Wind and Solar Leasing in Sangamon County, IL

Sangamon County's renewable-energy story runs on two tracks: a large, already-built solar project in the county's southwest corner, and a proposed wind project still working through the leasing and permitting process. Here's what's confirmed, what's still in motion, and what to check before you sign or buy.

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

What's already built: Double Black Diamond Solar

The Sangamon County Board approved Swift Current Energy's Double Black Diamond Solar Project on a 21-4 vote, covering roughly 3,250 acres of southwestern Sangamon County -- centered on Lowder Township along the Illinois Route 104 corridor, running from the Morgan-Sangamon county line east toward Ackerman Road -- under a reported 35-year lease agreement with participating landowners. Construction finished on December 31, 2024. Reported capacity figures vary (593 MW is the most commonly cited number; the developer's own release separately describes an 800 MW facility, a discrepancy this research pass could not resolve), but every source agrees it's one of the largest solar developments in Illinois, described in some coverage as the largest solar project east of the Mississippi River and capable of powering more than 100,000 homes.

If you're buying land in or near the project footprint -- particularly in Lowder Township or along the Route 104 corridor -- pull the parcel's recorded documents at the Sangamon County Recorder's office and ask specifically whether a solar lease, easement, or collector-line agreement is recorded against it. A 35-year lease term means these agreements will likely outlast more than one round of ownership, and they don't always surface clearly in a standard title-search summary.

A local rule change that followed the project

After Double Black Diamond's approval, Sangamon County's Zoning and Land Use Committee amended the county's review process for future renewable-energy applications, moving from a siting approval permit to a conditional permitted use -- a change reportedly proposed by the District 7 county board member representing the area where the solar project sits. The stated intent was to preserve a meaningful level of local review within the ceiling set by Public Act 102-1123, the 2023 state law that standardized wind and solar siting rules statewide and bars counties from imposing outright moratoriums or more-restrictive-than-allowed conditions.

That procedural shift matters if you're evaluating a future lease offer or a parcel near a proposed project site: confirm with the Sangamon County Zoning Department which review track currently applies, since a conditional-permitted-use process can carry different public-hearing requirements and timelines than the older siting-approval framework.

What's proposed but not yet built: Grand Prairie Energy Park

Separately from the solar project, UKA North America has been developing Grand Prairie Energy Park, a proposed multi-phase wind project (with some reporting mentioning possible solar components as well) spanning Montgomery, Sangamon, Christian, and Macoupin Counties. Total capacity across phases has been reported at roughly 350 megawatts, including a Virden-area phase (14 to 17 turbines, about 100 MW) and a Pawnee-area phase spanning Sangamon and Montgomery Counties (also roughly 100 MW), with turbines reported as taller than most existing central-Illinois installations -- around 377 feet at the hub. Multiple 2024-era news stories described this as Sangamon County's potential first utility-scale wind farm.

As of this research pass, reporting placed the project in the landowner-leasing and permitting stage, with company representatives described as actively negotiating leases and holding community meetings -- not yet under construction. Project scope, exact county-by-county footprint, and target completion dates for a proposal at this stage can all shift materially before (or if) it's actually built. If you've been approached about a lease, or you're evaluating land in the Virden or Pawnee areas specifically, confirm the project's current status directly with the Sangamon County Zoning Department or the SSCRPC rather than relying on older news coverage.

The statewide ceiling on what a lease can require

Illinois counties operate within a statewide floor and ceiling on commercial wind and solar siting. Public Act 102-1123, signed January 27, 2023, amended 55 ILCS 5/5-12020 of the Counties Code to standardize setbacks, turbine height, decommissioning requirements, and treatment of agricultural land, and it bars counties from imposing outright moratoriums on wind or solar development. Sangamon County's own zoning process -- including the conditional-permitted-use track adopted after Double Black Diamond's approval -- operates within that statewide ceiling. It says nothing, however, about what a lease actually pays: payment rate and escalation, term length and renewal options, exactly what the easement covers (turbine or panel footprint only, versus also access roads and collector-line corridors across the rest of your acreage), and who bears decommissioning costs if the developer doesn't survive the lease term are all points you negotiate directly, ideally with an attorney experienced in Illinois renewable-energy leases.

If you're buying land already subject to a recorded solar lease or easement -- whether tied to Double Black Diamond or a future Grand Prairie Energy Park agreement -- pull the actual recorded document from the Sangamon County Recorder rather than relying on a listing summary. Confirm what portion of the parcel is actually restricted, whether the lease or easement transfers automatically to you as the new owner (most do, since they're designed to run with the land), what ongoing payments (if any) you'd be entitled to, and whether financial security for eventual decommissioning is on file for that specific project.

Wind and Solar Energy Leasing in Sangamon County, Illinois

What's already built: Double Black Diamond Solar

A local rule change that followed the project

What's proposed but not yet built: Grand Prairie Energy Park

The statewide ceiling on what a lease can require

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