Amazon plans solar farms in Bureau, DeKalb counties

Amazon plans to build solar farms in Bureau and DeKalb counties – but in both counties, it appears the tech giant may have worked out private property rights before seeking regulatory approval.

Amazon issued a news release Thursday announcing 14 new off-site renewable energy projects in the United States, Canada, Finland and Spain toward powering 100% of company activities with renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of its schedule.

Two of the 14 new projects are located in Bureau County and DeKalb County, bringing Amazon’s solar farm total in the state to three, according to the press release. A media liaison did not return a call seeking additional information such as which townships the solar farms were to be sited.

The press release was the first that Bureau County officials had heard of Amazon’s plans. Neither the chairwoman of the county board, the zoning enforcement office nor North Central Illinois Council of Governments had received any sort of notification from Amazon prior to the news release.

That was the case for DeKalb County, as well. It also is not clear where in DeKalb County the tech giant intends to build the project, though residents voiced concerns during a June 9 County Board Commitee of the Whole meeting about rumblings of industrial solar projects coming to the Clare, DeKalb and Malta areas.

More recently, residents urged county planning and zoning officials to consider revisiting county code regarding solar energy projects during a Wednesday DeKalb County planning and zoning committee meeting.

Steve Faivre, chairman of the planning and zoning committee for the DeKalb County Board, cautioned his constituents that Amazon’s announcement in no way means a solar farm is a done deal.

“The announcement means they’re going to be coming in with an application for a permit,” Faivre explained, “and in DeKalb County there are several steps to that process.”

Solar energy projects are under a special use designation in DeKalb County, according to county code. That means each individual project is subject to its own public hearing and County Board vote on a more case-by-case basis.

Two Illinois lawmakers said they would monitor the application process to ensure that county authority was respected and adhered to.

Both Illinois State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa) said they support green energy in principle.

“We appreciate Amazon’s commitment to creating carbon-free energy in the state of Illinois,” Rezin said. “Projects like this one will help improve our state’s energy portfolio for the future.”

Yednock, too, said he had no specific information on Amazon’s proposal, but noted generally that solar farms are “not as controversial” as wind energy projects and therefore more likely to be approved.

“I am always interested in clean energy projects, especially when the developers use the local labor force to build, and then maintain the infrastructure,” Yednock said. “These projects can be good for the property owner, workers, and the environment, and we should encourage more energy projects.”

Amazon said the new projects bring Amazon’s total renewable energy investments to date to 10 gigawatts of electricity production capacity—enough to power 2.5 million U.S. homes for one year. Amazon is now the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the U.S. and the world.

Amazon is launching new renewable energy projects in the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Spain, advancing its commitment to decarbonize business operations and reach net-zero carbon by 2040.

“We’re driving hard to fulfill The Climate Pledge—our commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement,” Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, said in a press release. “Our investments in wind and solar energy in the U.S. and around the world send a signal that investing in green technologies is the right thing to do for the planet and citizens—as well as for the long-term success of businesses of all sizes across all industries everywhere.”

• Daily Chronicle local government reporter Katie Finlon contributed to this report.