HB4037 Summary

• Requires commercial wind and solar energy facility owners to file a land reclamation plan and recycling plan with the Department of Agriculture prior to public hearings on facility siting.

• Land reclamation plan must describe how property will be restored to pre-construction state upon facility removal; recycling plan must outline how facility construction materials will be recycled.

• Prohibits commercial solar energy facilities from being sited on property with soil crop productivity index greater than 110, as defined by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Optimum Crop Productivity Ratings.

• Establishes setback requirements for wind towers and solar facilities from residences, community buildings, property boundaries, and other structures, with specific distance measurements based on facility type and property participation status.

• Effective immediately upon becoming law.