Plano Skies Energy Center LLC hosted an open house June 30 in Plano about plans to develop a 2,000-acre solar energy complex just north of the city.

Nearly 100 Plano area residents came to the open house to question developers and engineers about the project and browse site maps and project plans.

Plano Skies officials said the open house was the first of several events planned to inform the public and get feedback on their plans for the complex.

According to the Plano Skies website, the facility, when fully developed, will have the potential to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 20,000 to 60,000 average Illinois homes every year.

A portion of the land currently is located within Plano’s municipal limits, but most is in unincorporated Little Rock Township.

Courtney Timmons, lead developer with Plano Skies, said the plans for the solar complex are subject to change based on community feedback.

“We’re really excited to be here and work with the Plano community,” Timmons said. “Our goal for the event today is to get feedback from the community, how we can make this the best project that it can be for the city of Plano and for the residents.”

Timmons said he believes permitting is several months away, and his staff will continue to build public relations in the coming months with plans for more open house events to inform the public and receive feedback.

According to developers, the facility will create 200 to 350 jobs in Kendall County during the construction phase, plus one to five permanent, long-term local jobs during its operations stage.

One resident voiced frustration with the number of jobs Plano Skies claims will be created, pointing out that nearly all of the jobs created will be construction jobs that will last only until the solar fields are built.

“We’re really happy that people are talking about it,” Timmons said. “We’ve collected a whole lot of feedback, and we’re planning on putting a lot of that feedback into action as we continue to work with the community in coming months.”

Plano Mayor Mike Rennels has said the city has yet to take any official action on the proposal, but confirmed that city and Kendall County officials participated in an informational meeting with the developers earlier this year.

Rennels said the project site would either be fully annexed and become a part of Plano or the portion currently in the city could be de-annexed and the project site remain in unincorporated Kendall County.

Rennels said he is prepared to follow the will of Plano residents, but his personal opinion is that he would rather see the additional land annexed than give existing city territory to the county through de-annexation.

“I’ll do what the citizens want to do,” Rennels said. “But in my personal opinion, I’d rather not lose a portion of the city forever to the county and then have no say in this process.”

Timmons had a similar response to the idea of annexing the land.

“We’ll do whatever is best for the community,” Timmons said. “That’s why we’re out here, to make this the best fit for the people of Plano.”

If Plano were to annex the property, Rennels said it would permanently expand the borders of Plano and the city would gain more than 1,000 acres of unincorporated territory at a higher tax rate than if it were strictly agricultural.

The 2,000 acres will include all project components, including the solar panels, access roads and other infrastructure necessary for the operation of the facility, according to the company’s website.