Green Garden Residents Mobilize Against Massive 18-Square-Mile Solar Facility

Green Garden Township Meeting October 13 @ 7PM

Article Summary: A volunteer citizen group in Green Garden Township has announced a five-phase strategy to stop a massive commercial solar facility proposed by Earthrise Energy, which could cover up to 12,000 acres, or 18 square miles. The group’s chairman, Thomas Becker, detailed plans for legal action, community organizing, and federal appeals to prevent what he termed the “industrialization” of the rural community.

Earthrise Solar Facility Opposition Key Points:

• Massive Scale: The proposed Earthrise Energy solar facility is estimated to cover between 5,400 and 12,000 acres, equivalent to 18 square miles, and could include up to 1.7 million solar panels.

• Community Opposition: The Green Garden Watershed Committee, a local volunteer group, is leading a “five-phase strategy” to block the project, citing the preservation of the township’s rural character and prime farmland.

• Strategy to Stop the Project: The plan includes a petition drive, legal challenges to the eventual application, lobbying the Will County Board, appealing to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and filing litigation based on constitutional rights.

• Project Status: Earthrise has not yet filed a formal application with Will County for the special use permit required to build the facility, though it has been acquiring leases and conducting soil testing in the area.

GREEN GARDEN, IL – Residents of Green Garden Township are preparing for a major battle against a proposed commercial solar facility that could transform up to 18 square miles of the rural landscape. At the township board meeting on Monday, October 13, 2025, Thomas Becker, chairman of the volunteer Green Garden Watershed Committee, outlined a comprehensive strategy to stop the project planned by Earthrise Energy.

“That’s 18 square miles of solar panels. We’re not having it,” Becker told the board and assembled residents. “We are in the middle of a beautiful rural residential area and we’re going to preserve that.”

The project, which Becker said was initially described as a 600-megawatt facility, could encompass between 5,400 and 12,000 acres and feature up to 1.7 million solar panels. The proposed footprint stretches from Stuenkel Road to the north, Pauling Road to the south, Center Road to the east, and Scheer Road to the west, impacting Green Garden, Manhattan, and Wilton townships.

Becker detailed a five-phase strategy to defeat the proposal, beginning with a petition drive to demonstrate widespread opposition. “It makes all the difference when you go in a zoning case to say here are the residents. We are opposed,” he urged.

The committee’s plan includes:

1. A Petition Drive: Collecting signatures from residents throughout Will County to present to zoning officials.

2. Legal Challenge to the Application: Attacking the sufficiency of Earthrise’s special use permit application once it is filed with Will County.

3. Lobbying the County Board: Working with representatives like Will County Board member Daniel J. Butler to gain support from board members who will ultimately vote on the project.

4. Federal Appeal: Taking the case to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., arguing against the use of prime farmland for solar development.

5. Litigation: Filing a lawsuit to challenge a 2023 state law signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker that limited local zoning authority over wind and solar projects, which Becker called “patently unconstitutional.”

Becker argued that the project is not just about solar energy but represents the creeping “industrialization of this area,” connecting it to the South Suburban Airport and industrial corridors in Monee, Frankfort, and Manhattan. He speculated the energy generated would likely be sold to power a large data center, not for local use.

Road Commissioner Jim Hilliard confirmed that Earthrise had already contacted him to request a survey of township roads to assess if they could withstand construction vehicles. Hilliard told the company there was “not much to talk about” until a permit is approved and stated he would not meet with company representatives alone in the future.

Residents at the meeting expressed alarm as one landowner reported that Earthrise crews were already pounding galvanized I-beams into the ground in multiple locations last week. Becker noted that soil testing is required for the application process, but the purpose of the beams was unclear.

“This is a significant circumstance in our lifetime,” Becker said. “How are we going to hand over Green Garden Township to the next generation? We are going to hand over the beautiful area that we have… we’re not going to lose it.”