DeKalb County, IL — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

DeKalb County Ord. 2023-012 (PA 102-1123-compliant): ≥150 ft from nearest wall of non-participating residence or occupied community building; ≥50 ft from non-participating property lines; ≥50 ft from public road ROW; ≤20 ft height. Screening required within 1,000 ft of occupied community buildings or residences. Prior Ord. 2018-06: ≥1/4 mile (1,320 ft) setback from homes — reduced by 2023 update.

DeKalb County: CUP or Special Use Permit in Agricultural (A-1) district.

Supportive / mixed

R-majority board; among first IL counties with community solar approvals (2018 FEJA incentive wave); county ordinance 2018 cited as model; Clearway community solar operational 2020–2021; ComEd territory; NW Illinois farmland

Stable

Local permit: Special Use Permit (SUP) in A-1 Agricultural zoning via county Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and/or County Board; process and conditions vary by county ordinance. ICC CPCN: Illinois Public Utilities Act §8-406 — Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity required for ALL generating facilities >2 MW, regardless of local SUP status; ICC process runs parallel to county SUP. PA 102-1123 (signed Jan 27, 2023): Preempts county ordinances that prohibit wind or solar; sets state minimum setback floor of ≥150 ft from non-participating property lines and ≥300 ft from occupied dwellings. Counties may set higher setbacks but not lower; wind/solar bans enacted before 2023 are invalidated. PA 103-0580 (Veto Session fall 2023): Trailer bill reinforcing PA 102-1123 preemption framework; addressed specific county attempts to circumvent preemption. CEJA 2021 (Climate & Equitable Jobs Act): Illinois RPS targets — 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040, 100% clean energy by 2045; IPA Illinois Shines program administers FEJA/CEJA incentive tranches for community and utility-scale solar.

Illinois Adjustable Block Program (Illinois Shines): 15-year SREC contracts for net-metered and community solar projects; administered by IL SHINES program. Solar for All (SFA): low-income community solar program with enhanced incentives. Illinois RPS: 50% renewable by 2040 (Future Energy Jobs Act); solar carve-out drives strong SREC demand. Net metering: available for ≤2 MW behind-the-meter systems (ComEd, Ameren IL). PACE financing: available in many IL counties. HB 4412 (2024): updated solar siting framework; county commission approval required for projects exceeding acreage thresholds in unincorporated areas. Utility: ComEd serves northern IL (Cook + 10 counties); Ameren Illinois serves central/southern IL; electric cooperatives serve rural downstate areas.

Clearway Community Solar | Multiple projects | 2020–2021 | ComEd territory | Operational. DeKalb County listed in Clearway Dec 2020 announcement (DeKalb, McLean, Champaign, Will). Ord. 2023-023 (Sep 2023): 40-acre community solar CUP approved in Genoa Township A-1 district (subscriber-based CEJA community solar project; 1,000-ft screening buffer from residences). Sources: Clearway Dec 2020; DeKalb County Ord. 2023-023

County listed as hostile to solar by environmental groups per 2023 reporting — some applications have faced resistance despite Clearway approvals; PA 102-1123 (Jan 2023) constrains additional restrictions; specific denied project names not in public record