Crews are building a new solar farm located in the 1400 block of North 27th Road (Dee Bennett Road) on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2026 in Naplate. The 28.26 acre site is owned by SunVest Solar, LLC. It will have a total of 6,890 panels with a capacity of 4.27 megawatts. The solar farm is on a former U.S. Silica property and is unique for the area with a diverse landscape, considering most solar farms are placed on flat farmland. The project is scheduled to be completed in May 2026.

Crews are close to completing a new solar farm located in the 9900 block of Illinois Route 71 on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 in Granville. The Corn Belt Granville substation will provide energy to 650 members. The 1.5 megawatt farm sits on 9 acres with a total of 2,678 panels. The substation has only a single transmission feed with no redundancy. The solar farm and battery energy storage system will provide backup power to the substation during transmission outages. The solar farm will use a single-axis tracking system, allowing the solar panels to track the sun from east to west. This provides 5% to 6% more energy than a fixed array while utilizing a smaller footprint.

The Rochelle Township High School District Board of Education on Tuesday, Jan. 20, heard a presentation on a potential future solar array project that could take place this year.

A special use permit for developers hoping to build a commercial solar energy system in Squaw Grove Township has been reauthorized by the DeKalb County Board.

Lake County is taking another step toward a cleaner, more sustainable future by expanding its solar energy portfolio.

Community Solar is a program that is guaranteed to provide 10% savings annually.

The Hillcrest Village Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Dec. 10, unanimously approved three ordinances that will allow for the future construction and operation of a 200-acre, 49-megawatt solar farm north of Twombly Road.

The Dixon School Board unanimously approved a solar contract Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2025, that’s expected to save the district roughly $500,000 over seven years in energy costs.

Plans for a solar farm on 38 acres along Route 38 and John Huber Parkway are a go after recent DeKalb City Council action.

The 5-megawatt farm, named Bristol Ridge 105 Solar Farm, will be located east of Cannonball Trail and north of the BNSF Railroad.

A DeKalb city commission has given its nod of support this week to a developer’s plans for a solar farm on 38 acres at the southwest corner of Illinois Route 38 and John Huber Parkway. The proposal still needs City Council approval.

A ribbon-cutting and energization ceremony were held Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, for Ducks Solar, a new 31-acre and 7.7-megawatt community solar energy project at 1067 W. Oregon Trail Road in Oregon.

From Capitol News Illinois: The bill that cleared the General Assembly on Thursday funds energy storage systems through a new charge to Illinois electric customers that will take effect in 2030. The bill also lifts a longtime ban on new nuclear power developments

A project that will help local families save money while helping the environment is coming soon to Lake Villa.

The Ogle County Board unanimously denied a special-use permit for a community solar energy facility in Marion Township on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, but did approve a special-use permit for a similar facility in Leaf River Township by an 11-10 vote.

Coltonville Solar Farm, which is expected to become an almost 4.4-megawatt commercial solar facility, will be owned and operated by Surya Powered, according to DeKalb County documents.

Prairie Brome Solar is proud to announce the third-quarter recipients of its Community Grant Program, recognizing outstanding organizations making a meaningful difference across Lee County. Five local nonprofits have been awarded a total of $10,000 to support their work.

The Dixon Public School Board is looking into contracting with a solar vendor to potentially decrease its energy costs over the long term.

In a visit to rural Kane County Tuesday, Gov. JB Pritzker said the need for “cheaper, cleaner” energy is “more important than ever” while celebrating a 26-acre solar farm off U.S. Highway 20 that officials said will help power nearly 600 low-income households.

While a nearly 2,000-acre solar facility recently approved by the DeKalb County Board has received much public attention, a couple of smaller projects also were greenlit by county officials this month.

In an apparent about-face, DeKalb city leaders this week moved to reconsider plans for a data center and solar array after one alderwoman expressed a change of heart, only for a series of related council votes to fail again.

An almost 2,000-acre solar project in central DeKalb County was given the go-ahead after a split DeKalb County Board vote this week, despite the wishes of some of those who voted for it.

IBV Energy Partners, in concert with its subsidiary, Kyte River Solar, is in the process of developing a 150-megawatt solar farm near the intersection of South Meridian Road and Lincoln Highway. The land use permit is expected to be submitted at the end of this year.

In a split vote this week, the DeKalb City Council shut down plans backed by a Champaign-based developer to build a data center and solar facility off Peace Road.

The Grundy County Board issued its rejection to the Brisbin Solar project being pitched for an area near the Brisbin Road interchange along I-80 on Tuesday, following recommendations from both the zoning board of appeals and land use committees.

Despite not being on the agenda for the most recent DeKalb County Board meeting, multiple people used that meeting to speak against a proposed nearly 2,000-acre commercial solar energy facility in central DeKalb County.

That project, a 5-megawatt commercial solar energy system, is expected to be situated on a 40-acre property on the west side of Polk Road in Genoa Township, according to documents submitted to the county.

Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world’s largest solar farm when completed high on a Tibetan plateau. It will cover 610 square kilometers (235 square miles), which is the size of Chicago

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, the Ogle County Board voted unanimously to deny special-use permits for two solar energy developments.

Cary School District 26 is looking at adding solar panels to the roofs of three schools as time dwindles on financial incentives that will end with the passing of Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill.”

The Morris City Council passed an ordinance Monday night that will allow facilities like factories and distribution centers to place solar panels on their roofs without a permitting process.

The global switch to renewable energy has passed a “positive tipping point” where solar and wind power will become even cheaper and more widespread, according to two United Nations reports released Tuesday

Illinois has increasingly subsidized the solar industry in recent years, most notably through the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA

Illinois legislators and organizations released the following statements Tuesday after the U.S. Senate passed President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts bill.

NSG Group recently announced its newest photovoltaic solar array at Pilkington, its Ottawa facility, which will supply about 3.9 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity annually.

Concerns over a large-scale solar farm spurred multiple residents to speak up during a recent DeKalb County Board meeting, but the project causing anxiety hasn’t yet been put to a vote.

More than $14 billion in clean energy investments in the U.S. have been canceled or delayed this year, according to an analysis released Thursday

After over two months of deliberation, the Ottawa Plan Commission has once again voted to recommend a proposed solar panel project on the city’s south side, sending the project back to Ottawa City Council for a final decision next week.

An agreement has been jockeyed between developers of a solar farm in Yorkville and an adjacent horse racing training business, sending the 20-acre project off and running. The horses run tracks directly south of the proposed Beecher Road Solar LLC solar farm development.

A new solar project in Oglesby is now operational, immediately generating carbon-free electricity for the city and 31 other municipalities

A California solar company sued the county last fall after the Whiteside County Board twice rejected a special-use permit application for solar farm development on Prairie Center Road near Morrison.

Previously the cost varied from project to project and was calculated as “equal to 2% of proposed commercial value, up to a maximum fee of $25,000,” according to the ordinance.

Nick Mahoney of Donato Solar said unlike like the Meta DeKalb Data Center, his company is proposing a smaller, standalone data center. He said he anticipates very little foot traffic to and from this development.

A developer wants city permission to install a solar field and data center on about 30 acres of land west of Peace Road in DeKalb, documents show. The land also would need to be annexed into city limits if approved.

The Ogle County Board voted 13-11 Tuesday to approve a special use permit for a solar project in Haldane, between Forreston and Polo, following a lawsuit filed by the petitioner.

The Whiteside County Board has approved a special-use permit for a proposed solar farm at McCue and West LeFevre roads, where Nexamp Solar LLC wants to build the LeFevre Road Solar Project.

Southern Will County residents are trying to stop 3,600 acre solar energy complex.

Plans for constructing a five-megawatt solar farm in DeKalb moved one step closer to reality this week.

A developer is asking for city permission to construct a 5-megawatt ground mounted solar farm on unincorporated land at the southwest corner of Route 38 and John Huber Parkway in DeKalb.

Joliet Township High School District 204 estimates the transition to solar panels will save the district an estimated $5 million and conserve the equivalent of 416,948 gallons of gas over the next 25 years.