The Grundy County Land Use Committee on Sept. 23 deferred a vote on a proposed agrivoltaic change that would allow sheep grazing at the previously approved Gillard Solar site, citing questions about animal care, management, and enforcement. At the same meeting the committee recommended a one-year extension of the project's special-use permit to give the developer time to complete engineering and permitting.

Heidi, the county planning staff member who presented the proposal, said the change would not enlarge the solar array itself but would add sheep grazing as a vegetation-management technique for the 30.14-acre array (located on a larger 202-acre parcel). Heidi noted that Kimley-Horn’s grazing plan and materials from the American Solar Grazing Association had been provided to the Zoning Board of Appeals and were included in the committee packet.

Several committee members said they want clearer, enforceable standards before approving grazing. “I think that we need more time with this, personally,” said committee member Drew during discussion. “I think that we need to come up with our own language that we don't have. This is kind of sudden.” Another committee member added that animal-control capacity and ongoing inspections must be clarified before the county approves live livestock inside arrays.

The committee voted to table the grazing modification and asked staff to coordinate with the University of Illinois extension and the Department of Agriculture to develop clearer veterinary-certification and monitoring requirements. Staff said the ZBA had recommended the grazing plan with conditions 1–9 specific to sheep management, and the committee asked that those conditions be strengthened and that annual reports and veterinarian sign-off be required.

Separately, Gillard’s attorney, Jim Griffin, told the panel that the project’s site-development review is well advanced and that the developer is responding to engineering comments. The committee voted 5–1 to recommend a one-year extension of Gillard Solar’s special-use permit to the full county board so the ongoing engineering review and site-development permitting can be completed without losing project validity.

Why it matters: Agrivoltaic grazing is increasingly proposed as a way to manage vegetation on solar sites and can provide local agricultural uses; the committee’s request for stronger oversight reflects county concerns about animal welfare, enforcement and long-term management when developers assign grazing to third parties.

What the committee asked staff to do
- Coordinate with University of Illinois extension and Illinois Department of Agriculture on livestock-management best practices and veterinary oversight requirements for agrivoltaic grazing.
- Require a formal grazing-management plan certified by a veterinarian and include specific monitoring, water and parasite control provisions.
- Require an annual report to county planning documenting pasture rotations, animal counts and veterinary visits.

Ending: The Gillard grazing modification remains tabled pending more detailed, enforceable conditions; the committee forwarded a positive recommendation for a one-year extension of Gillard Solar's special-use permit to the county board.