Board Hires Firm to Review Solar Farm Construction Documents

January 19, 2026/Newspaper Staff/

Montgomery County Board Meeting | December 9, 2025

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Board approved an agreement with Hurst-Rosche to review construction documents for a new solar project. The engineering firm will provide independent oversight for the Montgomery County Solar project east of Litchfield.

Solar Review Key Points:

Project Location: The solar facility is located on Route 16 east of Litchfield (Dusitn Ellinger/Summit Ridge Energy).
Scope of Work: Hurst-Rosche will evaluate the application against the county ordinance, attend meetings, and perform construction inspections.
Cost: The review services are capped at a not-to-exceed fee of $3,500, which will be reimbursed by the petitioner.

The Montgomery County Board on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, moved forward with independent oversight for a commercial solar development.

Development & Personnel Committee Chairman Chad Ruppert presented a proposal from Hurst-Rosche to review construction documents for “Montgomery County Solar.” The project is located on Route 16 east of Litchfield.

The board voted to approve the agreement with Hurst-Rosche for a not-to-exceed fee of $3,500. The scope of work includes evaluating the application for compliance with the county’s solar ordinance, reporting findings, and performing construction inspections to verify adherence to the permit. The cost of the review will be reimbursed by the solar developer.

Ruppert also noted that recent state “energy omnibus” legislation will require future changes to the county’s wind and solar ordinances and lays the framework for regulating battery storage.

Latest News Stories

Supreme Court upholds preacher’s First Amendment lawsuit

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, upheld that a street preacher can sue over a city ordinance that prevented him from exercising free...

United, American clash at O’Hare as growth strains capacity

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to scale back flights at O'Hare International Airport this summer as two major carriers rapidly expand service, raising concerns...

Photo courtesy of Litchfield Fire Department

Litchfield Bowling Alley Destroyed in Massive Second-Alarm Blaze; Mutual Aid Prevents Spread During High Winds

Article Summary: A Sunday afternoon fire completely destroyed the Litchfield Bowling Alley on March 15, requiring a massive second-alarm response from over a dozen agencies to prevent the flames from...

Chloe Law’s Hat Trick, Three Assists Power Litchfield Soccer to 7-0 Rout of Jersey

Senior standout Chloe Law delivered a masterclass performance on Wednesday, registering a hat trick and three assists to propel the Litchfield varsity soccer team to a dominant 7-0 non-conference victory...

Litchfield Uses Three-Run Fifth Inning to Defeat Greenfield/Northwestern, 5-2

A pivotal three-run surge in the fifth inning proved to be the difference on Thursday as the Litchfield softball team secured a hard-fought 5-2 non-conference victory over Greenfield/Northwestern. Charlie Bono...

Witt’s Perfect Day at the Plate, Strong Pitching Lift Litchfield Past Southwestern 8-2

The Litchfield varsity baseball team combined opportunistic hitting with steady pitching to secure an 8-2 non-conference victory over visiting Southwestern on Thursday afternoon. Litchfield established control early, methodically building a...

Google Gemini face scans violate IL biometrics law: Class action

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square Google has been hit, again, by a class action lawsuit under Illinois' stringent biometrics privacy law, this time accusing the tech giant...

House members raise concerns about Islamic terrorist threats 25 years after 9/11

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Several members of Congress raised concerns about Islamic terrorist threats now that the U.S. is approaching the 25-year anniversary of 9/11. At a U.S. House...

Officials react swiftly to allegations about Cesar Chavez

By Liam HibbertThe Center Square Political and civil leaders across California and the wider Latino community in the U.S. are reacting to several allegations of sexual abuse and rape by...

Lack of Homeland Security funding hits maritime workers

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square Employees of the Transportation Security Administration are not the only ones working without a paycheck during the partial government shutdown. The same goes for Vessel...

Arizona legislators promote new gun rights and safety bills

By Dave MasonThe Center Square Women supporting gun rights and safety - self-described “warrior women” - spoke in favor of three new Arizona bills Thursday morning during a news conference...

Change in anti-drug policy consideration after bombing Venezuelan boats

By Emily RodriguezThe Center Square U.S. officials are signaling a more aggressive approach to drug trafficking, with emphasis on expanding authority, overseas operations, and targeting criminal networks at their source....

Pritzker highlights film growth while studies question tax credit’s value

By Sean Reed | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited a major film studio Thursday in Chicago to discuss the growth of...

Illinois quick hits: House passes measure to restrict insurance price increases

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square House passes measure to restrict insurance price increases The Illinois House approved a bill to regulate price increases of home and...

Female prison workers can sue IDOC over inmate obscene acts

By Scott Holland | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A federal judge will let female Pontiac Correctional Center workers proceed with their class action accusing the state and Illinois Department of...

« Previous
1
…
11
12
13
14
15
…
54
Next »