The Fight Over Will County’s 6,100-Acre Solar Project Isn’t Over

Will County approved one of the largest solar projects ever proposed in Illinois back in May, but the vote did not end the fight over what is known as the Pride of the Prairie solar project.

Before the County Board ever approved it, nearby property owners went to court and successfully stopped an earlier vote. That forced another public hearing, where opponents were allowed to question representatives involved with the project. The county's Planning and Zoning Commission then recommended against the project again.

Despite that recommendation, the project eventually moved forward and was approved by the Will County Board in a 12-8 vote on May 21, 2026. Opponents have since indicated that another legal challenge could follow.

What Is the Pride of the Prairie Solar Project?

Pride of the Prairie is a large commercial solar energy project being developed by Lincoln Solar Energy, an affiliate of Earthrise Energy.

The proposal covers approximately 6,099 acres and has a planned generating capacity of approximately 600 megawatts. A megawatt is simply a measurement used to describe how much electrical power a generating facility can produce.

The county application identifies roughly 1.19 million solar modules. These are what most people would simply call solar panels.

One important detail can easily get lost when people hear the phrase "6,100-acre solar farm." This is not one solid 6,100-acre rectangle covered completely with panels. The project involves approximately 96 separate parcels spread across portions of Green Garden, Manhattan and Wilton townships.

That still makes the overall footprint enormous, which is one reason the proposal has attracted so much attention from surrounding property owners and local officials.

Why Did Residents Take Will County to Court?

The controversy became a legal fight before the County Board ever approved the project.

Will County's Planning and Zoning Commission held public hearings on the proposal and initially recommended against approval. The Planning and Zoning Commission is an appointed county body that reviews certain land-use proposals and makes recommendations before elected county officials make the final decision.

Nearby property owners later argued that the original hearing process did not give them a fair opportunity to question witnesses and challenge information being presented in support of the project.

On April 7, 2026, a group of property owners filed a lawsuit against Will County. A judge then issued a temporary restraining order on April 15.

The court action resulted in another public hearing where opponents were allowed to cross-examine people involved with the proposal.

"Cross-examine" sounds like courtroom language, but the basic idea is simple. Instead of only making their own public comments, opponents were given an opportunity to directly ask questions about testimony and evidence being used to support the project.

The Second Hearing Still Ended With a Recommendation Against the Project

The additional hearing was held on May 12.

After hearing the additional testimony and questioning, the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission again recommended against the project, voting 4-1 against recommending approval.

That recommendation did not automatically kill the project. The commission makes recommendations, but other county bodies still had to consider the proposal before the elected County Board made the final decision.

Two days later, the County Board's Executive Committee voted 6-5 to recommend approval.

On May 21, the full Will County Board approved Pride of the Prairie by a 12-8 vote.

That sequence is an important part of the story. Opponents went to court and successfully stopped the first scheduled vote. They received another hearing. The Planning and Zoning Commission again recommended against the proposal. The project was then approved by the elected County Board anyway.

Why Illinois State Law Matters

The fight over Pride of the Prairie is about more than whether someone supports or opposes solar energy.

A major part of the dispute involves a much bigger question: how much power should local governments have when deciding where large solar and wind projects can be built?

Illinois changed those rules in 2023 through Public Act 102-1123.

The law established statewide standards for commercial wind and solar projects and limits how much more restrictive a county can make its own local rules. In general, counties cannot simply create tougher requirements that conflict with the standards established by the state.

That does not mean Will County had no role. The county still reviewed the application, held hearings and voted on the proposal. But the state law limits the range of restrictions counties can place on qualifying renewable energy projects.

That loss of local decision-making power has become one of the central arguments made by opponents of Pride of the Prairie and other large renewable energy developments around Illinois.

There Are Two Very Different Views of the Project

Earthrise Energy presents Pride of the Prairie as a major investment in renewable energy and the local economy.

The company says the project will be built using union labor and estimates that it will generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue for local schools, fire districts, Will County and other taxing bodies.

Those figures are projections from the developer rather than guaranteed future revenue.

Opponents have focused on a different set of concerns. They have questioned the size of the project, the conversion of agricultural land, the effect on surrounding development patterns and the amount of control local communities have over projects of this scale.

Some nearby property owners have also raised concerns about what a project of this size could mean for neighboring property values. Those concerns have been repeatedly raised during public meetings, although predictions about future property values should not be treated as established fact.

Why Frankfort Became Part of the Fight

Even though the project itself is outside Frankfort, opposition eventually made its way to the Frankfort Village Board.

At the February 17, 2026 Village Board meeting, Green Garden Township resident Tom Becker spoke about the proposal. Becker identified himself as chairman of the Green Garden Township Watershed Committee and said his mother had started the organization in the family's kitchen 23 years earlier.

Becker warned village officials that continued expansion of large solar and battery-storage facilities could change the character of the area south of Frankfort and interfere with future residential development.

He also told the board that Green Garden had the highest median home value of any township in Will County and predicted that future residential growth would stop if the area became dominated by large energy projects.

Those statements were Becker's arguments to the Village Board. His prediction about future residential development and property values should not be read as an established outcome of the project.

His brother, Jeff Becker, spoke immediately afterward and connected the issue directly to Frankfort.

He referenced Frankfort's reputation as what local officials had called the "jewel of the southside" and argued that turning land immediately outside the community into a large industrial-style energy area could affect Frankfort's future growth and appeal.

Frankfort's Mayor Later Said the Village Refused Earthrise Money

The issue returned publicly to the Frankfort Village Board several months later.

During his Mayor's Report on July 13, Mayor Keith Ogle announced the passing of Tom Becker and recognized Becker's opposition to the Pride of the Prairie project.

Ogle then discussed Frankfort's own interaction with Earthrise Energy.

"The Village of Frankfort did not take any money from Earthrise for their solar projects. We wouldn't sell out Frankfort."

Ogle said Earthrise had approached the village and stated that Frankfort was one of the communities that did not accept money from the company.

The mayor's statement is significant, but it is also important not to add meaning that he did not put into the public record. His comments should not be described as evidence of a bribe, payoff or illegal offer. The verified fact is that Ogle publicly said Earthrise approached Frankfort, that the village did not take money from the company, and that Frankfort "wouldn't sell out."

What Happens to Pride of the Prairie Now?

The Will County approval means the project cleared one of its major local government hurdles, but approval does not mean millions of panels suddenly appear the next morning.

Earthrise Energy's current project schedule says additional permitting and project work are taking place in 2026. The company says construction is expected to begin in 2026 and take approximately 18 to 24 months, with commercial operation targeted for 2028.

The legal side of the story may also continue.

Attorney Steve Becker, who represented opponents during the county proceedings, indicated before the final approval that residents intended to return to court if the County Board approved the project.

As of publication, I have not independently verified that a second lawsuit challenging the May approval has actually been filed.

Why This Story Is Worth Watching

The Pride of the Prairie debate is easy to reduce to a simple argument about whether someone likes solar panels. The actual story is more complicated.

It involves farmland, energy policy, private development, property owners, local government authority and a state law that changed what counties can and cannot require from renewable energy projects.

It also raises a question that will probably come up again throughout the Chicago suburbs as larger energy and development projects move farther into previously open areas: who should have the final say when a project affects a community but sits outside that community's borders?

For Frankfort residents, that is why this is more than a story about a solar project several miles away. Decisions involving the land surrounding a community can influence what that community looks like decades from now.

I will update this article as additional verified information becomes available, particularly if a new lawsuit is filed or the construction schedule changes.

Common Questions About Pride of the Prairie