Kane County officials and farm groups warn proposed state solar-siting measure could limit local control

Committee members and agricultural partners told the Kane County Agriculture Committee on Feb. 19 they are tracking a pending state bill on solar siting and are concerned it could curtail local authority over where large solar projects may be sited.

"We flagged this particular one for our legislative committee to follow because Kane County is full of some of the highest productivity land in Illinois," the Chair said. "We feel that we actually qualify for this, which would allow us to have clawback some local control that we may be able to get after the June bill comes into effect, which removes any ability we have for siting."

Bill Collins, a director with the Farm Bureau, said the Illinois Farm Bureau "opposes taking productive farmland out of production," reflecting reluctance to convert prime cropland to solar. Other committee members suggested alternative siting options, such as placing solar arrays on degraded properties like gravel pits where existing buffers and infrastructure reduce conflicts with neighboring farmland.

Speakers emphasized that the county is monitoring the bill and that their goal is to protect soils and local decisions. The transcript does not provide a bill number or statutory citation; committee staff said they had flagged the issue for the legislative committee and planned lobbying and coordination with partners to seek solutions that preserve farmland and local input.

Committee discussion also noted that different stakeholders view solar differently — some see an opportunity for renewable energy and rest for land, while farmers worry about long-term removal of productive acreage. Multiple members urged working with local and state legislators to preserve local siting authority or to target nonproductive lands for solar development.

The conversation concluded with a plan to continue legislative coordination; staff asked partners to notify the county of ways they could assist in lobbying or crafting sponsor language.