County Tries Legal Workarounds for Solar Farms | Springfield News

Springfield News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 1, 2026 · 1m

Sangamon County is fighting back against state law that strips local control over where massive solar and wind farms can be built, even near towns. After a risky rezoning plan was scrapped due to legal threats, the county pivoted to a new amendment that reclassifies renewable energy projects as “conditional permitted uses,” giving them more leverage while staying within state boundaries. With courts split on the issue and towns scrambling to protect their borders, the county is now exploring planning documents and local agreements as backup strategies in this high-stakes legal tug-of-war…