The Illinois Land & Farmland Preservation Coalition was formed in response to a growing threat to one of our state’s most valuable resources—productive farmland.
Across Illinois, tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land are being targeted for large-scale solar development. These projects permanently remove farmland from production, weaken local economies, and shift control away from the communities most affected.
We believe this issue deserves serious attention, honest discussion, and a balanced approach that protects both our energy needs and our long-term agricultural future.
Our mission is simple:
Protect productive farmland. Preserve local control. Advocate for responsible land-use policy.
We are committed to educating residents, supporting local decision-makers, and ensuring that communities have a voice in how their land is used. We believe farmland is not just open space—it is a critical, renewable resource that supports food production, jobs, and future generations.
Farmland is one of the most reliable renewable resources we have. Every year it produces food, fuel, and essential goods that people depend on. When farmland is converted to solar, that capacity is lost for decades—and in many cases, permanently.
Land-use decisions should be made by the people who live in the community—not dictated by state mandates or outside interests.
Today, counties that attempt to deny large-scale solar developments are facing legal pressure and lawsuits. That is not local control—it’s forced development.
This coalition is not anti-energy. We support responsible, reliable energy solutions.
But current policies are creating a false choice—forcing communities to sacrifice productive farmland for industrial solar development that provides limited local benefit.
A balanced approach means protecting farmland while pursuing energy solutions that are efficient, reliable, and appropriately located.
Agriculture is the backbone of many Illinois communities. It supports farmers, truck drivers, equipment operators, suppliers, and local businesses.
When farmland disappears, those jobs and economic activity disappear with it.
Solar development replaces a dynamic, job-producing system with a low-labor installation that contributes little to long-term economic growth.
This issue is about more than land—it’s about the future of Illinois.
Every acre converted to solar is an acre no longer producing food. It is an acre that no longer supports jobs, contributes to the local economy, or provides opportunity for future development.
These decisions are long-term. Once farmland is covered in panels, it is locked up for decades. Communities lose flexibility, growth potential, and a piece of their economic foundation.
At the same time, Illinois policy is shifting decision-making power away from local governments and toward state mandates and outside developers.
The question is simple: Who decides what happens to our land?