Chicago Heights Solar Farm To Open Soon, Saving Residents Money

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Chicago Heights residents who may struggle to pay their electric bills every month will have the option to save money while also taking advantage of a clean, renewable energy source when a new community solar farm goes into service later this month.

Solar developer Reactivate and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently announced that the 100th solar farm in Northern Illinois will open in Chicago Heights by the end of December. The Verduin solar farm is a 2-megawatt project that uses more than 5,200 solar panels that will sit on about 20 acres in Chicago Heights, officials announced last week.

The farm will serve more than 650 low-to-moderate income households across Chicago Heights and surrounding communities. The farm is one of six Reactivate projects that are currently under construction and that, once completed, will serve more than 3,000 low-to-moderate income households as well as non-profit organizations.

“No family should have to decide between paying their electric bill versus covering life’s necessities,” Reactivate CEO Utopia Hill said at a news conference last week. “We hope that this project can help lessen that energy burden."

The project is a partnership between Reactivate and ComEd, which allows customers to use solar energy from the farm rather than having solar panels installed at their homes. On average, ComEd officials said that families can save up to 50 percent of their current electric bill by subscribing to the solar project once it is up and running.

Through the community solar programs, residents will be part of a solar energy farm of solar panels and will receive a credit from ComEd for their portion of the energy produced by the project. In Illinois, community solar customers can subscribe up to 110 percent of their last twelve months of electricity usage, officials said.

Energy generated by the community solar project flows to ComEd's grid and becomes part of the overall energy supply.

“If you think about where we were just a few years ago talking about solar, it’s a whole new day,” Pritzker said at the news conference announcing the Chicago Heights project.

"Since day one as governor, I've made it my mission to advance clean energy throughout our state—ushering in a new era of environmental justice and sustainability for every community.”

in 2021, Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act which increased funding for the Illinois Solar for All program, which gives lower-income customers access to initiatives like Reactivate's Verduin community solar project.

“This is exactly the kind of partnership that benefits our communities, our environment, and our economy all in one,” Pritzker said. “So I am thankful for ComEd and Reactivate's leadership and collaboration to make our vision a reality."

The program builds on the Pritzker administration's clean energy goals outlined in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The State of Illinois is committed to moving Illinois to a 100 percent carbon-free future that uplifts historically disadvantaged communities while expanding the state's clean energy ecosystem and growing the economy, the governor said.

ComEd CEO Gil Quiniones said that project like the Chicago Heights solar farms allows customers to enjoy the benefits of clean, renewable energy without having to add panels to their homes while giving access to a positive community project promoting renewable energy and sustainability. In addition to saving money, the ComEd chief said that customers can take advantage of an energy source that uses fewer or sometimes even zero carbon emissions.

“This is a powerful demonstration,” Quiniones said. “It demonstrates the power of leadership and how policy can bring even the most ambitious goals within reach.”

He added: "This project is a demonstration of collaboration."