Will County approves solar farms in Crete, Lockport townships; deny two in Troy
Several government agencies objected to the four separate plans.
The village of Homer Glen objected to the Lockport Township proposal; Crete Township voiced concerns over the solar farm proposed in its community and 10 agencies, including Shorewood, the Troy Fire Protection District and various school districts, objected to the solar projects for Troy Township.
Concerns included the solar farms not being a right fit for the site, potential depreciation of nearby home values and concerns regarding soil and groundwater contamination.
Board member Kelly Hickey, a Naperville Democrat, said if the County Board denies a project, they will likely get sued by the solar developer.
'It's the county that's going to foot the bill,' Hickey said.
Illinois law sets statewide standards for wind and solar farm siting and states local ordinances cannot be more restrictive than the state standards.
The Illinois State Association of Counties has created a Wind and Solar Facility Task Force to discuss and propose policy recommendations to provide counties with more flexibility when complying with the state law while ensuring counties and their residents retain adequate protections.
A handful of solar companies have sued the county after the board denied a project, and the courts may issue a decision in the coming months which will give the board greater direction, County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, said.
'Board members feel like the state legislature is taking power out of our hands,' he said, saying not every project is the right fit for the site proposed.
When 10 separate government entities protest a project, such as the two solar farms on the table for Troy Township, County Board members listen, he said.
'Our job is to listen to the residents,' VanDuyne said.
Shorewood attorney David Silverman said the state's legislation doesn't require counties to approve solar fields, and discretion can be used.
Board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, said solar farms decrease the land available to farmers. The leasing of farmland to commercial solar energy providers is especially concerning to young farmers, she said.
As part of all the solar projects that were voted on, Ogalla requested the developers bury their connectivity lines to ComEd underground to make the solar farms more aesthetically pleasing, especially since leases for the solar farms can run 30 to 40 years.
In Lockport Township, Enterprise Energy proposed a 4.25-megawatt commercial solar energy facility along South Archer Avenue, abutting the city of Lockport.
The solar facility would be built on about 23.5 acres of a 45-acre parcel at 14910 and 14750 S. Archer Ave., and the lease would run for 35 years, according to county documents.
Enterprise Energy proposed a community solar garden, that allows people who do not have a good spot for solar panels to be treated by the electric utility as though these solar panels are on their property.
The site was selected, in part, due to its proximity to electrical infrastructure, Enterprise Energy said. According to the company, the electricity will be sold to local customers for 10% to 20% less that what they pay to ComEd.
Neighboring Homer Glen submitted a letter of objection to the county, saying the village limits solar energy projects to an industrial zoning district.
Concerns were raised in the village regarding the affect of solar farms on the community, depreciation of property values and potential contamination of groundwater from solar panels or other equipment, the letter states.
'Homer Glen is also a primarily rural community and the Village felt that the installation of solar farms may be incongruous with this rural, agrarian character,' Planning and Zoning Director Christopher Gruba wrote.
County Board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican, said the project 'creates a hardship for the area.'
'The state has no business telling us we have to approve solar projects,' Balich said. 'I don't like the idea of taking good farmland out of production.'
He questioned what would happen if the solar energy farms became obsolete.
Dan Gorman, a representative with Enterprise Energy, said the solar facility would have robust screening. It would not generate traffic once built, he said.
The project passed by a 14-8 vote.
Construction on the solar farm is expected to begin next spring and be completed before winter 2026, according to board documents.
In southwestern Crete Township, Renewable Properties wants to operate a 3.5 megawatt solar energy facility on nearly 21 acres near Bemes Road and Stoney Island Avenue.
Crete Township Supervisor Michael J. Liccar wrote to the county saying the township is opposed to any more solar farm developments because the locations of sites 'appear to be chosen haphazardly with little or no regard to the residences in proximity.'
He told the county the township opposes the patchwork of the facilities popping up closer to residential areas, which would cause a reduction in property values. Many homes rely on well water in the township, and there is not enough data on environmental concerns such as soil and ground water pollution, he wrote.
Attorney for the developer Benjamin Jacobi said the Crete Township objection was a blanket objection and not specific to this project. No neighbors objected to the plan, he said.
The project passed by a 17-5 vote.
In Troy Township, two projects were proposed by New Leaf Energy, including one for Baltz Road and County Line Road, Joliet, and another for West Black Road and South County Line Road, Joliet.
Among the objectors included state Rep. Harry Benton, Minooka Community High School, Troy Community Consolidated School District as well as Shorewood, Troy Fire Protection District and Troy Township.
The Troy Fire Department said it is not equipped to fight fires in solar developments.
Shorewood Mayor Clarence DeBold said the village is not against solar projects, but they have to be in the right location, and this property is within Shorewood's comprehensive plan.
'The underlining concern on these cases is siting. The village of Shorewood supports solar in an appropriately zoned location,' he said. 'We are not anti-solar, but we are following our comprehensive plan.'
Each municipality needs to find an appropriately zoned location that doesn't affect residential growth, he said.
Ogalla said each solar facility is unique where it is proposed, and the board needs to respect the planning done by communities.
Board member Katie Deane-Schlottman, a Joliet Republican who represents the area, said residents are not in favor of these solar plans.
'As a board, I would hope we support the people who live in the area,' she said.
Both Troy Township solar proposals failed with 16 board members voting against it and 6 supporting it.
The Troy Township landowner Mark Fecht said he received an email of support for the solar project from state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr and state Sen. Laura Ellman, both Naperville Democrats, which points to state law that siting or special-use permits for a commercial solar energy facility shall be approved if it is in compliance with the state regulations.
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