South Dixon Solar proposal returning to Lee County

DIXON – South Dixon Solar will again be petitioning the county to build a 3,800-acre solar farm after its proposal was denied in February.

South Dixon Solar LLC, of Duke Energy Renewables, petitioned the county for a special-use permit to build a 500-megawatt utility-grade project south of the industrial park on state Route 26 in South Dixon Township.

The Lee County Zoning Board gave a favorable recommendation for the project following seven meetings in the hearing process, but the project was ultimately turned down by the County Board in an 18-to-4 vote.

Board members had concerns that not all surrounding residents were properly notified via mail of the project as required, and they received many calls from constituents against the project.

Neighbors spoke out against the solar farm during the zoning hearing process, worried about setbacks and aesthetics, among other issues.

Company officials had said that solar panels would allow the farmland to rest and likely improve after 35 years. Prairie grasses would be planted in the project footprint, and trees would have been planted along the fence line as a visual buffer for neighbors. It would generate enough energy to power 100,000 homes a year, and construction would have begun in early 2022.

The company lined up lease agreements for 3,838 acres of farmland across 50 parcels involving 25 participating landowners. The project was estimated to bring in around $43 million in property tax revenue across the 35-year life of the project, with the majority going to the Dixon and Amboy school districts.

South Dixon Solar was the third massive solar project to approach Lee County in recent months, and the first to be denied.

In November, the County Board signed off on awarding Steward Creek Solar LLC, of Virginia-based Hexagon Energy, with a special-use permit to build a 600-megawatt solar farm across 5,000 acres in Alto and Willow Creek Townships near Steward bordering Ogle and DeKalb counties as well as Interstate 39 and Highway 30.

In September, the board approved a 1,300-acre solar farm by Eldena Solar LLC, developed by Minnesota-based Geronimo Energy LLC, allowing for a 175-megawatt solar farm in South Dixon and Nachusa townships, near the corner of Eldena and Nachusa roads.

The board had amended its solar ordinance in November following resident concerns that the ordinance did not address massive solar farms, and changes included extending property setbacks from 50 feet to 300 feet, and increasing the setback from dwellings from 300 feet to 600 feet.

An ad hoc committee was then formed to look into further revisions to the ordinance, and the board was going to vote on them this month, but they found that they hadn’t followed the right process to change the ordinance, which means the November changes weren’t properly approved.

The changes will go through the Zoning Board and there will be a public hearing.

Board Vice Chairman John Nicholson said he spoke to South Dixon Solar officials, and they intend to meet the county’s new unapproved ordinance revisions.

Zoning Administrator Dee Duffy said the zoning hearings for South Dixon Solar will begin in August.