Iroquois County, IL — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

Iroquois County CSEF Ordinance (May 13 2025): setbacks per PA 102-1123 statewide floor: ≥50 ft from non-participating property line; ≥150 ft from nearest wall of non-participating residence or occupied community building; ≥50 ft from public road right-of-way. BESF (Battery): ≥500 ft from occupied community buildings or dwellings (more restrictive than solar). LANDSCAPE/SCREENING: living buffer plan required; variance process available for alternative buffers (Louis Creek case #25-ZBA-005 seeks variance from Section VII.K.3). ≤20 ft height at full tilt per statewide standard.

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

Strongly supportive / revenue-focused

R-majority board; Illinois Environmental Council 2023 hostile county list; Agrivoltaics IL Policy Guide 2023 specifically cites Iroquois County ordinance as example of pre-PA 102-1123 restrictive framework; Eastern Illini EC / Ameren territory; PA 102-1123 (Jan 2023) now constrains local veto authority

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.

Watseka Solar (unnamed developer) | ~50 MW | SUP approved 2021 | Operational, Watseka area. Multiple community solar CUPs 2–10 MW approved 2018–2023 under prior ordinance. PENDING: Louis Creek Solar LLC (Allium/Lotus Infrastructure Partners) | 50 MW AC + 10 MW BESS | 380 acres | Case #25-ZBA-005 | ZBA public hearing January 28 2026 at Clifford Bury Admin Center, 1001 E. Grant St., Watseka IL — seeking CUP + variance from Section VII.K.3 (living buffer). Sources: Iroquois County ZBA Notice Jan 2026; County news archives

Listed as hostile to solar by environmental groups per 2023 reporting (pre-CSEF Ordinance). Multiple applications tabled or denied by county board 2020–2023. CSEF Ordinance adopted May 13 2025 — imposes nation-leading $20K+$5K/MW fee structure. Louis Creek Solar variance request (buffer waiver) added complexity to Jan 2026 hearing. Sources: CSEF Ordinance May 13 2025; prior county board minutes