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A Will County circuit court ordered the county board to issue permits for six solar energy projects in one of the first decisions applying last month’s landmark Equity Solar appellate ruling.
Several lawsuits are pending throughout Illinois in which solar energy developers are challenging county boards that have denied siting permits for solar energy facilities. In the recent Equity Solar Illinois v. County of Grundy decision, the Illinois Appellate Court for the Third District held that the state’s 2023 amendments to the Counties Code required Grundy County to grant special use permits to two solar energy projects that met all state requirements. The Equity Solar court affirmed that counties do not have discretion to deny siting permits for solar energy facilities that meet statewide requirements. Equity Solar was the first — and to date, only — appellate decision interpreting the solar siting provisions of the 2023 law. The Will County decision in Channahon McKinley Woods Solar LLC v. Will County is one of the first circuit court decisions applying Equity Solar.
In Channahon McKinley Woods Solar, the Will County court ruled on six consolidated cases brought by solar energy developers against the county. The developers challenged the county’s refusal to issue special use permits for proposed solar facilities despite the proposed facilities meeting all statutory requirements. The court granted summary judgment in all cases, ordering the county to approve ordinances granting special use permits for all plaintiffs by April 17.
Following the circuit court’s order, the Will County Board voted to issue the special use permits. Permits for several other solar energy projects remain pending before the Will County Board or the circuit court.
The Channahon McKinley Woods Solar decision is among the first to apply the Equity Solar appellate ruling at the circuit court level. Similar cases challenging permit denials remain pending across the state. Despite the Equity Solar decision, some county boards maintain that the 2023 amendments do not remove the boards’ discretion to deny permits under traditional siting considerations. However, the Will County decision only bolsters that Illinois counties must approve special use permits for solar projects that meet all statutory requirements.
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A Will County circuit court ordered the county board to issue permits for six solar energy projects in one of the first decisions applying last month’s landmark Equity Solar appellate ruling.
Several lawsuits are pending throughout Illinois in which solar energy developers are challenging county boards that have denied siting permits for solar energy facilities. In the recent Equity Solar Illinois v. County of Grundy decision, the Illinois Appellate Court for the Third District held that the state’s 2023 amendments to the Counties Code required Grundy County to grant special use permits to two solar energy projects that met all state requirements. The Equity Solar court affirmed that counties do not have discretion to deny siting permits for solar energy facilities that meet statewide requirements. Equity Solar was the first — and to date, only — appellate decision interpreting the solar siting provisions of the 2023 law. The Will County decision in Channahon McKinley Woods Solar LLC v. Will County is one of the first circuit court decisions applying Equity Solar.
In Channahon McKinley Woods Solar, the Will County court ruled on six consolidated cases brought by solar energy developers against the county. The developers challenged the county’s refusal to issue special use permits for proposed solar facilities despite the proposed facilities meeting all statutory requirements. The court granted summary judgment in all cases, ordering the county to approve ordinances granting special use permits for all plaintiffs by April 17.
Following the circuit court’s order, the Will County Board voted to issue the special use permits. Permits for several other solar energy projects remain pending before the Will County Board or the circuit court.
The Channahon McKinley Woods Solar decision is among the first to apply the Equity Solar appellate ruling at the circuit court level. Similar cases challenging permit denials remain pending across the state. Despite the Equity Solar decision, some county boards maintain that the 2023 amendments do not remove the boards’ discretion to deny permits under traditional siting considerations. However, the Will County decision only bolsters that Illinois counties must approve special use permits for solar projects that meet all statutory requirements.
Listen to this post here.
More Upcoming Events
Sign Up for any (or all) of our 25+ Newsletters
You are responsible for reading, understanding, and agreeing to the National Law Review’s (NLR’s) and the National Law Forum LLC’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using the National Law Review website. The National Law Review is a free-to-use, no-log-in database of legal and business articles. The content and links on www.NatLawReview.com are intended for general information purposes only. Any legal analysis, legislative updates, or other content and links should not be construed as legal or professional advice or a substitute for such advice. No attorney-client or confidential relationship is formed by the transmission of information between you and the National Law Review website or any of the law firms, attorneys, or other professionals or organizations who include content on the National Law Review website. If you require legal or professional advice, kindly contact an attorney or other suitable professional advisor.
Some states have laws and ethical rules regarding solicitation and advertisement practices by attorneys and/or other professionals. The National Law Review is not a law firm nor is www.NatLawReview.com intended to be a referral service for attorneys and/or other professionals. The NLR does not wish, nor does it intend, to solicit the business of anyone or to refer anyone to an attorney or other professional. NLR does not answer legal questions nor will we refer you to an attorney or other professional if you request such information from us.
Under certain state laws, the following statements may be required on this website and we have included them in order to be in full compliance with these rules. The choice of a lawyer or other professional is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Attorney Advertising Notice: Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Statement in compliance with Texas Rules of Professional Conduct. Unless otherwise noted, attorneys are not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, nor can NLR attest to the accuracy of any notation of Legal Specialization or other Professional Credentials.
The National Law Review – National Law Forum LLC 2070 Green Bay Rd., Suite 178, Highland Park, IL 60035 Telephone (708) 357-3317 or toll-free (877) 357-3317. If you would like to contact us via email please click here.
Copyright ©2026 National Law Forum, LLC
