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Sponsors of House Bill 4412 in the 102nd General Assembly that
ended Tuesday say it is needed to better attain the state’s
renewable energy goals.
“It's been clear that we need to do some permitting reforms that
will provide reasonable limits on the restrictions that counties
can place on the construction of renewable energy,” state Rep.
Robyn Gable, D-Evanston, said.
Proponents said some counties have more development than others
that have been restricting such projects, so the state needed to
step in.
Central Illinois farmer Leon Corzine said 78 out of 102 counties
have voiced opposition to the measure because the law would take
away local control from county governments.
“That is the entire job of a county and county boards, is to
protect the county and do what is best for the individual
counties,” Corzine said.
State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said the legislation
trumps a recent measure that gave counties local control.
“I cannot adequately express the frustration and the
disenfranchisement my constituents and many rural Illinoisans
feel when they see this kind of legislation passed that goes
directly against a policy passed just two years ago,” said
Bourne.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has gone on record saying he would not
support legislation or create statewide controls over the siting
of wind or solar farms.
“No, if fact I’ve specifically avoided that,” he said last
August. “We’ve got to have a continuous conversation, the one
that we’ve been having for years now between the state and local
governments and local control so that we decide together about
siting.”
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois for the
Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio news
reporting throughout the Midwest.
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