Resilient Communities Webinar Series
The Resilient Communities Webinar Series is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Prairie Rivers Network's collaboration to build capacity for technical assistance and education aimed to help communities navigate energy- and environment-related funding opportunities, provide guidance on community inclusion, and lead community-specific strategic planning. This outreach should help communities secure and manage resources to address legacy pollution, invest in clean energy technologies, and more.
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Submitting this registration form will register you for the Resilient Communities webinar series, including the upcoming programs listed below:
2026 State Funding Outlook: Financing for Climate and Energy Community Projects | Thursday, Nov. 13, at 12 PM CT
Is your community searching for funding options to support climate and energy projects? Join colleagues from across the State to learn from state agency representatives who will share information about upcoming grant programs available in 2026.
Speakers:
JC Kibbey, State Climate Advisor at Illinois EPA, will discuss funding available through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG)
Hilary Scott-Ogunrinde, Deputy Director of Energy and Utility at the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), will share upcoming clean energy funding opportunities
Claire Brinley, Program Manager at IFA, will introduce new Climate Bank funding opportunities
This session will include a 15-minute Q&A segment, giving you an opportunity to ask questions about these programs.
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Beyond Solar Panels: Exploring the Co-Benefits of Solar Farms for the Environment | Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 12 PM CT
Ecosystem services and solar energy? It’s not exactly chocolate and peanut butter. Join this webinar to learn from the innovative results of two recent initiatives, PV-SMaRT and PV-SuCCESS, that study the community co-benefits of solar development. Presenters from the Great Plains Institute (GPI) and the University of Minnesota will present new tools for planners to assess water quality risks and opportunities associated with solar energy. Presenters will share how solar farms can provide more than just power, offering additional benefits like habitat creation, improved water quality, and carbon sequestration.
Speakers:
Brian Ross, AICP, is a Vice President at the Great Plains Institute. He leads GPI’s renewable energy market transformation efforts in the Midwest and nationally. For over 30 years he has worked extensively with local, regional, and state governments on climate and energy planning, renewable energy policy and land use and natural resource regulation. Brian currently leads efforts at the state and national level to integrate renewable energy and community co-benefits to enhance natural systems, meet host community land use priorities, and support agriculture business models. He has participated in SolSmart from its inception, helped create the ground-breaking PV-SMaRT and PV-SuCCESS initiatives on solar and ecosystem services, and leads the community-focused source water (DWSMA) Solar initiative in MN with the Minnesota Department of Health.
Jake Galzki is a Researcher in the Department of Soil, Water, & Climate at the University of Minnesota. His research utilizes GIS and remote sensing technologies to help improve and promote soil and water quality management and agricultural sustainability. His recent work has focused on soil and water modeling to analyze the hydrology of ground-mounted photovoltaic systems and encourage their sustainable installation.