DuPage County residents living in unincorporated areas near Downers Grove, Woodridge and Westmont will soon have a chance to weigh in on where large battery storage facilities can be built in their neighborhoods.
The DuPage County Development Committee voted 5-0-1 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to authorize a public hearing before the county's Zoning Board of Appeals on proposed text amendments that would rewrite the rules for energy storage systems in unincorporated DuPage. One member was absent.
The vote, recorded in the committee's official minutes, moves the county one step closer to complying with a state mandate. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (Public Act 104-0458) on Jan. 8, and the law took effect June 1. Counties with conflicting zoning ordinances have 120 days from that date to update their codes, putting DuPage County's deadline at approximately Sept. 29, according to an Illinois Municipal League analysis.
What the state law requires
The amendments, filed as T-2-2026, would establish zoning regulations for facilities with more than 1,000 kilowatts (1 megawatt) of energy storage capacity. The state statute covers electrochemical and electromechanical systems but excludes anything requiring combustion and excludes storage tied to commercial solar or wind facilities.
Under the law, energy storage facilities must sit at least 150 feet from homes and community buildings such as schools, libraries and places of worship. They must also be set back 50 feet from property lines of those structures and 50 feet from public road rights-of-way. Fencing between 7 and 25 feet high is required around each facility.
Counties cannot ban these systems in agricultural or industrial zones, cannot impose noise limits stricter than Illinois Pollution Control Board standards and cannot require property value guarantees or escrow accounts as conditions of approval. Application fees are capped at $5,000 per megawatt or $50,000 total, whichever is less.
What it means locally
The zoning changes apply only to unincorporated land outside municipal boundaries. Pockets of unincorporated DuPage County sit adjacent to Downers Grove, Woodridge and Westmont, meaning battery storage projects could potentially be sited near those communities without going through village zoning processes.
Committee Chair Sam Tornatore, a DuPage County Board member, presided over the Aug. 4 meeting. The committee did not publicly discuss the specific hearing date during the meeting.
How to participate
The Zoning Board of Appeals must hold at least one public hearing before the county can grant siting approval or a special use permit for any energy storage project. Under state law, that hearing must conclude within 60 days of an application filing, and the county must issue its decision within 30 days after the hearing closes.
The specific date for the T-2-2026 public hearing has not yet been posted. Residents can check the DuPage County Zoning Board of Appeals calendar on the county's Legistar portal or contact the Building & Zoning Department at 630-407-6700 for updates.
