Illinois 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB4551 Compare Versions

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11 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4551 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made. LRB103 36943 AWJ 67057 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4551 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made. LRB103 36943 AWJ 67057 b LRB103 36943 AWJ 67057 b A BILL FOR
22 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4551 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
33 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
44 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
55 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made.
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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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3838 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
3939 55 ILCS 5/5-12020
4040 Amends the Counties Code. Provides that a county may deny a permit for a commercial solar energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if the work requested to be performed under the permit is not being performed under a project labor agreement with building trades located in the area where construction, modification, or improvements are to be made.
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6868 1 Public Act 102-1123).
6969 2 "Facility owner" means (i) a person with a direct
7070 3 ownership interest in a commercial wind energy facility or a
7171 4 commercial solar energy facility, or both, regardless of
7272 5 whether the person is involved in acquiring the necessary
7373 6 rights, permits, and approvals or otherwise planning for the
7474 7 construction and operation of the facility, and (ii) at the
7575 8 time the facility is being developed, a person who is acting as
7676 9 a developer of the facility by acquiring the necessary rights,
7777 10 permits, and approvals or by planning for the construction and
7878 11 operation of the facility, regardless of whether the person
7979 12 will own or operate the facility.
8080 13 "Nonparticipating property" means real property that is
8181 14 not a participating property.
8282 15 "Nonparticipating residence" means a residence that is
8383 16 located on nonparticipating property and that is existing and
8484 17 occupied on the date that an application for a permit to
8585 18 develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial
8686 19 solar energy facility is filed with the county.
8787 20 "Occupied community building" means any one or more of the
8888 21 following buildings that is existing and occupied on the date
8989 22 that the application for a permit to develop the commercial
9090 23 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
9191 24 is filed with the county: a school, place of worship, day care
9292 25 facility, public library, or community center.
9393 26 "Participating property" means real property that is the
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104104 1 subject of a written agreement between a facility owner and
105105 2 the owner of the real property that provides the facility
106106 3 owner an easement, option, lease, or license to use the real
107107 4 property for the purpose of constructing a commercial wind
108108 5 energy facility, a commercial solar energy facility, or
109109 6 supporting facilities. "Participating property" also includes
110110 7 real property that is owned by a facility owner for the purpose
111111 8 of constructing a commercial wind energy facility, a
112112 9 commercial solar energy facility, or supporting facilities.
113113 10 "Participating residence" means a residence that is
114114 11 located on participating property and that is existing and
115115 12 occupied on the date that an application for a permit to
116116 13 develop the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial
117117 14 solar energy facility is filed with the county.
118118 15 "Protected lands" means real property that is:
119119 16 (1) subject to a permanent conservation right
120120 17 consistent with the Real Property Conservation Rights Act;
121121 18 or
122122 19 (2) registered or designated as a nature preserve,
123123 20 buffer, or land and water reserve under the Illinois
124124 21 Natural Areas Preservation Act.
125125 22 "Supporting facilities" means the transmission lines,
126126 23 substations, access roads, meteorological towers, storage
127127 24 containers, and equipment associated with the generation and
128128 25 storage of electricity by the commercial wind energy facility
129129 26 or commercial solar energy facility.
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140140 1 "Wind tower" includes the wind turbine tower, nacelle, and
141141 2 blades.
142142 3 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or whether
143143 4 the county has formed a zoning commission and adopted formal
144144 5 zoning under Section 5-12007, a county may establish standards
145145 6 for commercial wind energy facilities, commercial solar energy
146146 7 facilities, or both. The standards may include all of the
147147 8 requirements specified in this Section but may not include
148148 9 requirements for commercial wind energy facilities or
149149 10 commercial solar energy facilities that are more restrictive
150150 11 than specified in this Section. A county may also regulate the
151151 12 siting of commercial wind energy facilities with standards
152152 13 that are not more restrictive than the requirements specified
153153 14 in this Section in unincorporated areas of the county that are
154154 15 outside the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality and that are
155155 16 outside the 1.5-mile radius surrounding the zoning
156156 17 jurisdiction of a municipality.
157157 18 (c) If a county has elected to establish standards under
158158 19 subsection (b), before the county grants siting approval or a
159159 20 special use permit for a commercial wind energy facility or a
160160 21 commercial solar energy facility, or modification of an
161161 22 approved siting or special use permit, the county board of the
162162 23 county in which the facility is to be sited or the zoning board
163163 24 of appeals for the county shall hold at least one public
164164 25 hearing. The public hearing shall be conducted in accordance
165165 26 with the Open Meetings Act and shall be held not more than 60
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176176 1 days after the filing of the application for the facility. The
177177 2 county shall allow interested parties to a special use permit
178178 3 an opportunity to present evidence and to cross-examine
179179 4 witnesses at the hearing, but the county may impose reasonable
180180 5 restrictions on the public hearing, including reasonable time
181181 6 limitations on the presentation of evidence and the
182182 7 cross-examination of witnesses. The county shall also allow
183183 8 public comment at the public hearing in accordance with the
184184 9 Open Meetings Act. The county shall make its siting and
185185 10 permitting decisions not more than 30 days after the
186186 11 conclusion of the public hearing. Notice of the hearing shall
187187 12 be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the
188188 13 county. A facility owner must enter into an agricultural
189189 14 impact mitigation agreement with the Department of Agriculture
190190 15 prior to the date of the required public hearing. A commercial
191191 16 wind energy facility owner seeking an extension of a permit
192192 17 granted by a county prior to July 24, 2015 (the effective date
193193 18 of Public Act 99-132) must enter into an agricultural impact
194194 19 mitigation agreement with the Department of Agriculture prior
195195 20 to a decision by the county to grant the permit extension.
196196 21 Counties may allow test wind towers or test solar energy
197197 22 systems to be sited without formal approval by the county
198198 23 board.
199199 24 (d) A county with an existing zoning ordinance in conflict
200200 25 with this Section shall amend that zoning ordinance to be in
201201 26 compliance with this Section within 120 days after January 27,
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212212 1 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123).
213213 2 (e) A county may require:
214214 3 (1) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
215215 4 to be sited as follows, with setback distances measured
216216 5 from the center of the base of the wind tower:
217217 6 Setback Description Setback Distance
218218 7 Occupied Community 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
219219 8 Buildings height of the wind tower to the
220220 9 nearest point on the outside
221221 10 wall of the structure
222222 11 Participating Residences 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
223223 12 height of the wind tower to the
224224 13 nearest point on the outside
225225 14 wall of the structure
226226 15 Nonparticipating Residences 2.1 times the maximum blade tip
227227 16 height of the wind tower to the
228228 17 nearest point on the outside
229229 18 wall of the structure
230230 19 Boundary Lines of None
231231 20 Participating Property
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242242 1 Boundary Lines of 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
243243 2 Nonparticipating Property height of the wind tower to the
244244 3 nearest point on the property
245245 4 line of the nonparticipating
246246 5 property
247247 6 Public Road Rights-of-Way 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
248248 7 height of the wind tower
249249 8 to the center point of the
250250 9 public road right-of-way
251251 10 Overhead Communication and 1.1 times the maximum blade tip
252252 11 Electric Transmission height of the wind tower to the
253253 12 and Distribution Facilities nearest edge of the property
254254 13 (Not Including Overhead line, easement, or
255255 14 Utility Service Lines to right-of-way
256256 15 Individual Houses or containing the overhead line
257257 16 Outbuildings)
258258 17 Overhead Utility Service None
259259 18 Lines to Individual
260260 19 Houses or Outbuildings
261261 20 Fish and Wildlife Areas 2.1 times the maximum blade
262262 21 and Illinois Nature tip height of the wind tower
263263 22 Preserve Commission to the nearest point on the
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274274 1 Protected Lands property line of the fish and
275275 2 wildlife area or protected
276276 3 land
277277 4 This Section does not exempt or excuse compliance with
278278 5 electric facility clearances approved or required by the
279279 6 National Electrical Code, The National Electrical Safety
280280 7 Code, Illinois Commerce Commission, Federal Energy
281281 8 Regulatory Commission, and their designees or successors.
282282 9 (2) a wind tower of a commercial wind energy facility
283283 10 to be sited so that industry standard computer modeling
284284 11 indicates that any occupied community building or
285285 12 nonparticipating residence will not experience more than
286286 13 30 hours per year of shadow flicker under planned
287287 14 operating conditions;
288288 15 (3) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited as
289289 16 follows, with setback distances measured from the nearest
290290 17 edge of any component of the facility:
291291 18 Setback Description Setback Distance
292292 19 Occupied Community 150 feet from the nearest
293293 20 Buildings and Dwellings on point on the outside wall
294294 21 Nonparticipating Properties of the structure
295295 22 Boundary Lines of None
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306306 1 Participating Property
307307 2 Public Road Rights-of-Way 50 feet from the nearest
308308 3 edge
309309 4 Boundary Lines of 50 feet to the nearest
310310 5 Nonparticipating Property point on the property
311311 6 line of the nonparticipating
312312 7 property
313313 8 (4) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
314314 9 that the facility's perimeter is enclosed by fencing
315315 10 having a height of at least 6 feet and no more than 25
316316 11 feet; and
317317 12 (5) a commercial solar energy facility to be sited so
318318 13 that no component of a solar panel has a height of more
319319 14 than 20 feet above ground when the solar energy facility's
320320 15 arrays are at full tilt.
321321 16 The requirements set forth in this subsection (e) may be
322322 17 waived subject to the written consent of the owner of each
323323 18 affected nonparticipating property.
324324 19 (f) A county may not set a sound limitation for wind towers
325325 20 in commercial wind energy facilities or any components in
326326 21 commercial solar energy facilities that is more restrictive
327327 22 than the sound limitations established by the Illinois
328328 23 Pollution Control Board under 35 Ill. Adm. Code Parts 900,
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339339 1 901, and 910.
340340 2 (g) A county may not place any restriction on the
341341 3 installation or use of a commercial wind energy facility or a
342342 4 commercial solar energy facility unless it adopts an ordinance
343343 5 that complies with this Section. A county may not establish
344344 6 siting standards for supporting facilities that preclude
345345 7 development of commercial wind energy facilities or commercial
346346 8 solar energy facilities.
347347 9 A request for siting approval or a special use permit for a
348348 10 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
349349 11 facility, or modification of an approved siting or special use
350350 12 permit, shall be approved if the request is in compliance with
351351 13 the standards and conditions imposed in this Act, the zoning
352352 14 ordinance adopted consistent with this Code, and the
353353 15 conditions imposed under State and federal statutes and
354354 16 regulations.
355355 17 (h) A county may not adopt zoning regulations that
356356 18 disallow, permanently or temporarily, commercial wind energy
357357 19 facilities or commercial solar energy facilities from being
358358 20 developed or operated in any district zoned to allow
359359 21 agricultural or industrial uses.
360360 22 (i) A county may not require permit application fees for a
361361 23 commercial wind energy facility or commercial solar energy
362362 24 facility that are unreasonable. All application fees imposed
363363 25 by the county shall be consistent with fees for projects in the
364364 26 county with similar capital value and cost.
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375375 1 (j) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, a county
376376 2 shall not require standards for construction, decommissioning,
377377 3 or deconstruction of a commercial wind energy facility or
378378 4 commercial solar energy facility or related financial
379379 5 assurances that are more restrictive than those included in
380380 6 the Department of Agriculture's standard wind farm
381381 7 agricultural impact mitigation agreement, template 81818, or
382382 8 standard solar agricultural impact mitigation agreement,
383383 9 version 8.19.19, as applicable and in effect on December 31,
384384 10 2022. The amount of any decommissioning payment shall be in
385385 11 accordance with the financial assurance required by those
386386 12 agricultural impact mitigation agreements.
387387 13 (j-5) A commercial wind energy facility or a commercial
388388 14 solar energy facility shall file a farmland drainage plan with
389389 15 the county and impacted drainage districts outlining how
390390 16 surface and subsurface drainage of farmland will be restored
391391 17 during and following construction or deconstruction of the
392392 18 facility. The plan is to be created independently by the
393393 19 facility developer and shall include the location of any
394394 20 potentially impacted drainage district facilities to the
395395 21 extent this information is publicly available from the county
396396 22 or the drainage district, plans to repair any subsurface
397397 23 drainage affected during construction or deconstruction using
398398 24 procedures outlined in the agricultural impact mitigation
399399 25 agreement entered into by the commercial wind energy facility
400400 26 owner or commercial solar energy facility owner, and
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411411 1 procedures for the repair and restoration of surface drainage
412412 2 affected during construction or deconstruction. All surface
413413 3 and subsurface damage shall be repaired as soon as reasonably
414414 4 practicable.
415415 5 (k) A county may not condition approval of a commercial
416416 6 wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility on a
417417 7 property value guarantee and may not require a facility owner
418418 8 to pay into a neighboring property devaluation escrow account.
419419 9 (l) A county may require certain vegetative screening
420420 10 surrounding a commercial wind energy facility or commercial
421421 11 solar energy facility but may not require earthen berms or
422422 12 similar structures.
423423 13 (m) A county may set blade tip height limitations for wind
424424 14 towers in commercial wind energy facilities but may not set a
425425 15 blade tip height limitation that is more restrictive than the
426426 16 height allowed under a Determination of No Hazard to Air
427427 17 Navigation by the Federal Aviation Administration under 14 CFR
428428 18 Part 77.
429429 19 (n) A county may require that a commercial wind energy
430430 20 facility owner or commercial solar energy facility owner
431431 21 provide:
432432 22 (1) the results and recommendations from consultation
433433 23 with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that are
434434 24 obtained through the Ecological Compliance Assessment Tool
435435 25 (EcoCAT) or a comparable successor tool; and
436436 26 (2) the results of the United States Fish and Wildlife
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447447 1 Service's Information for Planning and Consulting
448448 2 environmental review or a comparable successor tool that
449449 3 is consistent with (i) the "U.S. Fish and Wildlife
450450 4 Service's Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines" and (ii) any
451451 5 applicable United States Fish and Wildlife Service solar
452452 6 wildlife guidelines that have been subject to public
453453 7 review.
454454 8 (o) A county may require a commercial wind energy facility
455455 9 or commercial solar energy facility to adhere to the
456456 10 recommendations provided by the Illinois Department of Natural
457457 11 Resources in an EcoCAT natural resource review report under 17
458458 12 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1075.
459459 13 (p) A county may require a facility owner to:
460460 14 (1) demonstrate avoidance of protected lands as
461461 15 identified by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
462462 16 and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission; or
463463 17 (2) consider the recommendations of the Illinois
464464 18 Department of Natural Resources for setbacks from
465465 19 protected lands, including areas identified by the
466466 20 Illinois Nature Preserve Commission.
467467 21 (q) A county may require that a facility owner provide
468468 22 evidence of consultation with the Illinois State Historic
469469 23 Preservation Office to assess potential impacts on
470470 24 State-registered historic sites under the Illinois State
471471 25 Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act.
472472 26 (r) To maximize community benefits, including, but not
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483483 1 limited to, reduced stormwater runoff, flooding, and erosion
484484 2 at the ground mounted solar energy system, improved soil
485485 3 health, and increased foraging habitat for game birds,
486486 4 songbirds, and pollinators, a county may (1) require a
487487 5 commercial solar energy facility owner to plant, establish,
488488 6 and maintain for the life of the facility vegetative ground
489489 7 cover, consistent with the goals of the Pollinator-Friendly
490490 8 Solar Site Act and (2) require the submittal of a vegetation
491491 9 management plan that is in compliance with the agricultural
492492 10 impact mitigation agreement in the application to construct
493493 11 and operate a commercial solar energy facility in the county
494494 12 if the vegetative ground cover and vegetation management plan
495495 13 comply with the requirements of the underlying agreement with
496496 14 the landowner or landowners where the facility will be
497497 15 constructed.
498498 16 No later than 90 days after January 27, 2023 (the
499499 17 effective date of Public Act 102-1123), the Illinois
500500 18 Department of Natural Resources shall develop guidelines for
501501 19 vegetation management plans that may be required under this
502502 20 subsection for commercial solar energy facilities. The
503503 21 guidelines must include guidance for short-term and long-term
504504 22 property management practices that provide and maintain native
505505 23 and non-invasive naturalized perennial vegetation to protect
506506 24 the health and well-being of pollinators.
507507 25 (r-5) A county may deny a permit for a commercial solar
508508 26 energy facility or commercial wind energy facility, including
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519519 1 the modification or improvement to an existing facility, if
520520 2 the work requested to be performed under the permit is not
521521 3 being performed under a project labor agreement with building
522522 4 trades located in the area where construction, modification,
523523 5 or improvements are to be made.
524524 6 (s) If a facility owner enters into a road use agreement
525525 7 with the Illinois Department of Transportation, a road
526526 8 district, or other unit of local government relating to a
527527 9 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
528528 10 facility, the road use agreement shall require the facility
529529 11 owner to be responsible for (i) the reasonable cost of
530530 12 improving roads used by the facility owner to construct the
531531 13 commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy
532532 14 facility and (ii) the reasonable cost of repairing roads used
533533 15 by the facility owner during construction of the commercial
534534 16 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
535535 17 so that those roads are in a condition that is safe for the
536536 18 driving public after the completion of the facility's
537537 19 construction. Roadways improved in preparation for and during
538538 20 the construction of the commercial wind energy facility or
539539 21 commercial solar energy facility shall be repaired and
540540 22 restored to the improved condition at the reasonable cost of
541541 23 the developer if the roadways have degraded or were damaged as
542542 24 a result of construction-related activities.
543543 25 The road use agreement shall not require the facility
544544 26 owner to pay costs, fees, or charges for road work that is not
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555555 1 specifically and uniquely attributable to the construction of
556556 2 the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar
557557 3 energy facility. Road-related fees, permit fees, or other
558558 4 charges imposed by the Illinois Department of Transportation,
559559 5 a road district, or other unit of local government under a road
560560 6 use agreement with the facility owner shall be reasonably
561561 7 related to the cost of administration of the road use
562562 8 agreement.
563563 9 (s-5) The facility owner shall also compensate landowners
564564 10 for crop losses or other agricultural damages resulting from
565565 11 damage to the drainage system caused by the construction of
566566 12 the commercial wind energy facility or the commercial solar
567567 13 energy facility. The commercial wind energy facility owner or
568568 14 commercial solar energy facility owner shall repair or pay for
569569 15 the repair of all damage to the subsurface drainage system
570570 16 caused by the construction of the commercial wind energy
571571 17 facility or the commercial solar energy facility in accordance
572572 18 with the agriculture impact mitigation agreement requirements
573573 19 for repair of drainage. The commercial wind energy facility
574574 20 owner or commercial solar energy facility owner shall repair
575575 21 or pay for the repair and restoration of surface drainage
576576 22 caused by the construction or deconstruction of the commercial
577577 23 wind energy facility or the commercial solar energy facility
578578 24 as soon as reasonably practicable.
579579 25 (t) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a facility
580580 26 owner with siting approval from a county to construct a
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591591 1 commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy
592592 2 facility is authorized to cross or impact a drainage system,
593593 3 including, but not limited to, drainage tiles, open drainage
594594 4 ditches, culverts, and water gathering vaults, owned or under
595595 5 the control of a drainage district under the Illinois Drainage
596596 6 Code without obtaining prior agreement or approval from the
597597 7 drainage district in accordance with the farmland drainage
598598 8 plan required by subsection (j-5).
599599 9 (u) The amendments to this Section adopted in Public Act
600600 10 102-1123 do not apply to: (1) an application for siting
601601 11 approval or for a special use permit for a commercial wind
602602 12 energy facility or commercial solar energy facility if the
603603 13 application was submitted to a unit of local government before
604604 14 January 27, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 102-1123);
605605 15 (2) a commercial wind energy facility or a commercial solar
606606 16 energy facility if the facility owner has submitted an
607607 17 agricultural impact mitigation agreement to the Department of
608608 18 Agriculture before January 27, 2023 (the effective date of
609609 19 Public Act 102-1123); or (3) a commercial wind energy or
610610 20 commercial solar energy development on property that is
611611 21 located within an enterprise zone certified under the Illinois
612612 22 Enterprise Zone Act, that was classified as industrial by the
613613 23 appropriate zoning authority on or before January 27, 2023,
614614 24 and that is located within 4 miles of the intersection of
615615 25 Interstate 88 and Interstate 39.
616616 26 (Source: P.A. 102-1123, eff. 1-27-23; 103-81, eff. 6-9-23;
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