Green Garden Residents Group Plans Lawsuit, Pushes for Township Incorporation to Fight Solar Projects

Green Garden Township Meeting | November 10, 2025

Article Summary:
A Green Garden Township citizens’ group announced plans to pursue litigation against large-scale solar developments and advocated for a long-term strategy of township incorporation to gain control over local zoning. Thomas Becker, chairman of the Watershed Committee, presented the strategy, arguing that current state and county laws strip rural communities of their land-use rights.

Solar Fight Strategy Key Points:

• Litigation Planned: The Watershed Committee intends to establish a legal defense fund and file a lawsuit once a formal application is submitted for the proposed 5,400-acre Earthrise solar project.

• Call for Incorporation: Becker proposed that the township incorporate as a municipality to operate under the Illinois municipal code, which would allow it to define its own land use and zoning laws.

• Criticism of Laws: He argued that recent state laws allowing solar panels and utility-scale batteries 50 feet from residential properties are designed to invite “mega solar” into the area.

• Agritourism as an Alternative: The group’s vision includes preserving the township’s rural character by promoting agritourism, potentially centered around a new community hall.

A residents’ group in Green Garden Township on Monday, November 10, 2025, unveiled a multi-pronged strategy to combat large-scale solar development, combining the immediate threat of a lawsuit with a long-term push for political self-governance.

During a presentation to the Township Board, Thomas Becker, chairman of the Watershed Committee, stated that his group plans to litigate against the proposed 5,400-acre Earthrise solar facility. “What we’re going to do is we’re going to litigate this,” Becker said, announcing that a legal defense fund will be created once a formal application is filed with Will County.

Becker heavily criticized state and county laws passed in 2023, which he said favor industrial solar development at the expense of residents. He noted that the laws allow 20-foot-high solar panels to be placed 50 feet from backyards and render residents’ objections about decreased property values illegitimate. He also warned of a new state law that allows large, flammable utility-scale batteries within 50 feet of homes, with the cost passed on to taxpayers.

Beyond a lawsuit, Becker proposed a more permanent solution: incorporating Green Garden Township as a municipality. He argued that by moving from the county code to the state’s municipal code, residents could “define our own land use and set our own boundaries” through home rule powers.

“I think it’s time to preserve a farming community,” Becker stated. “We can do that together by governing ourselves and taking the land use back to ourselves.”

This vision for self-governance is tied to an identity built on agritourism, celebrating a rural lifestyle with farmers’ markets, craft shows, and riding trails, potentially centered around a new community hall. Becker said he will be speaking at the Wilton Township meeting and on WJO radio (AM 1340) later in the week to continue building support.