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While Lake County is likely to see a drop in solar projects with the sunsetting of federal tax credits, the county remains “committed” to the technology, County Board member Marah Altenberg said.
The end of federal tax credits for solar projects is part of the federal tax and spending plan, the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed last year. Deadlines for residential solar projects have already come and gone, but Dave Wilms, a senior project developer with solar company SunPeak, said there’s an important upcoming deadline.
SunPeak has previously worked on the solar array that powers Lake County’s new Regional Operations and Communications (ROC) Facility in Libertyville. Wilms was also a local AP environmental science school teacher for decades.
During a County Board meeting, Wilms noted the upcoming June 4 deadline specifically for commercial solar projects. If, by then, a project has a signed contract and businesses have either begun physical work or made a minimum 5% financial investment, it has until 2030 to be completed.
Although Illinois has strong financial incentives of its own for solar projects, the loss of federal rebates is still a “significant change,” Wilms said in an interview, increasing the cost of a project “anywhere from 40% to 50%.”
“It’s going to hit everybody that’s trying to do solar,” Wilms warned. “It’s going to cost more to do the same projects.”
Wilms said there are “ulterior motives” for the federal rebate cuts, saying it is an attempt to boost the demand for fossil fuel electricity production. Such sources of energy have a greater impact on the environment than renewable power generation, such as wind and solar, he argued.
Lake County residents are likely familiar with some of those drawbacks: Waukegan’s decommissioned coal power plant is a regular source of anxiety for local residents and officials with the site’s coal ash contamination.
Marah Altenberg, chair of the county’s Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee, said federal money for solar projects is unlikely to return under the current presidential administration. She anticipates a rise in solar projects as people try to take advantage of the last of the tax rebates, followed by a likely drop.
But regardless, Lake County remains “committed to solar,” she said, pointing to the county’s five-year strategic plan.
“Sustainability is an important philosophy throughout our strategic plan, and we are going to continue to support that philosophy,” Altenberg said.
The most notable recent solar project in Lake County was at the ROC, the county’s first net-zero building. Solar is a better and more fiscally responsible way of generating electricity, she said, and a source of power that isn’t impacted by depleted oil reserves. Rising oil prices have dominated the national news as the war with Iran continues.
Locally, Altenberg said she is aware of two solar projects underway in Zion; the first is about 20 acres, generating roughly five megawatts of power, and the second is 35 acres, producing about seven megawatts.
According to a Lake County representative, the county itself currently has a single solar project in development, installing a 165kW system on multiple roofs at the county building in Waukegan.
The county has already made “strong progress” in advancing solar energy at its government facilities, including solar installations at the Central Permit Facility and ROC in Libertyville.
No additional solar projects are underway, the Lake County representative said, and while they are “monitoring” the loss of federal funding, it would not impact any current county government projects.
“Solar energy remains an important component of Lake County’s net-zero policy goals. As we look ahead to future opportunities, we will continue to evaluate project feasibility and actively pursue a range of funding sources — federal, state and private — to support further development when we are ready to move forward,” the representative said.
With the approaching deadline for commercial solar projects, Lake County has seen a rush of businesses trying to get in before the door closes, according to Michael Lazzaretto, president and business manager of the Laborers Local 152 based in Highland Park.
That’s meant higher demand, causing some strain on the labor force but providing good jobs for resident workers, he said. “It’s keeping our local workers in the communities here.”
Although Lazzaretto assumes there will be a drop in such projects after the tax credits are gone, he does not see that as a guarantee.
“If there’s a huge need for solar, they’re going to keep building,” Lazzaretto said. “If the market is there for it, it’s going to keep going.”
Beyond the projects in Zion and at Lake County facilities, he also noted another upcoming project in Antioch, although it is non-union, he said.
It isn’t just solar-installation jobs that could be keeping workers employed locally. Lazzaretto pointed to news from earlier this year that Solarge, a Netherlands-based manufacturer, is considering Waukegan for its first U.S. facility that would create lightweight solar panels.
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