The Grundy County Board rejected a Brisbin Solar project being pitched for an area near the Brisbin Road interchange along Interstate 80 on Tuesday, following recommendations from both the zoning board of appeals and land use committees.

Those recommendations came after municipalities like Morris, legislators like state Sens. Chris Balkema, R-Channahon and Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and organizations like the Grundy Economic Development Commission issued objections.

Brisbin Solar wants to use 15.27 acres of a 28.27-acre plot of land in Saratoga Township for a two megawatt solar farm that would provide $9,637 per year over the full life of the project. The solar farm itself would only occupy 13.09 acres of the land.

Balkema said he can empathize with the solar teams, and he understands how hard they work, but the Brisbin Road interchange was meant for a different type of development.

“The Brisbin area we’re talking about tonight is best for high-paying jobs, which I am also working hard to change the environment in Illinois to bring back. Hopefully we can attract and retain large and small businesses and cut the ribbon on a very nice manufacturing plant out there, as opposed to a solar farm," Balkema said.

He added he believes Illinois needs wind and solar, but it needs it in the right places.

The land use committee had a longer discussion on the project during its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Grundy County Development Director Alec Macdonald outlined the concerns of the opposition there in a similar manner to the way he did Tuesday night.

“Their key concerns outline a mismatch of use and location,” Macdonald said. “This interchange was designed for industrial expansion, not solar development and economic impact. Solar does not contribute to job growth, workforce development, or sustained local spending. They ask for this to be denied.”

County Board member Eric Rasmusson said Grundy County is the second fastest growing county in the state behind Kendall County, and the county has partnered with Kendall for the last 15 years.

“Part of that agreement was looking how to get traffic to go from the north to the south,” Rasmusson said. “So, there is a collaboration between Grundy and Kendall.”

Rasmusson said the belief is that this land will not be just farm land in the future.

The Grundy County Board unanimously rejected the Brisbin Solar project.