Iroquois County board asks zoning panel to start process for solar, wind and battery ordinances

The Iroquois County Board voted Tuesday to request zoning text amendments and ask the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals to hold public hearings on draft commercial ordinances for solar, wind and battery energy storage facilities.

The action directs county staff and the Zoning Board of Appeals to follow the draft ordinance language reviewed by the county’s planning committee and to begin the public hearing process required by state law. Committee members said the step is meant to ensure the county complies with recently enacted state standards while preserving local protections where the law allows.

County planning staff summarized the draft rules presented to the committee, which include application fees and completeness requirements, coordination with local fire departments, setbacks and landscaping buffers (including evergreen buffers), noise limits, decommissioning plans and required financial assurances tied…