Solar projects provide numerous benefits to the communities in which they are sited. Solar projects represent significant local investments and drive meaningful increases in the local taxable property base. Solar projects also provide guaranteed annual property tax payments to local taxing jurisdictions, which allow county and local officials to make long-term financial plans and increase spending on public services and other critically important infrastructure.

Large-scale solar projects, such as the Saluki Power Project, provide a diversified revenue stream to landowners that protects against fluctuating agricultural commodity prices and preserves family properties for future generations. In addition, these projects directly create hundreds of full-time equivalent jobs during the construction and installation phases and support indirect and induced jobs during development and construction.

While producing electricity with photovoltaics emits no pollution, produces no greenhouse gas emissions, and uses no finite fossil fuel resources, it has been argued that solar power has a hidden carbon footprint due to solar panel manufacturing and project construction. Both fossil fuel and non-fossil fuel power technologies induce life-cycle greenhouse emissions that stem from the energy requirements for their construction and operation. Known as a “carbon debt,” this debt of energy must be paid off to calculate how solar projects reduce emissions over their lifetime. A typical utility-scale solar project—like the Saluki Power Project—repays its carbon debt in roughly 12 months or less, providing decades of zero emission energy.

Yes, the Saluki Power Project will develop an Agricultural Impact Mitigation Plan in accordance with requirements from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Solar projects are low impact and coexist well with agriculture, operating without any impact to adjacent agricultural properties. A solar project’s lifespan allows the soil in the project area to rest and replenish nutrients. Native vegetation can grow under the panels, allowing the land to retain water and topsoil, improving soil health over time. After decommissioning occurs at the end of the Project’s life, the land can revert to its previous agricultural use.

The Saluki Power Project will use construction methods that minimize large-scale grading and removal of native soil. Minor grading may be needed, but we take the conservation of topsoil very seriously. Typical construction practices require that topsoil be stripped and preserved onsite prior to performing cut/fill operations. The preserved topsoil will be redistributed across the graded areas to assist in growing adequate ground cover as quickly as possible to provide ground stabilization. The site cut and fill will be appropriately balanced where practicable, to avoid or minimize import/export of fill.

Examining property values across the United States demonstrates that large-scale solar projects like the Saluki Power Project have no measurable impact on the value of the adjacent properties, and in some cases, may even have positive effects. Studies also show that proximity to solar projects does not deter the sales of agricultural or residential land.

When sited and developed properly, the installation of the solar facility will have minimal impacts on wildlife in the area. In fact, studies show that solar facilities can provide shelter for species, promote land stability, preserve habitat, and support biodiversity.

Natural resource assessments are being conducted on the Saluki Power Project site to determine presence, if any, of federally- or state-listed species and critical habitat. The results of the assessments will be shared with state and federal regulatory agencies and consultation will be conducted as needed.

Once constructed, solar projects produce no pollution, emissions, nor significant noise. Further, vegetation will grow under the panels to stabilize and promote soil health. Limited fencing will be erected around panel areas as a security measure in accordance with industry best practices and local requirements. However, most forested waterways in the project area will not be fenced to allow continued wildlife access to the water resource and the wildlife corridor it provides.

A wetland delineation was performed on the Saluki Power Project site and the project layout will be designed to avoid impacts to streams and wetlands to the extent possible. Some minor crossings of waterways may be required for access roads or underground medium voltage collection lines. Any permit requirements will be coordinated through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.   The project is also implementing a stormwater pollution prevention plan which includes Best Management Practices designed to avoid impacts to surface water quality.

The Saluki Power Project will use a solar panel tracking system, allowing the panel cells to align with the sun as it moves across the sky. Therefore, due to continuous tilt, water will not collect on the panels during rainstorms. The rainwater that runs off the panels is absorbed into the ground, nurturing vegetation located under the panels. All stormwater on the site will be managed by a stormwater management system, which will be protective of local water quality.

Solar power is now one of the cheapest sources of new electricity in most of the world due to declining equipment costs, improved technologies, and public policies that support the generation and use of renewable energy.

In the last decade, the cost to install solar has dropped by more than 40%. According to Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis – Version 17.0 (2024), even without tax credits, new solar resources have a levelized cost of energy in the range of 2.9¢/kilowatt (kW) hour – 9.2¢/kW hour for large-scale solar. This range falls below the levelized cost of energy for new coal or gas combined cycle power production.  These results have been bolstered by the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2023, which found that “Solar PV and wind are now the cheapest sources of electricity in most markets.”

Adding to their growing appeal, solar projects are uniquely able to sell their electricity output at a fixed price over the life of the project because the “fuel” is free and not subject to increases in commodity fuel prices.