Land Use Committee Rejects Shorewood Solar Farm Despite 25-Year Lease Offer

Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | February 5, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee voted against recommending a controversial solar farm proposal in Troy Township following significant opposition from the Village of Shorewood and surrounding entities. Despite the developer offering to shorten the project lifespan to 25 years to accommodate future growth, the committee’s 3-3 split vote resulted in a failed motion to approve.

Will County Board Key Points:

• Project Scope: Pivot Energy proposed a 5-megawatt and a 3-megawatt community solar facility (totaling 8 MW) on approximately 58 acres at 26347 West Baltz Road.

• Opposition: The Village of Shorewood, City of Joliet, Troy Township, and several school districts opposed the project, citing conflicts with future residential development and infrastructure plans.

• The Compromise: Pivot Energy offered to reduce the lease lifespan from the industry-standard 40 years to 25 years to allow for future municipal expansion.

• The Vote: The motion to approve failed on a 3-3 tie vote. Voting “No” were Committee Chair Frankie Pretzel and members Julie Berkowicz and Raquel Mitchell. Voting “Yes” were members Sherry Newquist, Herbert Brooks Jr., and Destinee Ortiz.

JOLIET – The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday, February 5, 2026, failed to advance a special use permit for a new commercial solar energy facility in Troy Township after municipal leaders argued the project would stifle the region’s planned residential growth.

The proposal, submitted by Pivot Energy, sought a special use permit to construct two co-located solar arrays totaling 8 megawatts on roughly 58 acres of farmland at the southeast quadrant of South County Line Road and Baltz Road. The site is located just over half a mile from the Village of Shorewood’s corporate limits.

While solar developments are common in the county, this case drew intense scrutiny due to its location within an area earmarked for future residential expansion and major water infrastructure projects.

Clash Over Future Land Use
Brittney Krebsbach, representing Pivot Energy, presented the committee with what she described as a significant compromise. Acknowledging the Village of Shorewood’s comprehensive plan, which calls for residential use on the property, Pivot offered to limit the project’s lifespan to 25 years rather than the standard 40 years.

“We believe that our concessions offered kind of offer a compromise so that it can be an interim land use… in order to pave the way for that future residential land use,” Krebsbach said. She noted that the landowner has not received any offers for residential development to date and that the project would generate approximately $40,000 in immediate community investment donations and increase tax revenue for local bodies.

However, Shorewood Mayor Clarence DeBold urged the committee to deny the permit, arguing that the location is inappropriate for industrial-scale solar generation. DeBold cited the Village’s participation in the Grand Prairie Water Commission, a massive infrastructure project designed to bring Lake Michigan water to the region, as a driver for imminent residential growth.

“If the county continues to allow solar in what should be residential zoning, that has a financial impact back on my residents,” DeBold told the committee. “If we keep putting solar in what should be residential zone developments, that’s simply going to continue to raise the water bills and water rates on our residents.”

DeBold further argued that while the solar farm would generate tax revenue, a residential development on the same land would generate “28 times higher” tax benefits for the schools, library, and fire districts.

Widespread Opposition
The project faced a wall of opposition from local taxing bodies. Letters of objection were filed by the Village of Shorewood, City of Joliet, Troy Township, Troy Fire Protection District, Minooka Community High School District 111, Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C, Joliet Township High School District 204, and the Grand Prairie Water Commission.

Jim Murphy, an attorney representing the Village of Shorewood, argued that the 25-year concession was insufficient.

“Think about what’s happened in Will County in the last 25 years. The population has gone up over 30%,” Murphy said. “You know what you’re saying is sort of potentially stopped growth in this area for 25 years.”

Committee Decision
Committee Chair Frankie Pretzel (R-New Lenox) sided with the municipalities, stating he could not support a project that conflicts with Shorewood’s comprehensive plan.

“They’re literally bringing water to the area as we speak. It is where the growth in Will County is going,” Pretzel said. “I cannot support going against the Village of Shorewood who has a comprehensive plan and sees this as residential.”

Member Judy Ogala (R-Monee) also voiced concern, stating that while she appreciated the concession, solar is an industrial use that should not be located near residential areas.

The committee voted on the measure with five added conditions, including a requirement limiting pile driving noise to between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. However, the final vote to approve the special use permit resulted in a 3-3 tie, meaning the motion failed. The project will move to the full County Board without a positive recommendation from the committee.