Community solar provider Nexamp and solar and storage developer TurningPoint Energy have cut the ribbon on two community solar projects in Minonk, Illinois.

Located in central Illinois’s Woodford County, the project currently sit on top of former coal mining land, officials say. With a combined capacity of 9.8 MWdc and nearly 17,000 solar panels across 40 acres, the projects aim to “transform legacy fossil fuel land into a long-term source of clean, reliable energy for area residents, businesses, and institutions.”

“Standing on this former coal site today and seeing it continue its role in powering our communities is a powerful symbol of Illinois’ energy future,” says Illinois State Sen. Chris Balkema. “This Minonk community solar project demonstrates how we can build on our energy heritage while embracing new opportunities.

“I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes coal, natural gas, nuclear, solar, wind, and emerging technologies—because affordable, reliable energy is essential for lowering costs for families, attracting investment, and supporting quality jobs right here in Woodford County.”

Minonk Mayor Russell Ruestman says the projects represent a shift in energy policy for the Land of Lincoln. For generations, the site represented fossil fuels; now with the mine closed, it leans toward the future.

“Additionally, I am proud that these projects can deliver savings to local residents and institutions, make productive use of a former coal site, and demonstrate what’s possible when public and private partners work together,” Ruestman adds.

Pushing the distributed generation sector forward

Once fully online and operational, the energy from the new community solar projects will go into Commonwealth Edison’s (ComEd) grid system, officials say. The projects will be among ComEd’s first to incorporate Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) smart-grid technology, monitoring and managing distributed generation resources in real time.

The community solar initiative is “exactly the kind of project” that Nexamp aims to put onto the American energy grid, says CEO Zaid Ashai.

“By turning a former coal mine into a pair of community solar farms, we are helping hundreds of subscribers reduce their energy costs today while strengthening their energy security for the long term,” he says. “By pairing that affordability with U.S.-manufactured equipment and advanced grid tools like DERMS, these Minonk projects not only put clean power within reach for households and institutions, they also show how community solar can make the grid smarter, more resilient, and better prepared for Illinois’ clean energy future.”

The two projects are already fully subscribed across ComEd’s eligible communities, the companies say. One project will serve about 450 residential customers, with the other including about 200 low-income households in its reach. Additionally, the projects boast two “institutional anchor subscribers” in the form of the Rush University Medical Center and the College of DuPage.

Salar Naini, president of TurningPoint Energy, says the projects’ completion reflects both the strength and utility of the firm’s partnership with Nexamp, as well as the role community project play in the future of the U.S. energy industry.

“By transforming a former coal site into a long-term clean energy resource, we are demonstrating how smart policy, private investment,” he says, “and experienced development partners can work together to repurpose legacy energy assets into solutions that advance affordability, reliability, and decarbonization.”

Tags: Community Solar, Illinois, Nexamp, project, TurningPoint Energy