Judge Orders Will County Board to Approve Previously Denied Solar Farm Permits

On Wednesday, Will County’s efforts to maintain local control over solar farm developments were dealt a heavy blow when 12th District Associate Judge Ben Braun ruled the County Board must approve several previously denied solar farm requests.

Braun’s long-awaited ruling combined lawsuits filed against the county by Channahon McKinley Woods, RPIL Solar 13, Florence Renewables LLC, NL Gougar Solar 1, Black Road Solar 1, and Black Road Solar 2. The judge ordered the county to approve all special use permits for the applications, many of which had previously been denied not only by the full board, but also by the board’s Land Use Committee and Planning and Zoning Commission.

The county has been ordered to comply with the ruling by April 17, 2026, with a court status hearing set for April 16. To meet the court’s mandate, County Board leaders are expected to place the previously denied permits on the agenda for their April 16 meeting.

The April 16 meeting agenda is already slated to be heavily focused on renewable energy. The board is scheduled to vote on two massive solar farm applications from Earthrise Energy: the 2,400-acre Plum Creek project and the nearly 6,100-acre Pride of the Prairie project. While the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission and the Land Use Committee recommended approving the smaller Plum Creek plan, both bodies recommended denying the Pride of the Prairie proposal.

Anticipating significant public interest, officials have moved the April 16 County Board meeting to the Clarion Hotel at South Larkin Avenue and McDonough Street in Joliet. Previous hearings for the Earthrise Energy plans have drawn large crowds largely in opposition to the developments.