When Worlds Collide: Criminalization, Incarceration, and the Real Barriers to Equity in Illinois’ Clean Energy Economy

By Patrick A. Weller

“God, what does one do when their worlds collide? Go on to one’s own end—or on to something great.
I’ll go on to something great…SOL POWER” — Patrick A. Weller

I was naive.

Naive to believe that the biggest barriers facing Equity Eligible Contractors (EECs) in Illinois were lack of bonding capacity or access to capital. I truly believed that if we just secured the right project finance, sharpened our credit, and delivered our scopes with precision, we’d thrive.

But the truth runs deeper—and darker.

As long as racism, discrimination, and unchecked authority fester within the layers of agencies and institutions tasked with “oversight,” the success of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Illinois’ clean energy economy will remain at risk. Because what we’re really facing is not just a financial gap—but a legal one.

A Leak in the Roof Shouldn’t End in Litigation

Let me tell you what happens when your worlds really collide.

You’re living in your home. You notice a leak in the roof. You file service requests, you ask for maintenance, you follow procedure. But the system—if you’re Black and asking too many questions—doesn’t respond with resolution. It responds with resistance.

You become the problem. The attention turns to you—not the leak, not the violation, not the board misconduct. Suddenly, your integrity is questioned. Your property rights are in jeopardy. And you’re in court, defending yourself—for asking for what you’re owed.

That’s been my experience at Garrison Lofts Condominium Association in Rockford.

The #1 Need: Legal Resources for Equity Eligible Contractors

I’ve built solar projects. I’ve created jobs. I’ve walked the talk of equity, hiring local, training BIPOC workers, and building capacity. But the number one resource I need—over and over again—isn’t bonding. It isn’t insurance. It’s legal representation.

We need legal resources for:

• Construction transactions and contractual disputes
• Discriminatory housing practices and retaliation
• Predatory behavior by lenders, boards, and management companies
• Civil entrapment and false allegations
• Due process against corrupt or colluding authorities

It is nearly impossible to succeed when the legal system becomes a tool of harassment instead of justice. Many of us cannot afford an attorney. And those we can afford may not understand our cases—or worse, abandon us when it matters most.

And let’s not forget Rule 137. Signing of Pleadings, Motions and Other Documents—Sanctions

Illinois Incarcerates More Than Most Countries on Earth

Let’s look at the data:

Illinois has an incarceration rate of 433 per 100,000 people—including those in prison, jail, immigration detention, and juvenile facilities. That’s higher than almost every democratic country on Earth. Source: PrisonPolicy.org

This isn’t about crime. It’s about control.

Control through code enforcement. Through HOA fines. Through strategic lawsuits meant to silence. Through surveillance, false police reports, and targeted investigations. That’s how equity dies—not in public debate, but in private suppression.

Entrapment happens in plain sight.

The footage doesn’t lie.

An off-duty Illinois State Trooper (5’5”), a woman armed with nothing but a screwdriver, and a man perched on a ladder wielding a power drill—all dismantling an 8-foot gazebo on my private patio.

The door they stood before clearly marked the space as “Private Patio Area of Loft 202.” He waited, rubbing his hands together, as if anticipating confrontation.

No authority. No court order. No jurisdiction.

Yet somehow—I’m the one under investigation.

Why I’m Including This in My Grant Application

Because this is the barrier no grant budget accounts for.

This is the hidden tax on equity work. The burnout, the legal fees, the emotional labor. This is what drains us before we ever see the fruits of our work.

As I prepare my Round 3 application for the Equitable Energy Future Grant Program, I’m also preparing court filings—as a pro se plaintiff fighting against what can only be described as organized obstruction. So yes, I will be including this in my submission—because equity isn’t just about installing solar panels or training workers. It’s about protecting the people doing the work from the systems that were never built to support us.

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Section: Garrison Lofts Condominium Association

This section will be updated until the time of my application, where I will document in detail the harassment, retaliation, and procedural abuse I’ve experienced as a homeowner and Equity Eligible Contractor.

After years of requesting roof repairs, filing maintenance tickets, writing letters, filing multiple complaints and following protocol—with no response—I’m now being treated as a Defendant, despite being 100% correct in my legal and factual position.

Why? Because I don’t have deep legal knowledge. Because the Self-Help Center, while staffed with compassionate people, has legal limitations on how much it can assist. And because legal representation is simply not available or adequate for BIPOC residents and business owners in communities like mine.

Let me be clear: I may have the only attorney on Earth who called me and my witness to the stand… but never asked the Defendant a single question. And just like that, the case was over.

That’s what it looks like when justice isn’t just blind—but absent.

And let’s not forget Rule 137. Signing of Pleadings, Motions and Other Documents—Sanctions

In small claims court or any court there are no stages of learning…it’s second nature only.

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Equity Must Include Legal Defense

The Equity Eligible Contractor certification is supposed to be a pathway to opportunity. But what good is certification if we’re legally defenseless the moment we challenge injustice?

Until we address the legal vulnerabilities facing BIPOC contractors and residents—especially those doing the work of equity—we will continue to see promising businesses collapse, property lost, reputations attacked, and futures erased.

So yes, I will be sharing my story. Because this, too, is part of the clean energy fight. Not just building systems—but surviving them.

Patrick A. Weller
See Garrison Lofts Condominium Timeline of Retaliation & Discrimination
Equity Eligible Contractor | Clean Energy Advocate | Plaintiff