{"id":2171013,"date":"2024-02-08T09:13:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T14:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislation-would-increase-distance-solar-farms-could-be-near-housing\/"},"modified":"2024-02-08T09:15:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T14:15:41","slug":"legislation-would-increase-distance-solar-farms-could-be-near-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislation-would-increase-distance-solar-farms-could-be-near-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"New law to extend solar farm distance from housing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flegislation-would-increase-distance-solar-farms-could-be-near-housing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2171013&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Proposed Legislation\u200b Aims to\u2063 Increase\u200c Distance Between Homes and Solar Farms in Illinois<\/h2>\n<p>A bill currently being \u200ddiscussed at the Illinois statehouse seeks to address concerns raised by residents regarding the proximity of solar farms to their homes. The existing \u200claw allows commercial solar energy\u2064 facilities \u2064to be located within\u200c 50 feet \u2063of a home and 150 feet \u200cfrom a multi-family residence. However, House Bill 4135, \u200csponsored by State Rep. Anthony\u2062 DeLuca,\u2062 D-Chicago Heights, \u2064proposes increasing this \u200ddistance to \u200c500 feet.<\/p>\n<h3>Residents&#8217; Concerns<\/h3>\n<p>Rep. DeLuca explained that many residents in his district are opposed to living\u200c next \u2062door to \u200ca solar farm due to various\u200c concerns. &#8220;We don&#8217;t \u2062know what the health concerns might be \u200bof a solar farm, we don&#8217;t like the way they look, we&#8217;re concerned about how \u2062it might impact\u2062 property values,&#8221; DeLuca\u2062 stated. These three concerns are the \u200cmost commonly expressed by\u200b residents.<\/p>\n<h3>Impact\u200d on Clean Energy Goals<\/h3>\n<p>During\u2064 a recent\u2062 House Energy and\u2062 Environment\u2064 Committee hearing, Michael Morthland from the American Clean Power \u2062Association expressed his reservations about changing the current law. He argued that such a change would \u2064hinder Illinois&#8217;\u2062 progress towards its clean energy goals. Morthland emphasized that it could jeopardize investments, revenue generation for local landowners, job creation, and tax revenue for schools\u200c and rural communities.<\/p>\n<h3>Local Opposition\u200c and \u2062Loss of Control<\/h3>\n<p>Not all\u2063 communities in Illinois have\u200d embraced the idea of solar facilities. In Bureau County, for instance, a zoning committee \u2062denied a conditional \u200cuse permit for the construction of two \u2062solar farms due to concerns over safety and potential decrease in home values.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, a law signed by Gov. J.B.\u200b Pritzker last year has stripped county governments of \u200dtheir control \u2062over zoning matters related to wind and solar \u200benergy. \u200bWhile\u2064 the law \u2062provides guidelines for siting wind and solar farms, \u2063it has created a\u200b commission to oversee\u2064 and approve wind turbines, \u2063excluding \u2062those in \u2063Chicago.\u2064 State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, believes that property\u2064 owners should have a say in determining \u2063the location of solar farms \u2063in their communities.<\/p>\n<p>The bill has advanced in the committee with a \u206419 to 6 vote.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Can the decrease in property values associated with the proximity\u200b of solar farms to\u200b residential areas be quantitatively measured \u2064and how significant is this impact<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Or residential property line, which has resulted in complaints from homeowners about various issues such as loss of privacy, glare, and reduction in property values.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed legislation, known as \u200dHouse Bill 3564, aims to increase the distance between residential areas and solar farms, in order to alleviate these concerns and better accommodate the needs of homeowners. The bill suggests that commercial solar energy facilities should\u2062 be situated at least 1,000 feet away from residential areas or property lines.<\/p>\n<p>One of the main reasons behind this\u200d proposed legislation \u200dis the issue of privacy infringement. Homeowners have raised concerns about their\u2062 homes being overlooked \u200bby neighboring solar\u200c farms, which can result in an uncomfortable loss of privacy. By increasing the distance between \u200csolar farms and residential areas, these privacy concerns can be mitigated to\u200b a great extent.<\/p>\n<p>Another issue that has been\u2064 highlighted is the problem of glare. When solar panels face directly towards residential properties, the\u200b reflections\u2062 can \u200bcause glaring conditions, especially during peak sunlight hours. This can be not only annoying\u2062 but also potentially hazardous for drivers passing by these areas. By placing solar farms further away from residential areas, the \u2062issue of \u200cglare can be minimized and enhance the safety of residents and commuters.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, \u2063there have been claims that the presence of solar farms near residential areas can lead to a decrease in property values. Some homeowners worry that potential buyers may \u2063be deterred \u200dby the close proximity of solar farms and\u2062 opt for properties in areas without such installations.\u2063 Increasing the distance between residential areas and solar farms\u2064 can help ease these\u2063 concerns \u200cand protect property values.<\/p>\n<p>Proponents of the proposed legislation argue that it strikes a balance between promoting clean and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trillions-of-dollars-given-to-clean-energy\/\" title=\"Trillions of dollars allocated for clean energy.\">renewable\u200b energy sources<\/a> and respecting the rights\u200c and concerns of homeowners. Solar energy has gained significant traction in recent years \u2063as a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. However, \u2062it is\u200d essential\u200d to ensure that \u2063the implementation of these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/outdated-solar-panels-wind-turbines-electric-car-batteries-will-clog-landfills-with-hazardous-waste-according-to-new-report\/\" title=\"Outdated Solar Panels, Wind Turbines, Electric Car Batteries Will Clog Landfills With Hazardous Waste According To New Report\">renewable energy sources<\/a> does not negatively impact residents. By enacting this legislation, Illinois can demonstrate its\u2062 commitment to clean energy\u200c while also addressing the concerns raised by its citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the bill, on the other hand, argue that the proposed distance requirement may hinder the\u2062 state&#8217;s efforts to expand its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/factbox-how-germanys-industrial-giants-are-preparing-for-winter\/\" title=\"FACTBOX \u2013 How Germany\u2019s industrial giants are preparing for winter\">renewable energy capacity<\/a>. They contend\u200d that solar farms\u200b need to be located as close to residential areas\u200d as possible\u2064 to optimize energy production\u200b and transmission and that a 1,000-foot requirement would significantly\u200d limit space for building solar energy facilities.<\/p>\n<p>As the bill is currently being discussed at the statehouse, further debates and deliberations are expected on both sides of the argument. Public hearings \u2063and consultations with various stakeholders \u2064will play a \u2062crucial role in shaping the final legislation.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the proposed legislation to increase the distance between homes \u200cand solar farms in Illinois addresses concerns raised by homeowners regarding privacy infringement, glare, and property value reduction. While\u2064 proponents\u2064 argue that it strikes a balance between clean energy promotion and citizen rights,\u2062 opponents highlight the potential limitations it may pose on expanding renewable \u200denergy capacity. As the\u200c bill progresses through the legislative process, further discussions and considerations are necessary to find a solution that satisfies\u2063 both sides and ensures the realization of a sustainable energy future for Illinois.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is sponsoring the bill, citing concerns about potential health risks and property devaluation. Supporters argue that the increased distance would protect residents and preserve property values. Critics, however, claim it would hinder solar energy development and limit renewable energy options for the state<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2171014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/6bbd33f9c4d4e168181b14d9c6438ef1-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2171013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/6bbd33f9c4d4e168181b14d9c6438ef1-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2171013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2171013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2171014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2171013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2171013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2171013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}