By Nick Reiher

Will County Board leaders on May 14 narrowly voted to recommend the full board approve the plan for a controversial 6,100-acre solar farm spanning three townships.

After lengthy discussion, the Will County Board’s Executive Committee, composed of board leadership and committee chairs, voted 6-5 to recommend the full board approve Earthrise Energy’s Pride of the Prairie plan at its May 21 meeting.

Prior to that, the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 at a special meeting on May 12 to reject the Pride of the Prairie plan.

The special hearing was held after Associate Judge Victoria Breslan ordered the commission to re-open the hearing to allow cross-examination by the public, a practice not allowed previously by the commission.

The commission in March had voted 4-2 to reject the Pride of the Prairie plan, and the County Board’s Land Use Committee also voted to recommend denial to the full County Board. A vote by the full County Board on April 16 was delayed by Breslan’s order.

Will County Board Speaker Joe Van Duyne, D-Wilmington, said board leadership decided to hold another vote at the Executive Committee rather than schedule another Land Use Committee hearing.

While questions and comments are allowed at those meetings, no formal hearings are held.

Before the Executive Committee vote, Manhattan resident Tim Shanahan said they are not opposed to solar farms, including a 60-acre farm already operating there.

“But we opposed this 6,100-acre monster,” he said, affecting not only Manhattan Township, but Green Garden and Wilton townships as well.

Manhattan resident Judy Mitchell read a letter on behalf of Manhattan Township, asking for a postponement until the state legislature has a chance to restore the local controls taken away in 2023 with Senate Bill 25.

“Manhattan Township is not opposed to solar energy. We are opposed to large-scale industrial solar developments being approved under a statutory framework that restricts counties and townships from upholding their comprehensive plans, community standards and longstanding land use protections.

“SB25 has significantly constrained the ability of local governments to ensure that developers work collaboratively and transparently with the communities most affected by these projects. Importantly, legislative efforts to correct these issues are already underway in Springfield.

“Representative Anthony DeLuca has introduced multiple bills each aimed at restoring portions of the local control that SB25 removed. These proposals reflect growing bipartisan recognition that the current process is unbalanced and does not adequately protect Illinois communities.

“Postponing the vote on ZC25129 would allow time for these measures to be considered and would ensure that Will County’s decision is made under a more equitable and community focused statutory framework.

“We recognize that a delay may affect incentives available to Earthrise. However, those incentives are funded by Illinois taxpayers, and they should support — not undermine – local communities.

“As County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant stated, ‘It is a flawed process.’ We share her concern and believe that a short postponement is a responsible step toward ensuring a fair outcome.

“A delay is not a rejection of renewable energy or economic development. It is a commitment to good governance, local accountability, and long-term community protection.”

One Green Garden Township resident said she is not opposed to solar; she has panels on her house’s roof. But she, too, was concerned the size and location of the Pride of the Prairie solar farm proposed.

Following comments from the public, board members had their opportunity to weigh in. Dan Butler, R-Frankfort, offered a motion to postpone the vote, citing missing information on the application.

Although Marguerite Kenny, Will County Land Use Zoning Administrator, said the application satisfies the county’s standards, Butler and several other board members said they still wanted questions answered.

That motion failed, in part after board members heard contradicting their own staff could lead to a lawsuit. Butler said he then wanted to recommend denial to the full board.

Frankie Pretzel, R-New Lenox, said the county has approved most of the solar farm plans that have come before them. If they had submitted separate smaller plans, he said, the board probably would have approved them. He added, this is too large.

Voting against the plan at committee does not subject them to litigation, Pretzel said. “This vote sends a message to the full board that this is a lousy project.”

County officials have said their hands are tied by Senate Bill 25 passed in 2023 that takes away most oversight concerning solar farm plans from counties. State Rep. Larry Walsh Jr., D-Elwood, said it stemmed from a downstate county that rejected all solar farm applications outright.

By contrast, County Board Member Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, said earlier this year that since solar projects began appearing in Will County in earnest, 84 applications have been submitted. Of those, 17 were withdrawn, often after developers failed to secure state subsidies. The County Board has approved 57 projects and denied 10.

Walsh said the Legislature is working on a bill now, but he isn’t sure it can be done by the end of the session on May 31.

The board approved seven solar farm plans at the April 16 meeting, including Earthrise’s 2,400-acre Plum Valley solar farm and six they had previously denied in 2024 and 2025.

Associate Judge Ben Braun on April 8 ruled the county did not have the authority under state regulations approved in 2023 to reject those plans.

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review. Freelance reporter Andrea Arens contributed to this story.