Starved Rock Family Campground may be partially solar powered by September

Visitors to the Starved Rock Family Campground in La Salle may have a new energy source as early as September, thanks in part to a federal grant.

The La Salle City Council unanimously approved the recommendation for the solar farm during Monday night’s council meeting.

Mark Voss, owner of the campground, said he wanted to put in the half-acre solar farm to combat the rising costs of power in an already competitive market.

“This will help keep costs down for all ‘RVers’ and all the tent people and everything,” he said. “Our goal is to try and bring those bills down for them.”

The solar farm will be on an area of land in the back corner of the property with a fence around it, Voss said.

“We’re trying to keep it nice and safe,” he said. “You know, a lot of campers want that big green camping … and our footprint will be a lot less.”

Voss said the entire cost of the project will be about $300,000, with a federal grant covering 40% of the project.

The field is large enough to provide power for about half of the 107 campsites without further plans for expansion in the future.

“We have a good 300 to 400 people out there every weekend,” he said. “We’ve been full every weekend since Memorial Day.”

Voss said he has been working with Legacy Solar LLC on the project, and the company is ready to begin the project in about two weeks. He said he is hopeful for a September completion date.

He said it will be exciting to be able to provide a green campground and provide clean power for the campers traveling through the area.

“Our goal is to keep a campground that is good for the environment and really honoring God,” Voss said. “And keep it as a place for families to feel refreshed and restored.”