysis. Customer chooses.

Worked example for B1/B2 conversation:

• Customer: 8 kW solar + 13.5 kWh battery (Tesla PW3)
• Annual export volume estimate: ~3,000 kWh/year (typical IL residential ~30% export rate)
• Grandfather retail rate: ~$0.16/kWh
• Post-cohort export rate: ~$0.06/kWh
• B1 rebate: 8 × $300 + 13.5 × $300 = $2,400 + $4,050 = $6,450 one-time
• B2 cumulative retained value (15 years): 3,000 × ($0.16 - $0.06) × 15 = $4,500 over horizon
• Crossover: ~21.5 years (B2 cumulative catches B1 rebate at this point)

For this typical customer, B1 (take rebate) is ahead through year 21. Above year 21, B2 (keep grandfather) is ahead. Customer's time horizon + one-time cash needs determine the choice.

Cohort C Ameren (post-2025): Standard rebate + PTR enrollment route. No grandfather to lose.

Cohort D Ameren (new co-install): DG Rebate at full value. Illinois Shines NOT included in initial build.

Peak Time Rewards (PTR):

• Required rate plan / DR program to receive DG Rebate at Ameren
• Ameren dispatches enrolled batteries during peak events (5-10 events per summer, 2-4 hours each, hottest weekday afternoons 3-7pm)
• Customer notified before each event
• Battery maintains 20% state-of-charge floor — backup capability preserved during dispatch
• Customer earns ~$X/kWh dispatched in bill credits — ongoing monthly upside on top of one-time rebate
• Voluntary opt-out per event — but maintaining full DG Rebate eligibility typically requires participating in most scheduled events
• Withdrawing from PTR within DG Rebate program window may trigger clawback

Rate trajectory framing:

• Optimistic (3%/yr): MISO capacity prices remain softer than PJM. ICC moderates Ameren formula-rate-plan asks. CEJA-mandated grid investments amortize over longer windows.
• Moderate (5%/yr): Continues documented Ameren trajectory — ~3-5%/yr formula-rate-plan distribution increases; MISO capacity-market tightening at moderate pace; CEJA grid-modernization capital recovery continues steadily.
• Aggressive (7%/yr): MISO capacity firms as southern IL load grows. CEJA coal-plant retirements compound capital recovery. Ameren's southern/central IL service area faces storm-hardening cost pressure from recurring derechos.

Outage anchors for central/southern IL pitch:

• December 2021 — Southern IL Derecho. Significant outages across Peoria / Springfield / Decatur corridor and southern IL counties. Load-bearing anchor for Ameren resilience pitch.
• June 2025 — Southern IL Derecho. Recent + recurring; customers personally remember.
• January 2024 — Statewide Cold Snap. Both PJM (ComEd) and MISO (Ameren) flagged tight conditions. Statewide framing applies.

Recent IL Outage Events (Resilience Pillar Anchors)

Counter-narrative for sophisticated customers: ComEd has invested in grid hardening (smart-grid deployment, vegetation management, undergrounding in select corridors). Ameren has similar programs. That's real progress — but doesn't help during major derecho / cold-snap events that overwhelm even hardened distribution. Battery installed today keeps critical loads running during the next event.

Walk-Away Profiles

When the deal doesn't fit, walk away cleanly. None of these are tenure-based.

• Customer has no existing solar AND is not interested in a new solar+battery co-install → not a Top Tier customer for the standard battery-retrofit pitch.
• Customer's existing solar is a lease or PPA. The third-party lease/PPA structure complicates the takeover. Document, route to Todd for case-by-case decision.
• Customer is grandfathered on Ameren NM and explicitly says grandfather preservation is non-negotiable AND they do not want any battery resilience value → walk away clean. B2 path exists for them but if they don't value resilience, the math doesn't justify the battery cost.
• Customer is grandfathered on ComEd NM and grandfather preservation is non-negotiable → the honest answer is no battery (Cohort A binary frame). Walk away clean. Do not pressure.
• Customer is on a non-IOU utility (MidAmerican IL Quad Cities, an IL coop, an IL muni) → out of scope at launch. Document and pass.
• Customer demands a specific Illinois Shines SREC payment amount → SREC layer disabled in initial build (Top Tier AV status pending). Honest answer: "We don't have SREC payments in our IL pitch today; if our AV status confirms post-launch, we'll follow up."

TODO / Follow-Up (post-launch monitoring)

1. Top Tier Illinois Shines AV registration check — confirm Top Tier (or designee partner) is or is not an Approved Vendor in illinoisshines.com directory. If AV status confirms positive, flip IL_ILLINOIS_SHINES_ENABLED = true and Cohort D's SREC layer activates without code surgery.
2. ComEd 2026 DS-1 rate values — pull current customer charge, BES supply rate, BESH typical hourly range + annual average, delivery rate from ICC e-tariff portal. Reconcile against the $165 default monthly bill seed. Update defaultMonthlyBill if delta is meaningful.
3. Ameren IL 2026 DS-1 rate values — same scope; reconcile against $155 seed.
4. DG Rebate funding status monitoring — confirm the "ongoing" funding posture holds. If pattern shifts to discrete annual exhaustion (like Oncor TX or Duke NC PowerPair), flip the framing to forward-framed and surface deadline urgency.
5. ICC docket activity — monitor any post-CEJA implementation dockets that affect residential NM, NEM 2.0 mechanics, or grandfather treatment.
6. 2027-28 program-year Illinois Shines transitions — if/when AV layer enabled, the SREC block prices adjust per IPA Long-Term Renewable Resources Procurement Plan revisions.
7. BESH enrollment friction at ComEd — post-launch, monitor whether ComEd customers actually complete the rate-plan-switch step. If friction is material, surface for rep-training adjustment.
8. Peak Time Rewards enrollment friction at Ameren — same.
9. Cohort A binary-frame customer reception — monitor whether reps successfully present the binary frame without seeming defensive. If reps push back wanting more nuance, surface for rep-guide revision.
10. Cohort B1/B2 customer self-selection patterns — track which path Ameren grandfather customers choose. If >70% take the rebate, the tradeoff disclosure is doing its job. If <30% take the rebate, the disclosure may be overstating the grandfather value.