Illinois coal-to-solar initiative falters as conversion projects slow

Illinois's five-year-old program to repurpose retired coal plant sites for solar and battery storage has underperformed despite the initial promise of leveraging existing grid infrastructure for faster clean energy deployment.

First covered Aug 11, 2026 · 12:30 AM PT · 1 article · no longer in the live window

Illinois coal-to-solar initiative falters as conversion projects slow — Image via canarymedia.com

Coverage

46d Canary Media Why Illinois has struggled to turn old coal sites into solar farms — Illinois had big plans to turn a bunch of old coal plant sites into solar and battery farms. But the program has turned out to be kind of a bust.

More coverage from around the web

seia.org Illinois Solar and Storage

energiesmedia.com In Illinois, more than 1,000 acres of solar panels now cover an old coal mine that remains buried beneath the ground

solarpowersillinois.com Community Solar Opens on Former Coal Mine, Shining Light on the Future of Energy

ipa-energyrfp.com Coal to Solar | Illinois Power Agency RFPs

ipa.illinois.gov ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION Public Notice of Successful Procurement Event

Appeared in: 2026-08-11 (#5) · 2026-08-12 (#20)

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