U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) last week introduced the Securing Our Lands And Resources Act. 

This legislation establishes guidelines for solar panel projects on prime and unique farmland funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. 

Bost said that if approved, the SOLAR Act ensures rural communities have a say in the approval process for solar panel projects while still providing farmers flexibility to utilize their land for renewable energy projects. 

“We are losing precious and productive farmland that is being gobbled up, acre after acre,” said Bost. “That has a big impact on America’s agricultural supply chain, our food security, and our Southern Illinois economies. The worst part is, many local communities aren’t allowed to have a say in what land is designated for solar projects. My legislation puts the power back into the hands of the people by allowing them to determine what’s best for their area, not bureaucrats in Springfield.”

The SOLAR Act would require funding recipients to have soil remediation plans in place and funding secured to remove solar panels upon project completion. 

This legislation comes after Illinois became one of the first Midwest states to strip zoning authority from local governments in determining if solar panel projects were right for their communities in January 2023.

Per the National Law Review, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed an act which refines county governments’ ability to regulate new commercial wind and solar energy facilities. 

Specifically, the act prohibits counties from banning or establishing moratoriums on wind and solar development. The law also establishes siting and zoning standards, which county ordinances may not be more stringent than, and standardizes procedures for counties’ review and approval of wind and solar siting or special use permits.