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Committee asks state to restore county control over wind and solar siting, requests repeal of Public Act 102-1123
Summary
LaSalle County committee approved a resolution urging the Illinois General Assembly to repeal Public Act 102-1123 and restore county involvement in siting approvals for wind and solar projects; members discussed outreach strategies and examples from other counties.
On April 7 the LaSalle County Committee on Appointments, Legislation and Rules approved a resolution requesting the Illinois General Assembly repeal Public Act 102-1123 (House Bill 4412, signed Jan. 27, 2023) and to restore county participation in siting decisions for wind and solar energy projects.
The resolution, introduced by the county land-use staff, says the state law amended the Illinois County Code and removed or limited counties’ zoning authority over siting of wind and solar facilities, and it directed counties with conflicting ordinances to conform within 120 days. The county committee passed the resolution and set a plan to transmit it to state legislative leaders and local representatives.
Committee members debated how best to press the issue at the state level. Several members recommended individualized outreach — witness slips, personalized letters or cover letters signed by the county board chairman and the affected district member — rather than a single form letter. A suggested addition was attaching the county’s roll-call vote list to the resolution so legislators could see how each board member voted and which precincts were represented.
Members discussed the example of Grundy County, where officials initially opposed a solar project, were later sued by the developer and then negotiated terms they considered acceptable. Committee members said Grundy County’s experience showed litigation could lead to negotiated conditions and concessions.
Committee members also discussed coordinating with townships, local trustees and the County Board Association to encourage similar resolutions or witness slips from other jurisdictions. Several members said they were concerned about the difficulty of generating sustained attention from state legislators without clear constituent-level outreach.
The committee approved the resolution by voice vote. The motion was made by Tom Walsh and seconded by Joe Bridal and the resolution will be transmitted to the county’s state representatives and senators as described in the resolution.
