Size of future solar energy projects in DeKalb County could be restricted

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

A 12,000-acre total hard cap on commercial solar energy projects may be one DeKalb County Board vote away from becoming a reality, following debate about three recently approved industrial projects already taking up half of that.

The DeKalb County planning and zoning committee voted, 4-2, to approve the cap on commercial solar energy projects in the county total. Committee member and DeKalb County Board Chairman John Frieders, along with committee members Larry West, Jerry Osland and Tim Bagby, voted in favor for the changes, while committee chairman Steve Faivre and member Craig Roman voted against. Committee member Roy Plote was absent from the meeting.

The County Board in August temporarily expanded the amount of local land eligible for solar energy allotment after Roman suggested setting the cap at 18,000 total acres – including three recently approved industrial solar energy projects that will take up 6,000 total acres of rural county land. On Tuesday, however, West suggested bringing the cap down to 12,000 total acres of land that commercial solar projects may occupy within the county.

“So that will leave [5,490 acres] available for future projects until we get a handle on what’s going on,” West said. “A hard cap, including the 6,000 that’s already out there that we can’t do anything about.”

The proposal now heads to the County Board for a potential final vote. The board’s next meeting is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at the county’s legislative center, 200 N. Main St. in Sycamore.

West was referring to the DeKalb County Board recently giving the OK for the three industrial solar energy projects during its Nov. 17 meeting. The projects included a 3,700-acre project called Owens Creek and a 1,800-acre project called Red Maple, both by Texas-based Leeward Renewable Energy; and a 643-acre project from Samsung called DK Solar.

The Samsung solar plot will be in Milan Township between McGirr Road to the north, Haumesser Road to the east, Hermann Road to the south and Wilrett Road to the west, according to county documents. The 500-megawatt Owens Creek solar farm will be located in Mayfield and South Grove townships, west of Glidden Road, south of Base Line Road and north of Illinois Route 64. The Red Maple will be set up in Afton and Pierce townships, south of Gurler Road and north of Perry Road.

The three projects ramped up significant debate over the past few months as the solar energy proposals went before the board and its zoning committee for public hearings several times over. Opponents feared neighboring home values deteriorating amid large solar panels, entire nearby unincorporated communities being closed in by the panels, financial liability for the county in the event of decommissioning, and the use of valuable farm land.

During the Tuesday meeting, South Grove Township resident Brad Belanger told committee members he wanted to see the committee recommend a 10,000 total acreage cap for commercial solar projects in the county.

“This covers the approved projects and still has room to grow,” Belanger said.

Mayfield Township resident John Lyon, who opposed the projects and whose family has been farming in DeKalb County since 1835, echoed Belanger’s sentiment during the Tuesday meeting.

“In past weeks, you have made decisions that negatively affected the lives of DeKalb County citizens,” Lyon said to committee members. “It’s time to step up and [approve a] reasonable acreage cap of 10,000 acres – with a cap of 640 acres, one section, per township.”

Proponents argued the benefits of solar energy, given the global climate crisis, and property tax revenue to the area – not to mention field and planting rotation – made for a compelling case. DeKalb resident Jamie Walter, whose family owns about 450 acres slated for the Red Maple project, recently defended the use of his private land for the development, touting the sustainable promise of the farms for agricultural land rejuvenation and energy production.

Derek Hiland, community development coordinator for DeKalb County, said Tuesday there have been eight projects that so far received State of Illinois approval, which take up a total of 157 acres. He said there are still about 20 additional projects, which would occupy 313 more acres total, that are awaiting state approval – and there may be more coming before county officials for their consideration.

“The only projects that I’m aware of are two that would fall under the community solar operations,” Hiland said, referring to the type of projects that would take up about 30 acres each on average. “That will probably be coming to [the committee] in late January.”