Will County planning staff, consultants brief committee on ordinance changes to implement Clean and Reliable Grid Act

Will County planning staff and outside consultants on Thursday presented a draft set of zoning and fee amendments to implement the state's Clean and Reliable Grid Act, saying the county must update its ordinances to avoid legal challenge and to reflect new statutory standards.

The committee heard a 90-minute briefing from Richard Porter, partner at the consultant firm the committee hired. Porter said the statute, which becomes effective June 1, creates a new, statewide regulatory framework for energy storage systems and narrows what counties may require for siting wind and solar facilities.

Porter said the proposal replaces an older battery ordinance with a comprehensive energy-storage ordinance and adds uniform requirements for commercial wind and solar. Among the changes the draft captures, Porter said, are minimum setbacks for energy storage systems (150 feet from the outside wall of a residence or community…