Illinois 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB4037 Compare Versions

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11 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4037 Introduced , by Rep. Chris Miller SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a commercial wind energy facility owner or solar energy facility owner must file a land reclamation plan and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to the required public hearing on the siting of a facility. Provides that the land reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a facility has been constructed will be returned to the state the property existed prior to the construction of the facility upon removal of the facility. Provides that the recycling plan must outline how the material used to construct the facility will be recycled. Provides that a commercial solar energy facility may not be sited on property where the property's soil's crop productivity index is greater than 110. Effective immediately. LRB103 31868 AWJ 60516 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4037 Introduced , by Rep. Chris Miller SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a commercial wind energy facility owner or solar energy facility owner must file a land reclamation plan and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to the required public hearing on the siting of a facility. Provides that the land reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a facility has been constructed will be returned to the state the property existed prior to the construction of the facility upon removal of the facility. Provides that the recycling plan must outline how the material used to construct the facility will be recycled. Provides that a commercial solar energy facility may not be sited on property where the property's soil's crop productivity index is greater than 110. Effective immediately. LRB103 31868 AWJ 60516 b LRB103 31868 AWJ 60516 b A BILL FOR
22 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4037 Introduced , by Rep. Chris Miller SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
33 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
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55 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a commercial wind energy facility owner or solar energy facility owner must file a land reclamation plan and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to the required public hearing on the siting of a facility. Provides that the land reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a facility has been constructed will be returned to the state the property existed prior to the construction of the facility upon removal of the facility. Provides that the recycling plan must outline how the material used to construct the facility will be recycled. Provides that a commercial solar energy facility may not be sited on property where the property's soil's crop productivity index is greater than 110. Effective immediately.
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1111 1 AN ACT concerning local government.
1212 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1313 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1414 4 Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
1515 5 Section 5-12020 as follows:
1616 6 (55 ILCS 5/5-12020)
1717 7 Sec. 5-12020. Commercial wind energy facilities and
1818 8 commercial solar energy facilities.
1919 9 (a) As used in this Section:
2020 10 "Commercial solar energy facility" means a "commercial
2121 11 solar energy system" as defined in Section 10-720 of the
2222 12 Property Tax Code. "Commercial solar energy facility" does not
2323 13 mean a utility-scale solar energy facility being constructed
2424 14 at a site that was eligible to participate in a procurement
2525 15 event conducted by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to
2626 16 subsection (c-5) of Section 1-75 of the Illinois Power Agency
2727 17 Act.
2828 18 "Commercial wind energy facility" means a wind energy
2929 19 conversion facility of equal or greater than 500 kilowatts in
3030 20 total nameplate generating capacity. "Commercial wind energy
3131 21 facility" includes a wind energy conversion facility seeking
3232 22 an extension of a permit to construct granted by a county or
3333 23 municipality before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of
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3737 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4037 Introduced , by Rep. Chris Miller SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3838 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
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4040 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a commercial wind energy facility owner or solar energy facility owner must file a land reclamation plan and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to the required public hearing on the siting of a facility. Provides that the land reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a facility has been constructed will be returned to the state the property existed prior to the construction of the facility upon removal of the facility. Provides that the recycling plan must outline how the material used to construct the facility will be recycled. Provides that a commercial solar energy facility may not be sited on property where the property's soil's crop productivity index is greater than 110. Effective immediately.
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6868 1 Public Act 102-1123) this amendatory Act of the 102nd General
6969 2 Assembly.
7070 3 "Facility owner" means (i) a person with a direct
7171 4 ownership interest in a commercial wind energy facility or a
7272 5 commercial solar energy facility, or both, regardless of
7373 6 whether the person is involved in acquiring the necessary
7474 7 rights, permits, and approvals or otherwise planning for the
7575 8 construction and operation of the facility, and (ii) at the
7676 9 time the facility is being developed, a person who is acting as
7777 10 a developer of the facility by acquiring the necessary rights,
7878 11 permits, and approvals or by planning for the construction and
7979 12 operation of the facility, regardless of whether the person
8080 13 will own or operate the facility.
8181 14 "Nonparticipating property" means real property that is
8282 15 not a participating property.
8383 16 "Nonparticipating residence" means a residence that is
8484 17 located on nonparticipating property and that is existing and
8585 18 occupied on the date that an application for a permit to
8686 19 develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial
8787 20 solar energy facility is filed with the county.
8888 21 "Occupied community building" means any one or more of the
8989 22 following buildings that is existing and occupied on the date
9090 23 that the application for a permit to develop the commercial
9191 24 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
9292 25 is filed with the county: a school, place of worship, day care
9393 26 facility, public library, or community center.
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104104 1 "Participating property" means real property that is the
105105 2 subject of a written agreement between a facility owner and
106106 3 the owner of the real property that provides the facility
107107 4 owner an easement, option, lease, or license to use the real
108108 5 property for the purpose of constructing a commercial wind
109109 6 energy facility, a commercial solar energy facility, or
110110 7 supporting facilities. "Participating property" also includes
111111 8 real property that is owned by a facility owner for the purpose
112112 9 of constructing a commercial wind energy facility, a
113113 10 commercial solar energy facility, or supporting facilities.
114114 11 "Participating residence" means a residence that is
115115 12 located on participating property and that is existing and
116116 13 occupied on the date that an application for a permit to
117117 14 develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial
118118 15 solar energy facility is filed with the county.
119119 16 "Protected lands" means real property that is:
120120 17 (1) subject to a permanent conservation right
121121 18 consistent with the Real Property Conservation Rights Act;
122122 19 or
123123 20 (2) registered or designated as a nature preserve,
124124 21 buffer, or land and water reserve under the Illinois
125125 22 Natural Areas Preservation Act.
126126 23 "Supporting facilities" means the transmission lines,
127127 24 substations, access roads, meteorological towers, storage
128128 25 containers, and equipment associated with the generation and
129129 26 storage of electricity by the commercial wind energy facility
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140140 1 or commercial solar energy facility.
141141 2 "Wind tower" includes the wind turbine tower, nacelle, and
142142 3 blades.
143143 4 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or whether
144144 5 the county has formed a zoning commission and adopted formal
145145 6 zoning under Section 5-12007, a county may establish standards
146146 7 for commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy
147147 8 facilities, or both. The standards may include all of the
148148 9 requirements specified in this Section but may not include
149149 10 requirements for commercial wind energy facilities or
150150 11 commercial solar energy facilities that are more restrictive
151151 12 than specified in this Section. A county may also regulate the
152152 13 siting of commercial wind energy facilities with standards
153153 14 that are not more restrictive than the requirements specified
154154 15 in this Section in unincorporated areas of the county that are
155155 16 outside the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality and that are
156156 17 outside the 1.5-mile radius surrounding the zoning
157157 18 jurisdiction of a municipality.
158158 19 (c) If a county has elected to establish standards under
159159 20 subsection (b), before the county grants siting approval or a
160160 21 special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or a
161161 22 commercial solar energy facility, or modification of an
162162 23 approved siting or special use permit, the county board of the
163163 24 county in which the facility is to be sited or the zoning board
164164 25 of appeals for the county shall hold at least one public
165165 26 hearing. The public hearing shall be conducted in accordance
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176176 1 with the Open Meetings Act and shall be held not more than 45
177177 2 days after the filing of the application for the facility. The
178178 3 county shall allow interested parties to a special use permit
179179 4 an opportunity to present evidence and to cross-examine
180180 5 witnesses at the hearing, but the county may impose reasonable
181181 6 restrictions on the public hearing, including reasonable time
182182 7 limitations on the presentation of evidence and the
183183 8 cross-examination of witnesses. The county shall also allow
184184 9 public comment at the public hearing in accordance with the
185185 10 Open Meetings Act. The county shall make its siting and
186186 11 permitting decisions not more than 30 days after the
187187 12 conclusion of the public hearing. Notice of the hearing shall
188188 13 be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the
189189 14 county. A facility owner must enter into an agricultural
190190 15 impact mitigation agreement and file a land reclamation plan
191191 16 and a recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior
192192 17 to the date of the required public hearing. The land
193193 18 reclamation plan must outline how the property on which a
194194 19 facility has been constructed will be returned to the state
195195 20 the property existed prior to the construction of the facility
196196 21 upon removal of the facility. The recycling plan must outline
197197 22 how the material used to construct the facility will be
198198 23 recycled. A commercial wind energy facility owner seeking an
199199 24 extension of a permit granted by a county prior to July 24,
200200 25 2015 (the effective date of Public Act 99-132) must enter into
201201 26 an agricultural impact mitigation agreement with the
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212212 1 Department of Agriculture prior to a decision by the county to
213213 2 grant the permit extension. Counties may allow test wind
214214 3 towers or test solar energy systems to be sited without formal
215215 4 approval by the county board.
216216 5 (d) A county with an existing zoning ordinance in conflict
217217 6 with this Section shall amend that zoning ordinance to be in
218218 7 compliance with this Section within 120 days after January 27,
219219 8 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123) this
220220 9 amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
221221 10 (e) A county may require:
222222 11 (1) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
223223 12 to be sited as follows, with setback distances measured
224224 13 from the center of the base of the wind tower:
225225 14 Setback Description Setback Distance
226226 15 Occupied Community 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
227227 16 Buildings height of the wind tower to the
228228 17 nearest point on the outside
229229 18 wall of the structure
230230 19 Participating Residences 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
231231 20 height of the wind tower to the
232232 21 nearest point on the outside
233233 22 wall of the structure
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244244 1 Nonparticipating Residences 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
245245 2 height of the wind tower to the
246246 3 nearest point on the outside
247247 4 wall of the structure
248248 5 Boundary Lines of None
249249 6 Participating Property
250250 7 Boundary Lines of 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
251251 8 Nonparticipating Property height of the wind tower to the
252252 9 nearest point on the property
253253 10 line of the nonparticipating
254254 11 property
255255 12 Public Road Rights-of-Way 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
256256 13 height of the wind tower
257257 14 to the center point of the
258258 15 public road right-of-way
259259 16 Overhead Communication and 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
260260 17 Electric Transmission height of the wind tower to the
261261 18 and Distribution Facilities nearest edge of the property
262262 19 (Not Including Overhead line, easement, or
263263 20 Utility Service Lines to right-of-way right of way
264264 21 Individual Houses or containing the overhead line
265265 22 Outbuildings)
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276276 1 Overhead Utility Service None
277277 2 Lines to Individual
278278 3 Houses or Outbuildings
279279 4 Fish and Wildlife Areas 2.1 times the maximum blade
280280 5 and Illinois Nature tip height of the wind tower
281281 6 Preserve Commission to the nearest point on the
282282 7 Protected Lands property line of the fish and
283283 8 wildlife area or protected
284284 9 land
285285 10 This Section does not exempt or excuse compliance with
286286 11 electric facility clearances approved or required by the
287287 12 National Electrical Code, The National Electrical Safety
288288 13 Code, Illinois Commerce Commission, Federal Energy
289289 14 Regulatory Commission, and their designees or successors.
290290 15 (2) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
291291 16 to be sited so that industry standard computer modeling
292292 17 indicates that any occupied community building or
293293 18 nonparticipating residence will not experience more than
294294 19 30 hours per year of shadow flicker under planned
295295 20 operating conditions;
296296 21 (3) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited as
297297 22 follows, with setback distances measured from the nearest
298298 23 edge of any component of the facility:
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309309 1 Setback Description Setback Distance
310310 2 Occupied Community 150 feet from the nearest
311311 3 Buildings and Dwellings on point on the outside wall
312312 4 Nonparticipating Properties of the structure
313313 5 Boundary Lines of None
314314 6 Participating Property
315315 7 Public Road Rights-of-Way 50 feet from the nearest
316316 8 edge
317317 9 Boundary Lines of 50 feet to the nearest
318318 10 Nonparticipating Property point on the property
319319 11 line of the nonparticipating
320320 12 property
321321 13 (4) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
322322 14 that the facility's perimeter is enclosed by fencing
323323 15 having a height of at least 6 feet and no more than 25
324324 16 feet; and
325325 17 (5) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
326326 18 that no component of a solar panel has a height of more
327327 19 than 20 feet above ground when the solar energy facility's
328328 20 arrays are at full tilt.
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339339 1 The requirements set forth in this subsection (e) may be
340340 2 waived subject to the written consent of the owner of each
341341 3 affected nonparticipating property.
342342 4 (e-5) A commercial solar energy facility may not be sited
343343 5 on property where the property's soil's crop productivity
344344 6 index is greater than 110, as "crop productivity index" is
345345 7 used in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's
346346 8 Optimum Crop Productivity Ratings for Illinois Soil or
347347 9 subsequent publication.
348348 10 (f) A county may not set a sound limitation for wind towers
349349 11 in commercial wind energy facilities or any components in
350350 12 commercial solar energy facilities facility that is more
351351 13 restrictive than the sound limitations established by the
352352 14 Illinois Pollution Control Board under 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts
353353 15 900, 901, and 910.
354354 16 (g) A county may not place any restriction on the
355355 17 installation or use of a commercial wind energy facility or a
356356 18 commercial solar energy facility unless it adopts an ordinance
357357 19 that complies with this Section. A county may not establish
358358 20 siting standards for supporting facilities that preclude
359359 21 development of commercial wind energy facilities or commercial
360360 22 solar energy facilities.
361361 23 A request for siting approval or a special use permit for a
362362 24 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
363363 25 facility, or modification of an approved siting or special use
364364 26 permit, shall be approved if the request is in compliance with
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375375 1 the standards and conditions imposed in this Act, the zoning
376376 2 ordinance adopted consistent with this Code, and the
377377 3 conditions imposed under State and federal statutes and
378378 4 regulations.
379379 5 (h) A county may not adopt zoning regulations that
380380 6 disallow, permanently or temporarily, commercial wind energy
381381 7 facilities or commercial solar energy facilities from being
382382 8 developed or operated in any district zoned to allow
383383 9 agricultural or industrial uses.
384384 10 (i) A county may not require permit application fees for a
385385 11 commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy
386386 12 facility that are unreasonable. All application fees imposed
387387 13 by the county shall be consistent with fees for projects in the
388388 14 county with similar capital value and cost.
389389 15 (j) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a county
390390 16 shall not require standards for construction, decommissioning,
391391 17 or deconstruction of a commercial wind energy facility or
392392 18 commercial solar energy facility or related financial
393393 19 assurances that are more restrictive than those included in
394394 20 the Department of Agriculture's standard wind farm
395395 21 agricultural impact mitigation agreement, template 81818, or
396396 22 standard solar agricultural impact mitigation agreement,
397397 23 version 8.19.19, as applicable and in effect on December 31,
398398 24 2022. The amount of any decommissioning payment shall be
399399 25 limited to the cost identified in the decommissioning or
400400 26 deconstruction plan, as required by those agricultural impact
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411411 1 mitigation agreements, minus the salvage value of the project.
412412 2 (k) A county may not condition approval of a commercial
413413 3 wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility on a
414414 4 property value guarantee and may not require a facility owner
415415 5 to pay into a neighboring property devaluation escrow account.
416416 6 (l) A county may require certain vegetative screening
417417 7 surrounding a commercial wind energy facility or commercial
418418 8 solar energy facility but may not require earthen berms or
419419 9 similar structures.
420420 10 (m) A county may set blade tip height limitations for wind
421421 11 towers in commercial wind energy facilities but may not set a
422422 12 blade tip height limitation that is more restrictive than the
423423 13 height allowed under a Determination of No Hazard to Air
424424 14 Navigation by the Federal Aviation Administration under 14 CFR
425425 15 Part 77.
426426 16 (n) A county may require that a commercial wind energy
427427 17 facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner
428428 18 provide:
429429 19 (1) the results and recommendations from consultation
430430 20 with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that are
431431 21 obtained through the Ecological Compliance Assessment Tool
432432 22 (EcoCAT) or a comparable successor tool; and
433433 23 (2) the results of the United States Fish and Wildlife
434434 24 Service's Information for Planning and Consulting
435435 25 environmental review or a comparable successor tool that
436436 26 is consistent with (i) the "U.S. Fish and Wildlife
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447447 1 Service's Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines" and (ii) any
448448 2 applicable United States Fish and Wildlife Service solar
449449 3 wildlife guidelines that have been subject to public
450450 4 review.
451451 5 (o) A county may require a commercial wind energy facility
452452 6 or commercial solar energy facility to adhere to the
453453 7 recommendations provided by the Illinois Department of Natural
454454 8 Resources in an EcoCAT natural resource review report under 17
455455 9 Ill. Adm. Admin. Code Part 1075.
456456 10 (p) A county may require a facility owner to:
457457 11 (1) demonstrate avoidance of protected lands as
458458 12 identified by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
459459 13 and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission; or
460460 14 (2) consider the recommendations of the Illinois
461461 15 Department of Natural Resources for setbacks from
462462 16 protected lands, including areas identified by the
463463 17 Illinois Nature Preserve Commission.
464464 18 (q) A county may require that a facility owner provide
465465 19 evidence of consultation with the Illinois State Historic
466466 20 Preservation Office to assess potential impacts on
467467 21 State-registered historic sites under the Illinois State
468468 22 Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act.
469469 23 (r) To maximize community benefits, including, but not
470470 24 limited to, reduced stormwater runoff, flooding, and erosion
471471 25 at the ground mounted solar energy system, improved soil
472472 26 health, and increased foraging habitat for game birds,
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483483 1 songbirds, and pollinators, a county may (1) require a
484484 2 commercial solar energy facility owner to plant, establish,
485485 3 and maintain for the life of the facility vegetative ground
486486 4 cover, consistent with the goals of the Pollinator-Friendly
487487 5 Solar Site Act and (2) require the submittal of a vegetation
488488 6 management plan in the application to construct and operate a
489489 7 commercial solar energy facility in the county.
490490 8 No later than 90 days after January 27, 2023 (the
491491 9 effective date of Public Act 102-1123) this amendatory Act of
492492 10 the 102nd General Assembly, the Illinois Department of Natural
493493 11 Resources shall develop guidelines for vegetation management
494494 12 plans that may be required under this subsection for
495495 13 commercial solar energy facilities. The guidelines must
496496 14 include guidance for short-term and long-term property
497497 15 management practices that provide and maintain native and
498498 16 non-invasive naturalized perennial vegetation to protect the
499499 17 health and well-being of pollinators.
500500 18 (s) If a facility owner enters into a road use agreement
501501 19 with the Illinois Department of Transportation, a road
502502 20 district, or other unit of local government relating to a
503503 21 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
504504 22 facility, the road use agreement shall require the facility
505505 23 owner to be responsible for (i) the reasonable cost of
506506 24 improving roads used by the facility owner to construct the
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508508 26 facility and (ii) the reasonable cost of repairing roads used
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519519 1 by the facility owner during construction of the commercial
520520 2 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
521521 3 so that those roads are in a condition that is safe for the
522522 4 driving public after the completion of the facility's
523523 5 construction. Roadways improved in preparation for and during
524524 6 the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or
525525 7 commercial solar energy facility shall be repaired and
526526 8 restored to the improved condition at the reasonable cost of
527527 9 the developer if the roadways have degraded or were damaged as
528528 10 a result of construction-related activities.
529529 11 The road use agreement shall not require the facility
530530 12 owner to pay costs, fees, or charges for road work that is not
531531 13 specifically and uniquely attributable to the construction of
532532 14 the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar
533533 15 energy facility. Road-related fees, permit fees, or other
534534 16 charges imposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation,
535535 17 a road district, or other unit of local government under a road
536536 18 use agreement with the facility owner shall be reasonably
537537 19 related to the cost of administration of the road use
538538 20 agreement.
539539 21 (t) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a facility
540540 22 owner with siting approval from a county to construct a
541541 23 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
542542 24 facility is authorized to cross or impact a drainage system,
543543 25 including, but not limited to, drainage tiles, open drainage
544544 26 districts, culverts, and water gathering vaults, owned or
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555555 1 under the control of a drainage district under the Illinois
556556 2 Drainage Code without obtaining prior agreement or approval
557557 3 from the drainage district, except that the facility owner
558558 4 shall repair or pay for the repair of all damage to the
559559 5 drainage system caused by the construction of the commercial
560560 6 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
561561 7 within a reasonable time after construction of the commercial
562562 8 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
563563 9 is complete.
564564 10 (u) The amendments to this Section adopted in Public Act
565565 11 102-1123 this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly do
566566 12 not apply to (1) an application for siting approval or for a
567567 13 special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or
568568 14 commercial solar energy facility if the application was
569569 15 submitted to a unit of local government before January 27,
570570 16 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123) this
571571 17 amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly or (2) a
572572 18 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
573573 19 facility if the facility owner has submitted an agricultural
574574 20 impact mitigation agreement to the Department of Agriculture
575575 21 before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act
576576 22 102-1123) this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
577577 23 (Source: P.A. 101-4, eff. 4-19-19; 102-1123, eff. 1-27-23;
578578 24 revised 4-5-23.)
579579 25 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
580580 26 becoming law.
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