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The 346-MW Gibson City Solar Project in Illinois has reached commercial operation, as announced on September 3, 2026. Developed by Earthrise Energy and constructed by Burns & McDonnell, the project utilized a surplus interconnection strategy by connecting through the existing switchyard of an adjacent gas-fired peaking facility. This approach leveraged available grid capacity instead of requiring a new interconnection, illustrating a method to accelerate renewable energy deployment while maintaining grid reliability.
According to Burns & McDonnell, the project demonstrated faster ways to bring renewable generation online using existing assets, amid growing delays for new generation connections across the United States. The construction firm paired advanced construction technologies and terrain-following solar trackers to reduce environmental impacts and improve execution.
Jami Stone, construction project manager for Burns & McDonnell, commented that interconnection has become a defining challenge for new energy projects. Stone noted that projects like Gibson City show how developers can take advantage of existing infrastructure while combining innovative construction methods to deliver renewable generation more efficiently, and praised Earthrise Energy for the creative solution.
Spanning approximately 1,700 acres across McLean and Ford counties, the facility is expected to generate enough electricity to power about 46,000 homes. Burns & McDonnell’s scope included EPC services, with its subsidiary AZCO self-performing underground electrical systems for part of the project, pile driving, and tracker and module installation. The team also provided environmental support, constructed a 34.5-/138-kV collector substation with a two-transformer station, and built a gen-tie line to a new line position in the existing Gibson City energy center substation. The site was built with union labor under the National Maintenance Agreement.
Burns & McDonnell worked with Nextpower for terrain-following trackers, Shoals for the aboveground collection system, and SMA for inverters. Earthrise procured Runergy solar modules, high-voltage breakers, and transformers. The project serves multiple power purchase agreements, and Burns & McDonnell designed and commissioned the SCADA systems to manage both generating resources safely.
The site also served as a proving ground for construction automation, with Burns & McDonnell deploying AI software and robotics from Gritt to install a portion of the solar modules. The Gritt machines lifted and placed modules, reducing repetitive heavy lifting while improving safety and productivity.
The project reduced grading requirements by as much as 90% compared with conventional utility-scale solar construction, limiting grading to fewer than 40,000 cubic yards by following the site’s natural contours. Burns & McDonnell also worked with the owner to establish a native seed mix before mobilizing, enhancing the project’s appearance.
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