A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday to commemorate the completion of the Highway 20 Community Solar Farm in Kane County, Illinois. The PV project will power nearly 600 low-income households, a local park district and a commercial business.
Credit: Nautilus Solar Energy
Located on Highway 20, the project features 12,000 solar panels spanning 26 acres, with a capacity of just under 5 MW. The project was supported by the Illinois Shines program with an $8.7 million in a renewable energy credit contract.
“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,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “In Illinois, we’ve incentivized tens of billions of dollars in private investment in renewable and clean energy development. 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, the community solar developer behind the Highway 20 project, has relocated its headquarters to Chicago. The company expects to add 100 MW of new solar capacity in Illinois in 2026, building on its current portfolio of nearly 150 community solar farms across 12 states, serving more than 45,000 subscribers.
At a time when the Trump Administration is canceling clean energy projects and undermining grid investments, Pritzker unlocked frozen funds withheld to expand EV charging stations statewide, welcomed OPmobility to Rivian’s Supplier Park in Normal and cut the ribbon on Manner Polymers’ new 100% solar-powered manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon.
News item from Office of the Governor JB Pritzker
