Watershed Committee Vows Litigation if County Approves Massive Earthrise Solar Project

Green Garden Township Board Meeting | January 12, 2026

Article Summary: The Green Garden Township Board received a stark warning regarding the proposed Earthrise solar facility, with the Watershed Committee chairman pledging legal action if the project proceeds. The committee claims the 6,000-acre proposal is merely a pretext for a massive data center and industrialization of local farmland.

Earthrise Solar Proposal Key Points:

• Scope: A 6,000-acre solar facility spanning Green Garden, Manhattan, and Wilton townships.

• Opposition: The Watershed Committee is organizing petitions, yard signs, and letter-writing campaigns to the Will County Land Use Department.

• Litigation Threat: Committee Chairman Tom Becker announced plans for a pro bono public interest lawsuit to dismantle the project if it passes county approval.

• Data Center Link: Critics allege the solar farm is intended to power “Hillwood,” a proposed 800-acre data center near Manhattan.

The Green Garden Township Board on Monday, January 12, 2026, heard a detailed and critical presentation regarding the Earthrise solar facility, a massive energy project proposed for southern Will County.

Tom Becker, Chairman of the Watershed Committee, told the board that the project spans approximately 6,000 acres across Green Garden, Manhattan, and Wilton townships. Becker described the project as “window dressing” designed to appease environmentalists while facilitating the industrialization of the region’s agricultural land.

“This is about the conversion of the largest remaining farm district in Will County into an industrial area,” Becker said.

Becker alleged that the driving force behind the solar installation is a proposed 800-acre data center known as “Hillwood,” located west of Manhattan. He suggested the data center would require immense power and water resources, potentially impacting the local aquifer.

“We believe that is the driving force behind the industrialization of southern Will County,” Becker said.

The Watershed Committee is currently mobilizing a community opposition campaign. Efforts include an online petition, a signature drive, and a request for residents to submit letters of objection to the Will County Land Use Department by February 2. The committee is also distributing yard signs reading “No solar panels on prime farmland.”

Becker noted that the Earthrise application filed in November was deemed incomplete, providing opponents a window of time to organize. However, he issued a direct warning regarding the committee’s next steps should the Will County Board approve the project.

“If we don’t prevail at the county level, we will be filing litigation to dismantle the Earthrise project,” Becker said, noting that his family’s law firm would handle the challenge pro bono. “I believe we will win. There are severe defects in the Earthrise application.”

Township officials also discussed a separate, smaller solar proposal by US Solar located near 80th Avenue and LaGrange Road. Trustee Ralph and the Supervisor are scheduled to attend a pre-application meeting with the county and the developer on January 15 to express the township’s dissatisfaction with the location.