In a visit to rural Kane County Tuesday, Gov. JB Pritzker said the need for “cheaper, cleaner” energy is “more important than ever” while celebrating a 26-acre solar farm off U.S. Highway 20 that officials said will help power nearly 600 low-income households.

Pritzker joined representatives from Nautilus Solar Energy and Power Sustainable for a ribbon cutting at a five-megawatt, 26-acre community solar farm at 43 W. 708 Highway 20, Hampshire, according to a news release.

The solar project will power hundreds of homes, a local park district and a commercial business, according to the release.

“Illinois has one of the most ambitious clean energy efforts in the entire nation, and we’re building our future around projects like the Highway 20 Community Solar Farm to accelerate the clean energy transition, revitalize communities, and create new jobs,” Pritzker said in a news release.

The farm features 12,000 solar panels, expected to generate 10.7 million kilowatt-hours. That’s enough to offset more than 7,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, officials said.

Pritzker said the solar farm aligns with a statewide effort to get Illinois toward 100% clean energy by 2050.

“In Illinois, we’ve incentivized tens of billions of dollars in private investment in renewable and clean energy development,” Pritzker said in the release. “At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing in part due to federal cuts and putting a real strain on working families, it is more important than ever to invest in cheaper, cleaner energy alternatives.”

Nautilus Solar Energy is headquartered in Chicago and has to date built nearly 150 community solar farms across 12 states, according to the release. Canadian-based Power Sustainable is an asset management firm that invests in projects focused on sustainability.

Officials said that clean energy is needed now more than ever as the federal government cancels clean energy projects, “undermining” grid investments at the direction of President Donald Trump, according to the news release from Pritzker’s office.

Since the passage of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, Illinois has attracted tens of billions of dollars in private clean energy investment and now leads the Midwest in installed solar capacity, according to the release.

Two programs, Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All, prioritize projects in low-income and underserved communities in the state.

In September, the state of Illinois released federal funding to build more electric vehicle charging stations after the Trump administration had sought to withhold funding, Capitol News Illinois reported.