Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Illinois

Utility-scale solar plants by county in Illinois

Morgan County, White County and Clay County have the most utility-scale solar capacity in Illinois, with 770.8 MW (AC), 299 MW (AC) and 252 MW (AC).^[1]

Utility-scale solar plants in Illinois came online between 2009 and 2025.^[1]

The table lists the 27 counties with at least 20 MW (AC) in total, each with its own page.^[1] Counties with less than 20 MW (AC) in total: Winnebago County (19.6 MW), Clinton County (14 MW), Kane County (10.3 MW), Knox County (10 MW), Peoria County (10 MW), Williamson County (9.3 MW), Jo Daviess County (9 MW), Livingston County (9 MW), McDonough County (8 MW), Christian County (7.6 MW) and Edgar County (6 MW).^[1] Also with less than 20 MW (AC) in total: Ogle County (6 MW), Vermilion County (5.6 MW), Macoupin County (4.7 MW), Boone County (4 MW), Grundy County (4 MW), Madison County (4 MW), McLean County (4 MW), Putnam County (4 MW), Marion County (3 MW), Tazewell County (3 MW), Franklin County (2 MW) and Iroquois County (2 MW).^[1] Also with less than 20 MW (AC) in total: Jefferson County (2 MW), Kendall County (2 MW), Richland County (2 MW), Adams County (1.5 MW), Carroll County (1.5 MW), Henderson County (1.4 MW) and Henry County (1 MW).^[1]

Source: U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USGS, LBNL), version 4.0, released April 14, 2026. Data compiled November 1, 2026.

How solar leases pay

Federal guidance for farmers describes solar lease payments as typically structured as a fixed annual or monthly fee per acre, or as a percentage of the energy generated by the solar panels.^[2] Rent during the operations period will likely include an inflation adjustment, which may be tied to a measure like the Consumer Price Index or set at a fixed rate.^[3] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^[4]

What you sell and what you keep

What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. Solar rent is paid period by period, the operations period may last 20 years or more, and renewals are at the developer's option.^[3] The land can be converted back to agricultural uses at the end of the installation's operational life.^[2]

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties

Mineral rights in Illinois

Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Illinois

Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Illinois

Sources

[1] U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026) — U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026)

[2] Farmer's Guide to Going Solar — U.S. Department of Energy (accessed November 1, 2026)

[3] Farmland Owner's Guide to Solar Leasing — Ohio State University Extension and the National Agricultural Law Center (accessed November 1, 2026)

[4] Solar Lease Considerations for Landowners — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (accessed November 1, 2026)