Solar  -  October 11, 2019

Illinois town develops 27 MW solar farm

The Village of DePue, Ill., will be developing a 27 MW solar farm, the largest in the county, to advance the state’s goal of reaching 25% renewable energy by 2025.

The project, announced Oct. 8, will be developed, built and owned by Ameresco. Developers plan for the solar farm to consist of more than 71,000 PV panels installed on ballast blocks above ground and for it to produce 37,000 MWh of energy in its first year of operation.

“The development of clean, renewable energy on a brownfield site is not only beneficial to the Village of DePue but also the state of Illinois and our renewable energy goals,” Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim said in a statement. “This project exemplifies the prospects of economic development on brownfield properties and the solar farm will provide a positive economic benefit to the Village, community and County for years to come.”

The solar farm is expected to offset 25,947 metric tons of carbon annually. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2020 and reach completion later in the year. The Village of DePue will collect increased property tax revenue from the project completion, permitting fees during the development process and approximately $10,000 annually from the finished project.

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