Will County Loses Power To Vote Against Solar Farms

Aerial view of solar farm. File photo. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Despite Will County’s vote on April 8th to have more control over solar farm proposals, WJOL has learned that 12th District Associate Judge Ben Braun ruled the County Board should not have turned down past requests.

The lawsuits were filed against the county by Channahon McKinley Woods, RPIL Solar 13, Florence Renewables LLC, NL Gougar Solar 1, Black Road Solar 1 and Black Road Solar 2.

The county is ordered to comply by April 17, 2026. County Board leaders will have to put them on the agenda for its April 16 meeting. Also slated for the meeting are applications for solar farms from Earthrise Energy: Plum Creek, which is 2,400 acres, and Pride of the Prairie, which is nearly 6,100 acres.

As of June 1, 2026, new Illinois state law (Public Act 102-1123, or the “Wind and Solar Facility Law”) prevents county boards from blocking commercial solar farms that meet state standards, limiting local zoning oversight. While proponents aim to speed up renewable energy deployment, critics say it strips community control over site selection

The law permits developers to place 20+ foot solar panels on vast stretches of agricultural land.

As of earlier this year, Will County had approved 54 solar applications during the past few years, turning down relatively few, including those they believed to be too close to homes.