Solar Farms

The city of Princeton held a ribbon-cutting of their new 1-megawatt generating solar farm on Monday, June 23, 2025, at the intersection of Peggy Land and Epperson Road in Princeton. The ground-mounted solar project includes 2,400 panels that will generate enough power to supply roughly 185 homes. The solar farm was developed by Altorfer Cat and built by ITG Construction.

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.

Three new solar farms have changed the landscape around the Illinois Valley. Check out photos from the new farms located in the City of Oglesby, City of Ottawa and north of Ottawa on Illinois Route 23.

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.

Lakemoor trustees have voted to annex a golf course so that the property can be redeveloped as a solar farm, despite reservations by some nearby residents.

The proposed site is located within the city’s 1.5-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction and spans 105 acres. However, the project would only develop 31 acres of the parcel.

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.

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.

Resolution to be drafted arguing that riverfront property should not be used for project.

Developers of a 4.99-megawatt community solar facility last week got the go-ahead from the Ogle County Board to move forward with a project that could power about 800 single-family homes.

The Dixon Park District announced plans Friday, June 21, 2024, to build a solar farm on 24 of 600 acres of land near The Facility. The district is partnering with Trajectory Solar on the project. The Facility is located at 1312 Washington Ave.

Solar industry sees setback as Channahon project 'in the middle of town' is rejected.

On May 23, Lee County Board members voted 12-4 to grant a special use permit to Woosung Solar LLC to build a 5-megawatt commercial solar energy facility on the southeast corner of Pilgrim Road and state Route 26 in Palmyra Township.

The community solar farm, known as Corneils Road Solar, LLC, will be constructed north of Corneils Road between Beecher Road and Route 47 in Yorkville.

A 5-megawatt commercial solar energy facility in Palmyra Township got the special use permit developers need to move forward with the project when the Lee County Board voted 17-1-1 to grant it.

Yorkville Planning and Zoning Commission members heard a presentation from petitioners and held a public hearing for a third solar farm in the city at their April 10 meeting.

The Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to make a recommendation Wednesday evening regarding a proposed 5-megawatt commercial solar facility in Palmyra Township.

The Sterling City Council agreed Monday not to object to a request for a special-use permit for a 5-megawatt solar farm just west of city limits, at Freeport and Science Ridge roads.

Known as the Alexander-Johnson Farm Solar Project, the acreage is at 47W829 Route 38, Maple Park, just east of Meredith Road.

Lee County Board members voted 11-3-3 to issue the special use permit to Hexagon Energy LLC, a Virginia-based company doing business in Illinois as Steward Creek Solar LLC, for Phase 2 of a 1,200-megawatt commercial solar energy facility in Alto and Willow Creek townships.

Over the objections of the city of Sterling, the Whiteside County Board approved issuing a special-use permit to build a 5-megawatt solar farm at Locust Street/state Route 40 and Science Ridge Road.

Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals members unanimously voted to recommend the Lee County Board approve Hexagon Energy LLC’s petition to be allowed to build Phase 2 of Steward Creek, a 1,200-megawatt commercial solar energy facility.

Chicago-based solar company Nexamp is proposing the development of Corneils Road Solar, LLC, a community solar farm just north of Yorkville city limits.

The first of two public hearings before the Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals regarding what could be the largest solar facility in Illinois is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 20.

A company seeking to build two of 2-megawatt Solar Gardens in Shabbona Township recently got the projects approved by the DeKalb County Board, but not everyone was onboard.

A 5-megawatt solar farm at Locust Street/state Route 40 and Science Ridge Road would not be compatible with Sterling's future industrial plans for that area, and so the City Council is submitting a letter of objection to the project.

A company with multiple community solar projects in Illinois and five other states is asking to build a 5-megawatt solar farm in a field at Locust Street/state Route 40 and Science Ridge Road, just outside Sterling’s northern city limit.

The Nexamp solar farm near Harvard planted native seeds to restore prairie land while creating solar energy.

The public is invited to weigh in Thursday on a proposal to build a solar garden in Squaw Grove Township in rural southern DeKalb County.

McHenry County grapples with difficulty of not being able to regulate any new solar farms because of new Illinois law.

The Lee County Board is expected to vote Thursday on a proposed solar farm surrounding the historic Col. Nathan Whitney House, located just south of Franklin Grove.

A proposed solar garden in rural DeKalb County split the DeKalb County Board recently amid concerns that the garden would sit on land meant to provide irrigation for multiple farmers in the southeastern part of the county.

Opinion: Community solar is a relatively new concept in the world of renewable energy, but it’s quickly gaining traction in DeKalb and northern Illinois. This innovative approach to solar power enables local communities to pool their resources.

Illinois Community Solar program 'democratizes' access to solar energy.

According to the city officials tasked with voting on the proposal, location and politics played the key roles in the solar project's ultimate denial.

DeKalb County government officials are seeking additional guidance and inviting the public to weigh in on a new state law which requires counties to make uniform existing regulations on solar and wind farm developments.

Two proposed 35-acre solar farms in Clinton Township in southern DeKalb County are one step closer to approval.

The Speedway Solar Project began producing electricity at the start of February

A Wisconsin-based solar company has been cleared to build a solar farm across from the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport, and city officials took action Monday night to amend existing rules to accommodate the proposal.

Aiming to increase diversity in wind and solar jobs, a proposed measure in the Illinois General Assembly would require more transparent reporting on the level of participation of minority-owned businesses in clean energy jobs.

A year ago, the board voted down a moratorium on solar projects and instead created the renewable energy committee as well as made changes to the solar ordinance to address concerns from neighbors of projects including setbacks and visual buffers.

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 amount of acres solar energy projects can cover in DeKalb County might soon be restricted.

In front of a standing room only crowd packed into the DeKalb County Board meeting Wednesday, three solar energy projects which have come under intense public scrutiny in recent months were given the go-ahead by the board to begin development on 6,000 acres of rural county land. "The horse is out of the barn in this case," said county board chairman John Frieders.

Three industrial solar energy projects which have drawn controversy throughout DeKalb County in recent months received preliminary approval this week. Developers say the proposed lines between the solar farms and residential property could pose a challenge.

A solar energy project located near the DeKalb Municipal Airport may be coming soon, according to city officials.

A public hearing to continue discussion on a proposed solar energy project by Owens Creek LLC is scheduled for Thursday, amid what’s turned into heated debate over the past few weeks in DeKalb County related to solar energy and land use.