Will County committee declines to recommend Pivot Energy solar farm near Shorewood after heated debate
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
The Will County Land Use Committee heard months-long debate over a proposed community solar project at 26347 Baltz Road. Pivot Energy offered a 25-year term and community payments; Shorewood officials and residents raised concerns about siting, water, habitat and future residential plans. The committee added a 9 a.m.–5 p.m. pile‑driving condition but voted not to recommend the project to the full board.
The Will County Land Use Committee on Feb. 11 declined to recommend a special‑use permit for a proposed Pivot Energy community solar facility at 26347 Baltz (zoning case 25‑028), after residents and municipal officials pressed the committee over siting, environmental and timing concerns.
Pivot Energy’s presenter, Britney Krebsbach, told the committee the project would consist of two colocated arrays — a 5‑megawatt and a 3‑megawatt installation totaling roughly 8 MW — placed on about 40–44 acres of a ~58‑acre parcel. Krebsbach said the company had shortened the planned lifespan for the arrays from 40 to 25 years, proposed an 8‑foot wooden‑post/mesh fence rather than chain‑link, and planned setback distances of more than 300 feet to nearby residences. She said Pivot offers $5,000 per megawatt in community donations (about $40,000 for this project) and pursues habitat enhancement and sheep‑grazing programs for vegetation management.
Clarence DeBold, representing the Village of Shorewood, and village counsel and other speakers argued the parcel sits within a half‑mile of Shorewood’s corporate boundary and near sewer and water extensions the village is undertaking, and they urged denial. DeBold cited letters of opposition from local municipalities, school districts and other stakeholders and raised groundwater and contamination concerns tied to panels and future site use. Jim Murphy, who said he represents Shorewood in litigation related to similar cases, warned that a 25‑year term could effectively block planned residential growth for a quarter century.
The applicant’s counsel said the application complies with county zoning and that state law constrains treating comprehensive plans as binding; the applicant offered the 25‑year limit as a compromise and said it would comply with staff and state permitting requirements.
Before voting on the case, the committee approved an amendment that would limit pile‑driving and the noisiest construction activities to 9 a.m.–5 p.m., a restriction proponent members said would reduce disruption for nearby residents. Member O’Gala moved the amendment; the committee adopted it.
When the committee held a roll‑call vote on recommending the special‑use permit to the full county board, a majority voted against forwarding the proposal. The chair said the applicant could bring the case to the full board, and the staff record will include the committee’s amended conditions. "We received your concerns and your proposals and we appreciate the willingness to compromise," Krebsbach said during the meeting.
Next steps: The applicant may take the case to the full Will County Board. The committee’s action means the project will not receive a positive recommendation from this committee at this meeting; any decision on final approval rests with the full board.
Sources: Staff presentation and the applicant’s presentation to the Will County Land Use Committee on Feb. 11, 2026; comments by Britney Krebsbach (Pivot Energy), Clarence DeBold (Village of Shorewood representative), and counsel.