Wind and Solar Leasing in Morgan County, IL

Morgan County has become one of the larger renewable-energy footprints in downstate Illinois -- a roughly 300-megawatt wind farm with more than 100 turbines, and a separate 593-megawatt solar project spanning both Morgan and Sangamon Counties. Here's what both projects mean for evaluating land nearby.

This page covers what's specific to Morgan County. For the general explanation, see the national guide.

Lincoln Land Wind: up to 107 turbines across a 36,000-acre project area

Apex Clean Energy's Lincoln Land Wind project is a 300-megawatt utility-scale wind farm in Morgan County, with Morgan County commissioners approving a siting plan calling for up to roughly 107 turbines across an estimated 36,000-acre project area. Reported figures put the capital investment at around $400 million, with an estimated $241 million in direct economic benefits to the local and regional economy. Construction was expected to begin around January 2021, with completion later that year.

A project of this footprint means a substantial share of Morgan County farmland sits under recorded wind leases, easements, or setback obligations -- even for parcels that don't host a turbine themselves, since setback and noise/shadow-flicker rules can affect neighboring land use. If you're evaluating a parcel inside or adjacent to the project area, confirm directly with the county Recorder's office whether an existing lease or easement is already recorded against it.

Double Black Diamond Solar: 593 megawatts across two counties

The Double Black Diamond Solar Project, developed by Swift Current, is a large utility-scale solar plant covering roughly 4,100 acres near Waverly, with land in both Morgan and Sangamon Counties. At 593 megawatts, it's reported as large enough to power an estimated 85,000 homes -- a scale that puts it among the bigger solar developments in this part of Illinois, and one that spans a county line, so a specific parcel's obligations could run through either county's permitting process depending on exactly where it sits.

Wind, solar, and battery-storage facilities in Morgan County require an approved county permit before construction, under the county's 2023 Wind and Solar Energy Ordinance. If a project spans both Morgan and Sangamon Counties, confirm which county's permit and recorded-easement records apply to a specific parcel before assuming either county's records are complete on their own.

What a Morgan County lease offer or nearby-land purchase should check

Illinois counties can't write wind or solar siting rules stricter than the statewide standard set by Public Act 102-1123 (55 ILCS 5/5-12020), effective January 27, 2023, which covers setbacks, turbine height, vegetative screening, shadow flicker, sound, decommissioning, and agricultural-land considerations, and which bars counties from imposing outright moratoriums. Confirm Morgan County's own current Wind and Solar Energy Ordinance provisions directly given the scale of development already sited here.

If you've received a wind or solar lease offer, have an attorney review the decommissioning and land-restoration terms specifically, since those determine what happens to the parcel decades from now when turbines or panels come down. If you're buying land near either project instead, ask the Morgan County Clerk and Recorder whether a wind- or solar-lease easement is already recorded against the parcel or an adjoining one -- and, for anything near the Morgan/Sangamon county line, check both counties' records.

Wind and Solar Energy Leasing in Morgan County, Illinois

Lincoln Land Wind: up to 107 turbines across a 36,000-acre project area

Double Black Diamond Solar: 593 megawatts across two counties

What a Morgan County lease offer or nearby-land purchase should check

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