Oswego village trustees not interested in annexing land for solar farm

Oswego village trustees have no interest in annexing land being eyed for a community solar farm.

Officials discussed the project again during the Committee of the Whole meeting May 28 after initially discussing the proposal in March. Turning Point Energy proposes to build a community solar farm on 39 acres on the west side of Route 71 in unincorporated Kendall County.

The company would initially be leasing for the land for 25 years along with three five-year extensions, for a total of 40 years. The property currently is being farmed and while it is unincorporated, it is within the village’s planning boundary.

The village’s Comprehensive Plan designates the property as partially residential and partially open space.

According to Turning Point’s website, a community solar farm enables businesses and residents with unsuitable or insufficient space for on-site solar to realize the value of clean energy consumption.

A community solar farm produces electricity and the electricity produced becomes net metering credits. Individuals, municipalities and businesses can then sign up to receive a share of the net metering credits.

Net metering credits from the electricity produced by the community solar farm are applied to each customer’s monthly electric bill.

Village President Ryan Kauffman voiced concerns about the proposal and how it could impact the development of the land in the future.

“I’m concerned that we’re locking ourselves into an array for 25 years and then when development inevitably comes out this way, that we can’t do residential or we can’t do commercial because the array is there,” Kauffman said.

Village trustee Andrew Torres and other trustees also voiced concerns.

“I’m not against solar in any way,” Torres said. “I just wish there was an alternative location for it further out.”

Village trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange voiced similar concerns.

“I’m supportive of solar,” she said. “We’ve already planned for this area to be residential and the area surrounding it to be residential.”

Village Administrator Dan Di Santo told Turning Point Energy representative Rory Walker that because the village is not interested in the project, the company could now take the plans to Kendall County. Walker said he would like the village to provide him a letter stating that Oswego does not want to pre-annex the land.

As a government body, the Kendall County Board cannot impose regulations on solar farms that are more restrictive than the state regulations. As a home rule community, Oswego would be able to place more requirements on the proposed development if the property were to annex to the village.