Solar Mandates and Diminished Discretion: Reviewing Equity Solar v. Grundy County

Solar Mandates and Diminished Discretion: Reviewing Equity Solar v. Grundy County

From Counties Count! by Illinois State Association of Counties

March 19, 2026 · 5 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the appellate decision in Equity Solar Illinois v. County of Grundy regarding solar facility siting regulations.

In this episode of ISACo's Counties Count! Podcast we break down the landmark appellate decision in Equity Solar Illinois v. County of Grundy, which clarifies the limited role of non-home-rule counties in siting commercial solar facilities. The court affirmed that under the 2023 "Solar Amendments," a county must approve a special use permit if the applicant meets all technical state standards, effectively rendering the board’s role ministerial rather than discretionary. This ruling signa...

People in this episode

Host: Illinois State Association of Counties

Topics covered

  • solar mandates
  • county governance
  • commercial solar facilities
  • legal decisions
  • equity solar case

Keywords

  • solar mandates
  • Equity Solar
  • Grundy County
  • special use permit
  • Solar Amendments

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Equity Solar Illinois, County of Grundy

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