April 15, 2026                                                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Charles Pelkie
(815) 740-8371
[email protected]
 
Court Grants Temporary Restraining Order; Postpones
Thursday County Board Vote on ‘Pride of the Prairie’ Solar Project
 
Other Scheduled Solar Votes Will Be Held
 
JOLIET – A Will County Judge has granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Will County Board from taking a final vote on the Pride of the Prairie Solar project at its meeting on Thursday, April 16.
 
The judge’s ruling directs the County Board to remand the project - ZC-25-129 / SUP-25-056 – back to the Planning and Zoning Commission for the continuation of a limited public hearing, during which objectors to the solar facility will have an opportunity to cross examine the developer and present evidence. The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will be conducted at a future date.
 
Pride of the Prairie Solar involves the granting of special use permits on properties in Manhattan, Green Garden, and Wilton Townships.
 
NOTE: All other solar cases on the April 16 agenda will be considered and voted upon by the Will County Board. These include:

• ZC-25-139 / SUP 25-061, Plum Valley Solar, which covers Crete, Monee, Will, and Washington Townships.
• Six additional solar projects that the Will County Circuit Court recently directed the County Board to approve. These projects are Channahon McKinley Woods, RPIL Solar 13, Florence Renewables LLC, NL Gougar Solar 1, Black Road Solar 1, and Black Road Solar 2.

 
 
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April 14, 2026                                                                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Charles Pelkie
(815) 740-8371
[email protected]
 
County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne’s Statement on Solar Facility Court Ruling
 
Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne issues the following statement and relevant background regarding the recent Will County Circuit Court Ruling ordering the Will County Board to approve solar projects it had previously voted to deny.
 
“The State of Illinois has stripped the Will County Board of its authority to regulate where solar energy facilities best fit in our community. Last week, the Will County Circuit Court ordered the County Board to approve six solar projects it previously had voted to deny, confirming that our hands are completely tied.
 
“The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office has advised County Board Members they could face contempt charges, punishable by fines or jail time, if they defy the court order and vote “no” when the projects are reconsidered at their April 16 County Boad Meeting. Voting “no” also could result in significant fines or sanctions against the County that would be passed on to all taxpayers.
 
“The Will County Board respects the court and the rule of law. However, recent developments have placed our members in a terrible bind in which they are ordered to cast votes they sincerely believe are against the best interests of our community. We must fight to restore local authority to regulate solar facilities and allow our County Board to vote in good faith.”


Background
The Will County Circuit Court issued a ruling on April 8, 2026 that orders the Will County Board to approve special use permits for commercial solar projects it voted to deny in 2024 and 2025.  The solar projects are Channahon McKinley Woods, RPIL Solar 13, Florence Renewables LLC, NL Gougar Solar 1, Black Road Solar 1, and Black Road Solar 2.

​Will County Board Opposition
The County Board originally voted to deny Special Use Permits for these solar projects because they were too large, conflicted with community development plans, would cause hardships for neighboring residents, and were strongly opposed by local elected officials and citizens.
 
Illinois Statute
The Illinois General Assembly, however, has passed legislation that takes away most of the local oversight authority related to commercial solar projects. This restrictive statute forces County Boards to approve commercial solar energy facilities, leaving them powerless to plan for future growth, to address the concerns of neighboring residents, or to protect local farmland and open space.
 
The Will County Board has opposed the statute, describing the law as an example of government overreach that all but eliminates oversight by local elected officials who wish to serve and protect the communities they represent.
 
Solar Company Lawsuit Rulings
The solar companies filed lawsuits against the Will County Board for voting to deny their projects. The Will County Circuit Court on April 8 ruled in favor of the solar companies and ordered the County Board to comply with the statute in these six cases. The Will County Circuit Court order falls in line with a recent Third District Appellate Court ruling in favor of a solar company involved in a Grundy County project.
 
Court Order to Vote ‘Yes’
The Will County Circuit Court ruling, as written, orders the Will County Board to vote “yes” to these previously rejected solar projects.
 
Consequences of Voting ‘No’
The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office has advised County Board Members that voting “no” would be in defiance of the Will County Circuit Court order directing them to approve these solar projects and issue the Special Use Permits by April 17, 2026. 
 
The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office has advised County Board Members about the potential consequences of voting “no.”

• Fines/Sanctions: The Circuit Court could issue “significant” fines and/or sanctions against Will County that would be paid with taxpayer funds. These fines or sanctions could serve to punish the County Board for voting “no” in defiance of the court order and/or to compensate solar applicants for financial losses resulting from delays.
• Contempt Charges: Penalties could be levied against individual County Board Members in their official and private capacities. Penalties could include fines and/or jail time. 

April 7, 2026                                                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Charles Pelkie
Will County Board Chief of Staff
(815) 740-8371
[email protected]
 
 
County Board Speaker VanDuyne Announces Venue Change
For April 16 County Board Meeting Dealing With EarthRise Solar Projects
 
JOLIET - Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne announces that the venue for the Thursday, April 16 Will County Board Meeting is being changed to the Clarion Hotel & Convention Center, 411 S. Larkin Avenue in Joliet.
 
The meeting will be held in the hotel and convention center’s Sapphire/Emerald Ballroom and will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.
 
The location of the County Board Meeting is being changed to accommodate extensive public interest in a vote on two proposed solar energy projects by EarthRise Energy. The projects are:
 

• ZC-25-129 / SUP-25-056: Pride of the Prairie Solar, which covers 6,000 acres in Manhattan, Green Garden, and Wilton Townships.
• ZC-25-139 / SUP 25-061: Plum Valley Solar, which covers 2,400 acres in Crete, Monee, Will, and Washington Townships.

 
 
“The venue will provide sufficient parking and enough seating for the large number of residents who are interested in these two solar projects,” Speaker VanDuyne said. “We want to make certain we have the space to accommodate every citizen who wishes to attend and speak at this County Board Meeting.”
 
For additional information on these projects, visit the Will County Board website at www.willcountyboard.com.
 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2026
Will County Executive Office Contact: Mike Theodore, Director of Communications, Will County Executive Office
Contact Email: [email protected]
Will County Board Office Contact: Charles B. Pelkie, Chief of Staff
Contact Email: [email protected]
Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County Contact: Jen Solum, Superintendent
Contact Email: [email protected]
 
 
Ribbon Cutting Celebrated for Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County
Expanded space will serve as the anchor for veteran service campus
 
JOLIET – Will County officials and the local veteran community celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County (VAC) office, representing a new “one-stop shop” for veteran services in the heart of Will County. The new space is located at the heart of the first unified Veteran Support Campus in Illinois.
 
“Today we’re not just celebrating a larger building - We’re celebrating a better way to serve veterans with the care and services they need and deserve,” said VAC President Larry Shaver. “Everything we do here is to make sure all our veterans are supported, respected, and never have to stand alone. This new location reflects the strong progress of this Commission, empowering us to reach more veterans, provide additional services, and strengthen the support we offer every day.”
 
The VAC has relocated from their previous leased location into the newly renovated County-owned building at 1300 Copperfield Avenue in Joliet, upgrading to a 16,000 square foot space from their approximately 4,300 square foot old office size. The expanded footprint will empower the VAC to expand services to Will County veterans and their families, including by hiring more veteran service officers, reducing appointment wait times, and increasing programmatic offerings. 
 
“This is a transformational improvement to veteran services in Will County, creating a new centralized campus and expanded space for assistance and support resources,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “I’m proud that we were able to work closely with the Veterans Assistance Commission team to create a space over triple the size of their previous office, with modern amenities that will empower them to provide the enhanced counseling, employment assistance, financial and housing support, mental health services, and community-centric care that our veterans deserve.”
 
Over 150 attendees at the ribbon cutting ceremony heard from Will County and VAC leadership on the impact of the expanded space. This included Tony Arrelano, a founding member of the VAC and Commander of the Joliet Veterans of Foreign Wars 367 and American Legion 1080, who shared how veteran services have expanded in the community in the 1993 years since the Commission was founded.
 
The event included a tour of the new assistance and support center, occupying the first two floors of the County-owned building. The new space includes welcoming counseling spaces, a food pantry for veterans, and a modern fitness center to support the VAC’s mental health and physical health wellness programs. The expanded footprint will allow the VAC to hire more veteran service officers, reduce appointment wait times, and expand programmatic offerings.
 
“This space exists for our veterans, offering a place of support, community, and opportunity,” said VAC Superintendent Jen Solum. “I want to thank the team of fierce veteran advocates in our office who deliver on our mission every day, the Commission members who continue to serve even after they’ve taken off the uniform, and our County Executive and County Board for making this expansion a reality.”
 
The VAC office joins both the Hines VA’s Joliet Community Based Outpatient Clinic and the Volunteers of America Illinois’ Hope Manor Housing at a new unified Veteran Support Campus, making it easier for veterans and their families to access wrap-around services. The renovated building also houses the Workforce Center of Will County, offering free employment services to Will County residents and businesses in a centralized location.
 
“I am proud that we are opening the doors to a building that will provide necessary services to the men and women who have proudly served our great nation,” said Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne. “The purchase and rehabilitation of this building delivers on a bipartisan vision by Will County’s leadership to assist our veterans by creating a unified campus – a ‘one-stop-shop’ – for these essential services.”
 
Will County acquired the building at 1300 Copperfield Avenue in February 2021 and budgeted funds to retrofit the first two floors to serve as the home of the VAC. The building was originally constructed in 2003 and served as a medical office building connected to the former Silver Cross Hospital. Building modernizations included customized office space for the VAC and Workforce Center of Will County, improved accessibility, upgraded technology and security infrastructure, and installation of a new roof and critical building systems.
 
“This project is an investment that reflects not just growth, but also our commitment to support our nation’s heroes,” said Will County Capital Improvements Committee Chair Mica Freeman. “This facility represents what responsible, effective government should look like—strategic investment, strong stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and a commitment to those who have given so much on our behalf. It sets a standard that I believe will serve as a model for communities across the country.”
 
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Cutline 1:  Will County officials and the local veteran community cut the ribbon for the new Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County (VAC) office, representing a new “one-stop shop” for veteran services in the heart of Will County.
 
Cutline 2:  Will County officials and the local veteran community cut the ribbon for the new Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County (VAC) office, representing a new “one-stop shop” for veteran services in the heart of Will County.
 
Cutline 3: Over 150 attendees at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County (VAC) office heard from Will County and VAC leadership about the impact of the expanded footprint.