The Department may, subject to appropriation, create financial incentive and grant programs to encourage private companies to share their new energy technologies with public institutions of higher education, public utilities, electric cooperatives, State agencies, and federal agencies. For the purposes of this Section, "public institutions of higher education" has the same meaning as under Section 1 of the Board of Higher Education Act; "public utility" has the same meaning as under Section 3-105 of the Public Utilities Act; "electric cooperative" has the same meaning as under Section 3-119 of the Public Utilities Act; "State agency" has the same meaning as under Section 1-10 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act; and "federal agency" has the same meaning ascribed to the term "agency" under Section 551 of the federal Administrative Procedure Act.
20 ILCS 605/605-1005