Rezin advocates for the return of more local control over renewable projects

Springfield, IL – State Senator Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is taking a stand for local communities facing the fallout of the General Assembly’s decision to strip local control over renewable projects. She has introduced Senate Bill 2595, which aims to restore some of that lost power.

Under Senate Bill 2595, proposed commercial wind and solar energy facilities in an unincorporated area of a county that is within a 3-mile radius of a surrounding municipality can be denied siting approval if they do not obtain approval from both the county board and the city council of that municipality.

“The lame duck legislation that was pushed through the General Assembly stripped away the rights of local communities to have a say in the development of renewable energy projects within their vicinity,” said Senator. Rezin. “Senate Bill 2595 seeks to rectify that mistake by ensuring that both county and municipality officials can collectively determine what is best for their communities.”

The catalyst for the filing of Senate Bill 2595 lies in ongoing community battles involving the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 4412, including several communities within the 38th Senate District. Under the new, current law, Illinois became the first and only state in the nation to automatically approve a wind or solar project as long as it met watered-down state siting requirements. Those requirements include allowing cities to approve or deny wind farms within a 1.5-mile radius of the city, but no such provision exists for addressing solar farms.

“Local communities shouldn’t be sidelined when it comes to decisions that impact their lives,” continued Senator Rezin. “This legislation is a crucial step in restoring balance and ensuring that residents have a voice in the shaping of their community’s future.”

Senate Bill 2595 currently waits to be assigned to a Senate Committee for further consideration.