Generate Capital and TurningPoint Energy Launch Kendall County Community Solar Project
Generate Capital and TurningPoint Energy (TPE) have celebrated the ribbon-cutting of a new 3.5-megawatt alternating current (MWac) community solar project in Sandwich, Illinois. The project marks one of the first community solar developments in Kendall County established through Illinois’ Adjustable Block Program, now known as Illinois Shines. The milestone highlights the continued expansion of community solar and its potential to provide affordable renewable electricity to residents and businesses across the state.
The celebration brought together elected officials, project partners, and community members to recognize the completion of the solar facility and its contribution to Illinois’ clean energy infrastructure. The development forms part of a broader eight-project portfolio totaling 34.5 MWac. TurningPoint Energy developed the projects, while Generate Capital financed, constructed, owns, and operates the portfolio, supporting the delivery of locally generated renewable energy to eligible subscribers.
Solar Facility Expands Renewable Energy Capacity
The newly completed solar installation covers approximately 23 acres in the City of Sandwich. It incorporates single-axis solar tracking technology with backtracking capabilities and bifacial solar modules designed to increase energy production. These technologies enable the panels to capture sunlight efficiently as the sun moves across the sky, helping the facility maximize its electricity output throughout the day.
The project is expected to generate more than 8 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. This level of production is equivalent to removing more than 1,640 gasoline-powered vehicles from the road each year, demonstrating the facility’s potential environmental benefits.
By adding locally generated solar power to the electricity supply, the development contributes to Illinois’ broader renewable energy expansion. Community solar projects can help diversify electricity generation while allowing customers to participate in the clean energy transition without installing equipment on their own properties.
Construction was completed in mid-2026, with prevailing-wage labor used throughout the building process. Qualified workers participated in the construction, supporting employment standards and contributing to the project’s local economic impact.
Community Solar Delivers Savings to Local Subscribers
The Sandwich solar facility is now providing renewable electricity benefits and utility bill savings to 90 local subscribers, including residents and small businesses. Through the Illinois Shines program, eligible customers can participate in community solar arrangements without purchasing, installing, or maintaining rooftop solar panels.
This model is particularly valuable for households and businesses that cannot install solar systems because of roof conditions, property ownership arrangements, limited space, or other practical constraints. Subscribers can access the financial benefits of solar generation through participation in a shared renewable energy facility.
Community solar also provides an opportunity for local customers to benefit from investments in clean energy infrastructure without having to own or operate the generating equipment themselves. By expanding participation beyond property owners with suitable rooftops, the program helps make renewable energy more accessible to a broader range of electricity consumers.
The project comes at a time when energy affordability remains an important consideration for households and businesses. By providing bill-saving opportunities alongside locally generated electricity, the development supports customers seeking ways to manage energy expenses while participating in Illinois’ transition toward cleaner power.
The eight-project portfolio developed by TurningPoint Energy and financed, built, owned, and operated by Generate Capital is expected to deliver nearly $70 million in projected electricity cost savings to Illinois subscribers over the portfolio’s operating life once all projects are fully built out. The anticipated savings demonstrate the potential long-term financial benefits of expanding community solar capacity across the state.
Agrivoltaics and Pollinator-Friendly Land Management
Beyond electricity generation, the Sandwich project incorporates land management practices intended to support agricultural compatibility, biodiversity, and responsible environmental stewardship.
The facility uses sheep grazing to manage vegetation naturally across the solar site. This approach can reduce the need for conventional mechanical vegetation maintenance while allowing the land to support agricultural activity alongside renewable electricity production.
The project also incorporates native flowering plants intended to support pollinator populations. These plantings can provide habitat and food sources for pollinators while helping improve biodiversity within and around the solar installation.
Combining solar generation with agricultural practices and pollinator-friendly landscaping demonstrates how renewable energy infrastructure can serve multiple purposes. Rather than focusing exclusively on electricity production, the project incorporates measures intended to support the surrounding environment and promote responsible land use.
These practices reflect a growing interest in integrating renewable energy development with agricultural operations and ecological objectives. By incorporating sheep grazing and native vegetation, the Sandwich facility illustrates how solar projects can be designed to accommodate complementary land management activities.
The approach also provides a model for considering environmental benefits during the planning and operation of future renewable energy developments.
Project Leaders Highlight Long-Term Community Benefits
Peggy Flannery, Managing Director of Investments at Generate Capital, said the project demonstrates how sustainable infrastructure can deliver direct benefits to the communities it serves.
Flannery emphasized the partnership between Generate Capital and TurningPoint Energy in bringing locally generated electricity to Illinois communities while helping residents and small businesses reduce their energy expenses. She also highlighted Generate’s commitment to investing in, constructing, and operating projects over the long term.
According to Flannery, community solar offers a practical way to expand access to affordable clean energy while delivering tangible benefits to participating customers. The Sandwich development reflects that objective by combining renewable electricity generation with subscriber savings and a long-term infrastructure investment.
Salar Naini, President of TurningPoint Energy, said the project demonstrates how carefully planned energy infrastructure can create benefits beyond electricity generation.
Naini highlighted the integration of community solar and responsible land stewardship as important elements of the development. He noted that the collaboration with Generate Capital is intended to create lasting value for subscribers, host communities, and Illinois’ wider clean energy transition.
The partnership combines TurningPoint Energy’s project development role with Generate Capital’s financing, construction, ownership, and operational responsibilities. This structure supports the delivery of community solar infrastructure while establishing a framework for long-term project management.
Jie Chu, Vice President of Project and Contracts at ComEd, also emphasized the importance of community solar as additional renewable energy resources connect to the electric grid.
Chu said community solar is helping expand customer choice and strengthen Illinois’ clean energy economy. ComEd welcomed the project as an example of how local investment can create clean energy opportunities and potential electricity bill savings for the communities it serves.
Contribution to Illinois’ Clean Energy Goals
The Sandwich installation represents an important milestone for Kendall County as community solar development expands throughout Illinois. As one of the county’s first projects of its kind, the facility provides a local example of how renewable energy infrastructure can support electricity generation, customer savings, and environmental objectives simultaneously.
The project is part of the eight-facility, 34.5 MWac portfolio being brought online across the state. Together, these developments will increase Illinois’ solar generating capacity and expand access to community solar participation.
Illinois has established a long-term goal of replacing 100 percent of its existing energy sources with renewable energy by 2050. Expanding solar generation, improving customer access to renewable electricity, and encouraging investment in clean energy infrastructure are important components of that transition.
The Sandwich project contributes to these efforts by combining modern solar technology with a subscriber-based model that provides renewable energy benefits to customers who might otherwise be unable to access solar power directly.
With construction completed and electricity generation underway, the facility demonstrates how partnerships between project developers, infrastructure investors, utilities, and local communities can support renewable energy deployment.
As the broader portfolio progresses toward full buildout, the anticipated electricity cost savings and additional generating capacity are expected to provide lasting benefits for participating Illinois subscribers. The development also highlights the potential for community solar projects to integrate energy production with responsible land management, helping communities advance their clean energy objectives while supporting local economic and environmental priorities.
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