Public Act 100-1022
 
SB3214 EnrolledLRB100 20410 SLF 35736 b


  
    AN ACT concerning solar sites.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  



 
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Department" means the Department of Natural Resources.
    "Exotic weed" has the same meaning ascribed to the term in 
Section 2 of the Illinois Exotic Weed Act.
    "Noxious weed" has the same meaning ascribed to the term in 
Section 2 of the Illinois Noxious Weed Law.
 
    Section 10. Site management practices. An owner of a 
ground-mounted solar site may follow practices that: (1) 
provide native perennial vegetation and foraging habitat which 
is beneficial to game birds, songbirds, and pollinators; and 
(2) reduce storm water runoff and erosion at the solar site. To 
the extent practicable, if establishing perennial vegetation 
and beneficial foraging habitat, a solar site owner or manager 
shall use native plant species and seed mixes that are free 
from noxious weed or exotic weed seeds.
 
    Section 15. Recognition of beneficial habitat. An owner or 
manager of a solar site with a generating capacity of more than 
40 kilowatts implementing site management practices under this 
Act may claim that the site is "pollinator-friendly" or 
provides benefits to game birds, songbirds, and pollinators 
only if the site adheres to guidance set forth by the 
pollinator friendly scorecard published by the Department in 
consultation with the University of Illinois, Department of 
Entomology.  The scorecard shall be posted on the Department's 
website on or before 6 months after the effective date of this 
Act. An owner making a beneficial habitat claim shall make the 
solar site's pollinator scorecard, and where available, 
related vegetation management plans, available to the public 
and provide a copy to the Department and a nonprofit solar 
industry trade association of this State.
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law. 
  

Effective Date:  8/21/2018