ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Pat Curran, owner of Curran’s Orchard, walks the property where he’s run his business for more than 40 years.
Now, Curran says he’s worried what a proposed five megawatt commercial solar farm planned for neighboring land could mean for his orchard.
“There’s no doubt in my mind, it’ll have an adverse effect on our business, our agritourism, our rural business,” said Curran.
Curran says he believes solar farms take productive farmland out of use and thinks projects like this belong in industrial zoning districts.
He also worries the neighboring solar development could change how customers perceive the orchard and affect business.
“We say, ‘honey, let’s go pick apples this afternoon. Where do you want to go? Well, here’s one. There’s another one. This one’s got solar cells along the border. You want to go there? No, I don’t think so, I want to go to the other one. I don’t want to see solar cells when I go to pick apples, okay?’ So that’s the hurt,” worries Curran.
Curran’s Orchard took to Facebook, expressing concern and raising awareness about the proposal. The post received dozens of comments, as well as a message of solidarity from nearby Edwards Apple Orchard West.
Pivot Energy, an independent power producer and the developer behind the proposed solar farm near Curran’s, has 1,900 projects completed or under development across the U.S.
WIFR reached out to Pivot Energy for a response to the proposal and the concerns being raised in the community. The company said:
Pivot Energy is committed to responding to community concerns and believes our proposed solar project can support agriculture while creating homegrown electricity at the same time. Pivot’s proposed solar project in Rockford is compliant with both state and local solar ordinances.
All our qualified community solar projects include dual land use such as sheep grazing and apiaries supported by pollinator-friendly plantings alongside solar energy production. Our projects are designed to fit into the community by using game-style fencing and vegetative buffers for visual screening.
The solar field will be planted with native and pollinator-friendly vegetation that supports biodiversity and we will partner with local grazers to use sheep to maintain vegetation on site if approved by the county.
Diverse plant species that support butterflies, bees, birds, and other pollinators help agricultural operations that rely on pollination such as orchards.
Responding to community questions is an important part of our work and we will provide more information through the public process established by county and state regulations. We will work collaboratively with the county to develop a solar project that fits its needs.
Winnebago County Board member Aaron Booker’s district includes Curran’s Orchard. He says anything that can be detrimental to business weighs heavily on him.
“Where solar panels can infringe on the quality of life, I’m also a proponent of property owner rights. So it’s a delicate balance of property owner rights and quality of life for other residents in the area,” Booker said. “So me as a representative of District 1, I am going to listen to the constituents. I’m going to listen to what they have to say. And I think the apple orchard has a very valid concern. So I will listen to that. I’ll take that into consideration along with what the neighbors, the residents have to say about it, and I will be a representative of their voice.”
At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, the Winnebago County Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments on the proposed solar farm. The meeting will be in room 303 of the county administration building located at 404 Elm Street in Rockford.
Wednesday’s hearing is an early, initial step in the long permitting process to build a solar project. If approved by the county this summer, Pivot Energy anticipates starting operations in early 2028.
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