The Shelby County Board on Nov. 13 approved special-use permits for Arena Renewables’ Juniper 1 and Juniper 2 community solar projects, conditioned on the company providing full upfront decommissioning bonds for both sites.

The board’s decision followed a lengthy presentation from the company and a zoning report from Scott McKee, Shelby County’s zoning director, who said the projects meet county zoning standards and that the developer has finalized an interconnection agreement with Ameren. An Arena Renewables Illinois representative described Juniper 1 as a 5-megawatt project and Juniper 2 as a 3.4-megawatt project, each sited on property owned by Jared Roni, roughly 1.5 miles southeast of town. He said the projects would interconnect to a nearby Ameren substation and that the company expects to begin construction next summer.

Why it mattered: Board members pressed the developer on several practical and financial protections for neighbors and the county — principally decommissioning liability, insurance and whether the projects could be paused or transferred in future years. To address those concerns the board adopted an amendment requiring the developer to post the full decommissioning bond amounts up-front as a condition of the county building permit. The amendment passed on a roll-call vote and the final motion to approve the special-use permits passed 14–6.

Key details from the developer: Arena Renewables told the board it has site control, an executed interconnection agreement with Ameren and a lease with the landowner. The company said there is no battery storage; panels will be mounted on tracking arrays with 15-foot row spacing and an 18-foot gravel access road. Under the company’s proposal, landscaping and pollinator-friendly vegetation will screen the site and under-panel plantings will be mowed two to three times a year. The company also offered a subscription model that, it said, "can deliver a 10% discount to Ameren customers' utility bills every month." (company representative)

Decommissioning and bond: Board members asked how cleanup would be funded if panels are damaged by weather or abandoned. The company estimated decommissioning would cost roughly $350,000 per project in today’s dollars (about $700,000 total for both sites). The company offered to post the full bond at the time of building permit instead of funding it over 10–11 years; the amendment adopted by the board formalized that offer and added an inflation escalation mechanism (2.9% annual adjustment and routine re-evaluations) and options to require reissuance of bond value at intervals.

Preemption and appeals: County staff and the zoning director repeatedly noted that if a renewable energy facility complies with state rules and the county zoning ordinance, state law limits the county’s ability to deny the permit; the zoning director said the landowner or developer could appeal a denial and that litigation with the state is a possibility.

What the board decided: After debate over public notice, open-house timing, bond mechanics and whether the county could legally require more than state rules permit, the board approved the permit with the amendment requiring upfront decommissioning funding. The final vote on the special-use permits was recorded as 14 ayes and 6 nays.

Next steps: The condition requires the developer to deliver the agreed bond amount to the county before a building permit is issued; the developer indicated it would provide the bond documentation and the county will incorporate the condition into the building-permit review. The developer said construction is planned for next summer and the company expects to operate under a 25-year power contract with Ameren for electricity sales and subscriber credits.

Quotes:
"We can deliver 10% discount to Ameren customers' utility bills every month," Arena Renewables’ Illinois director said when describing the community-solar subscription model.
"So long as our renewable facility follows the state's rules and that we also follow the state's rules... we cannot say no," the county zoning director said, summarizing the limits imposed by state law on local denials.

Authorities referenced: county zoning ordinance; state agricultural-impact/decommissioning requirements (AIMA) and the Department of Agriculture’s oversight of decommissioning and bonding for solar facilities.

Clarifying details: Juniper 1 — 5 MW; Juniper 2 — 3.4 MW; company estimate of decommissioning bond: roughly $350,000 per project; company offered to post 100% of decommissioning bond at building permit; contract to sell electricity to Ameren for 25 years; vegetation under panels described as "pollinator-friendly," 2–3 feet tall and mowed 2–3 times per year; access road width 18 feet; panels expected to degrade ~1.5% first year, ~0.5% per year thereafter.

Provenance: Discussion and votes on Arena Renewables Juniper 1 & 2 special-use permit (topic intro SEG 354 — topic finish SEG 1755).

Ending: The county’s condition places decommissioning finance and inflation protection at the center of approvals for community solar; the developer said it would provide the specified bond and proceed to building-permit review with the county.