Peotone Township Board Unanimously Opposes Earth Rise Solar Farm Variances

May 5, 2026/

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Peotone Township Meeting | March 16, 2026

Article Summary: The Peotone Township Board of Trustees voted to formally object to Will County regarding zoning variances proposed for the massive Earth Rise Solar Farms project.

Peotone Township Solar Opposition Key Points:

Trustees voted 5-0 to send a formal “Letter of Objection” to Will County officials and Will County Land Use.
The objection specifically targets possible variances proposed by Earth Rise Solar Farms under zoning request ZC-25-129.
The unified vote highlights the township’s resistance to the large-scale energy development currently targeting southern Will County.

The Peotone Township Board of Trustees on Monday, March 16, 2026, voted unanimously to formally oppose zoning variances requested by the developers of the proposed Earth Rise Solar Farms, directing a letter of objection to Will County land use officials.

Operating during their regular monthly meeting, the board addressed the impending solar development under the Planning & Zoning portion of the agenda. The township formally received a packet of correspondence containing information for Earth Rise Solar Farms zoning request ZC-25-129.

Rather than remaining neutral on the county-level zoning issue, the Peotone Township board opted to take a firm stance against the project’s requested deviations from standard county ordinances. Trustee Ron Schubbe made a motion to send a “Letter of Objection” directly to Will County officials and the Will County Land Use department regarding the possible variances proposed by the developers.

Trustee Grant Heatherwick provided the second for the motion. Supervisor Gene Younker called for a roll call vote, with Trustees James Morgan, Ron Schubbe, Randy Swartz, Grant Heatherwick, and Supervisor Younker all voting “yes.”

The 5-0 vote ensures that Peotone Township’s formal opposition will be entered into the county’s record as Earth Rise Energy continues to pursue special use permits and variances across the region.