At the Oct. 8 Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously recommended approval of a proposal to build a community solar project on approximately 36 acres at the southern corner of Schlapp and Plainfield roads. (Photo provided by the village of Oswego)
Plans for a community solar project on land in unincorporated Kendall County are progressing after Oswego plan commissioners recommended it for village approval.
A community solar project allows nearby residents to share in the power generated by the project and receive direct utility bill credits without installing equipment on their own.
The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission on Oct. 8 unanimously recommended approval of a proposal to build a community solar project on approximately 36 acres at the southern corner of Schlapp and Plainfield roads that is currently being farmed.
“The project reserves the northern corner of the site as open space, leaving room for a future roundabout planned by Kendall County at the intersection of Simons Road, Plainfield Road and Schlapp Road,” Oswego assistant development services director Rachel Riemenschneider told commissioners.
One Energy Renewables, the developers for the project, has a long-term lease agreement with the landowner, Specialty Oswego LLC. The project is expected to take up about 30 acres.
Plan Commissioners recommended approval of a special use permit for the project and rezoning the land from residential to agricultural use upon annexation to the village, subject to conditions, including that the project be set back 75 feet from nearby property lines.
Village trustees will now review the proposal.
The project is expected to serve more than 1,000 residents, Nora Landers of One Energy Renewables told commissioners. Residents and businesses in the village and the Kendall County area would be able to participate in the program.
“As a community solar project, members of the ComEd utility territory can subscribe and receive a discount on their electricity bill, typically about 10%,” Landers said.
Commissioner Rick Kuhn asked who would be able to participate in the community solar program.
“This project will serve the residents that are most close to the project,” Landers said. “There will be an opportunity for those residents if they so choose to sign up for the project and receive that monetary benefit on their electricity bill. However, that’s up to their discretion.”
Schools also would be able to sign up for the program.
The project also would make an estimated $9,000 annual contribution to the village’s capital fund as part of the annexation agreement. That contribution would increase by 5% every five years.
As proposed, the project would interconnect with ComEd’s local distribution grid and participate in the Illinois Shines community solar program.
Construction of the solar project is expected to begin in spring 2028 and be operational by that fall.
Landers told commissioners that during normal operating hours, the project will produce no odors and “minimal to no noise along with producing very little traffic.”
In addition, she said the solar panels that will be used in the project mitigate glare.
“They’re meant to absorb sunlight and not reflect it,” Landers said. “That’s because every electron lost would mean less energy to the grid and lost revenue.”
Vegetative screening along South Schlapp Road, Plainfield Road and the southern parcel boundary would be installed to screen nearby residents from the project. Where there is existing screening along the southeastern portion of the property, One Energy Renewables will coordinate with neighbors to determine if additional vegetative buffer would improve visual screening.
If the Village Board approves the plans, construction would begin in spring 2028 and be operational by that fall.
The project would be decommissioned once it has reached the end of its life, which is typically 30 to 40 years, Landers said. The land would then be returned to agricultural use.
One Energy Renewables has constructed 55 projects across Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
“In Illinois, we have eight operational community solar projects and an additional four are moving their way through construction,” Landers told planning and zoning commissioners during the meeting.
Eric Schelkopf, who is a Kendall County resident, writes for the Record Newspapers/KendallCountyNow.com, covering Oswego and Plainfield. Schelkopf, who is a Kendall County resident, started with the Kane County Chronicle in December 1988 and appreciates everything the Fox Valley has to offer, including the majestic Fox River.

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