Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Solar Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District receives EPA approval for Yeoman Creek solar site; construction on track with monthly updates promised
Summary
Waukegan CUSD 60 staff and outside counsel reported that the Yeoman Creek solar project has EPA approval and building permits and expects construction completion by late June 2025; the district is a land lessor, not a purchaser of electricity, and the lease includes monthly payments to the district.
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 officials told the Operational Services Committee on Feb. 18, 2025, that the Yeoman Creek solar project has received Environmental Protection Agency approval and necessary building permits, and that construction is scheduled to be complete by June 27, 2025.
The update matters because the district leases landfill property overseen by the Yeoman Creek Remediation Group (YCRG) for the Clean Capital solar installation; once operational, the project will produce lease revenue for the district and allow residents to opt into a community solar program, district counsel said.
Outside counsel Harvey Sheldon, on the phone for the meeting, said permits were issued “a couple of weeks back” and the EPA had approved the remediation-site work as of Feb. 11. Sheldon said the construction schedule anticipates that the tenant will need approvals from the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) before the system can begin selling energy; obtaining those approvals is the tenant’s obligation under the lease. He said parties expect to begin unloading materials early next month and to begin community outreach in coordination with Power Market, a partner of Clean Capital.
Superintendent LeBaron and other staff clarified the district’s financial relationship with the site: the land is owned and supervised by YCRG and Clean Capital is the tenant under a land-use lease. The district has received rental payments tied to the arrangement: staff reported $114,871.01 in rent and related payments to date going back to fiscal year 2022. Sheldon said the tenant has represented an expectation of substantially higher rent once operations begin and referenced a figure “in the neighborhood of $120,000” annually, but he apologized for not having that exact number on hand and staff said they will provide definitive rent and payment schedules at a later date.
Board members pressed for clarity on whether the district or schools would receive energy credits. Sheldon said the deal is a cash lease and not structured as a credit-for-energy arrangement; the district is not currently a customer under the tenant’s community-solar product. He added that Clean Capital and Power Market have indicated in prior discussions they may negotiate separate customer arrangements with the district in the future.
Superintendent LeBaron said the district will provide monthly updates going forward, and that Clean Capital and a Power Market representative are expected to attend the March 18 Operational Services Committee meeting to provide additional detail, marketing materials and definitive rent numbers. Board members asked for a ledger-style accounting showing projected and realized savings/revenue and asked that staff return with specific figures on what the district and schools will receive and whether the district could become a customer.
No formal action or vote on the lease was taken at this meeting; staff said they will follow up with more precise financial details and bring information and Clean Capital representatives to the March meeting for further public discussion.
