DeKalb County caps land allotted for solar energy

SYCAMORE – The amount of total acres commercial solar energy projects can cover in DeKalb County will soon be restricted to 12,000 acres countywide, leaving about 5,000 acres for remaining future projects.

The DeKalb County Board voted this week, 17-6, to approve a 12,000-acre total hard cap on commercial solar energy projects, following debate about three recently approved industrial projects by Leeward Energy and Samsung already taking up half of that. County board members Steve Faivre, Craig Roman, Mary Cozad, Linda Slabon, Suzanne Willis and Rukisha Crawford were the only ones who voted against the changes. Board member Kiara Jones was absent from the meeting.

Faivre, who also chairs the county’s planning and zoning committee, said he doesn’t think the county cap sizes of solar energy farms since there are natural technology and land limits that go into effect anyway. A previous cap of 18,000 acres which was approved earlier this year was vetted through multiple public meetings.

“Theoretically, everybody had a voice in it and I don’t know what the heck happened,” Faivre said.

The County Board in August temporarily expanded the amount of local land eligible for solar energy allotment after Roman suggested setting the cap at 18,000 total acres – including three recently approved industrial solar energy projects that will take up 6,000 total acres of rural county land. With the cap now down to 12,000 total acres of land that commercial solar projects may occupy within the county, it will leave 5,490 acres left for future projects.

The Wednesday vote came after residents urged board members to vote in favor of the solar energy project acreage cap. Those residents included Linda Timm, who owns farmland in Mayfield and Kingston townships.

“This seems to be a reasonable solution, which allows for the current projects already approved ... to proceed and still allows for future growth,” Timm said.

Board member Craig Roman said he voted against the 12,000 acre cap because his original proposal of an 18,000 acre cap encouraged more future solar energy projects.

“The vote that we passed I believe, says we’re closed to solar,” Roman said.

Derek Hiland, community development coordinator for DeKalb County, previously said there have been eight projects that so far received State of Illinois approval, which take up a total of 157 acres. He said there are still about 20 additional proposed projects, which would occupy 313 more acres total, that are awaiting state approval.

Hiland confirmed two more proposed community solar projects are expected to come before the county planning and zoning committee in late January.

Regardless, Faivre said he anticipate more county board action to come in the near future to address residents’ concerns about the solar ordinance.