Final decision on Streator solar projects pushed back

Proposed community solar projects in Streator – one of which drew about 30 people to a recent meeting – will be sent back to the Plan Commission for further review, the Streator City Council decided Wednesday.

This move follows a recent recommendation from Streator’s Plan Commission, which endorsed two of the three proposed projects but expressed concerns about the third.

The two projects approved by the Plan Commission – Streator 1 and Streator 2 – are planned for a site west of the intersection of Route 18 and East 15th Road.

The Spring Lake project, however, proposed for a location north of Golf Road, faced significant opposition from local residents. About 30 attendees were at the Plan Commission meeting, voicing concerns about the project’s potential influence on property values and development opportunities in the area.

Richard Wilkinson, a Streator resident and local developer, voiced these concerns during the Plan Commission meeting.

He said that the Golf Road location is a “prime development location” and that solar installations there might not generate the same financial benefits as future development projects.

“We need development here,” Wilkinson said. “We need things that are going to bring real tax dollars to this community. That land absolutely needs to be developed.”

The developer, TotalEnergies, a France-based company with a track record in solar installations, said these projects aim to allow multiple participants to enroll and receive credits on their energy bills. Each project is projected to generate enough electricity to power about 450 homes, offering potential savings of 10% to 15% compared with traditional utility providers.

Despite the opposition, TotalEnergies emphasized the economic benefits of the solar projects for the community, which are expected to generate about $1.9 million in tax revenue for Streator over the next 35 years.

If the council approves any of the proposed projects, construction for the solar panels is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2025, with an estimated completion time of about 36 weeks for each project.

The decision to table mainly allows for further evaluation of the Spring Lake project, ensuring community concerns are addressed before any final decision is made. The Plan Commission’s next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 8, with the projects slated to be voted on Wednesday, Oct. 16.