102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3704

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Lance Yednock

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
55 ILCS 5/5-12020
65 ILCS 5/11-13-26
505 ILCS 147/1
505 ILCS 147/5
505 ILCS 147/10
505 ILCS 147/15

    Amends the Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Changes the short title to the Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act. Broadens the purpose of the Act to include construction and deconstruction of pipelines and electronic transmission lines. Includes pipeline owner and electrical transmission line owner in the definition of "agricultural impact mitigation agreement", "construction", "county", "deconstruction", and "underlying agreement". Defines "Agricultural Inspector", "pipeline owner", and "pipeline". Contains guidelines for pipeline and electronic transmission line owners to address environmental impact before starting construction. Amends the Counties Code and the Illinois Municipal Code to make conforming changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB3704LRB102 16078 KMF 21451 b

1    AN ACT concerning Pipeline and Electronic Transmission
2Line Environmental Impact.
 
3    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4represented in the General Assembly:
 
5    Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing
6Section 5-12020 as follows:
 
7    (55 ILCS 5/5-12020)
8    Sec. 5-12020. Wind farms, electric-generating wind
9devices, and commercial wind energy facilities.
10Notwithstanding any other provision of law or whether the
11county has formed a zoning commission and adopted formal
12zoning under Section 5-12007, a county may establish standards
13for wind farms and electric-generating wind devices. The
14standards may include, without limitation, the height of the
15devices and the number of devices that may be located within a
16geographic area. A county may also regulate the siting of wind
17farms and electric-generating wind devices in unincorporated
18areas of the county outside of the zoning jurisdiction of a
19municipality and the 1.5 mile radius surrounding the zoning
20jurisdiction of a municipality. There shall be at least one
21public hearing not more than 30 days prior to a siting decision
22by the county board. Notice of the hearing shall be published
23in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. A

 

 

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1commercial wind energy facility owner, as defined in the
2Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation
3Act, must enter into an agricultural impact mitigation
4agreement with the Department of Agriculture prior to the date
5of the required public hearing. A commercial wind energy
6facility owner seeking an extension of a permit granted by a
7county prior to July 24, 2015 (the effective date of Public Act
899-132) must enter into an agricultural impact mitigation
9agreement with the Department of Agriculture prior to a
10decision by the county to grant the permit extension. Counties
11may allow test wind towers to be sited without formal approval
12by the county board. Any provision of a county zoning
13ordinance pertaining to wind farms that is in effect before
14August 16, 2007 (the effective date of Public Act 95-203) may
15continue in effect notwithstanding any requirements of this
16Section.
17    A county may not require a wind tower or other renewable
18energy system that is used exclusively by an end user to be
19setback more than 1.1 times the height of the renewable energy
20system from the end user's property line.
21    Only a county may establish standards for wind farms,
22electric-generating wind devices, and commercial wind energy
23facilities, as that term is defined in Section 10 of the
24Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation
25Act, in unincorporated areas of the county outside of the
26zoning jurisdiction of a municipality and outside the 1.5 mile

 

 

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1radius surrounding the zoning jurisdiction of a municipality.
2(Source: P.A. 100-598, eff. 6-29-18; 101-4, eff. 4-19-19.)
 
3    Section 10. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
4changing Section 11-13-26 as follows:
 
5    (65 ILCS 5/11-13-26)
6    Sec. 11-13-26. Wind farms. Notwithstanding any other
7provision of law:
8        (a) A municipality may regulate wind farms and
9    electric-generating wind devices within its zoning
10    jurisdiction and within the 1.5 mile radius surrounding
11    its zoning jurisdiction. There shall be at least one
12    public hearing not more than 30 days prior to a siting
13    decision by the corporate authorities of a municipality.
14    Notice of the hearing shall be published in a newspaper of
15    general circulation in the municipality. A commercial wind
16    energy facility owner, as defined in the Renewable Energy
17    Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act, must enter
18    into an agricultural impact mitigation agreement with the
19    Department of Agriculture prior to the date of the
20    required public hearing. A commercial wind energy facility
21    owner seeking an extension of a permit granted by a
22    municipality prior to July 24, 2015 (the effective date of
23    Public Act 99-132) must enter into an agricultural impact
24    mitigation agreement with the Department of Agriculture

 

 

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1    prior to a decision by the municipality to grant the
2    permit extension. A municipality may allow test wind
3    towers to be sited without formal approval by the
4    corporate authorities of the municipality. Test wind
5    towers must be dismantled within 3 years of installation.
6    For the purposes of this Section, "test wind towers" are
7    wind towers that are designed solely to collect wind
8    generation data.
9        (b) A municipality may not require a wind tower or
10    other renewable energy system that is used exclusively by
11    an end user to be setback more than 1.1 times the height of
12    the renewable energy system from the end user's property
13    line. A setback requirement imposed by a municipality on a
14    renewable energy system may not be more restrictive than
15    as provided under this subsection. This subsection is a
16    limitation of home rule powers and functions under
17    subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois
18    Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units
19    of powers and functions exercised by the State.
20(Source: P.A. 99-123, eff. 1-1-16; 99-132, eff. 7-24-15;
2199-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-598, eff. 6-29-18.)
 
22    Section 15. The Renewable Energy Facilities Agricultural
23Impact Mitigation Act is amended by changing Sections 1, 5,
2410, 15, 90, 95, and 99 as follows:
 

 

 

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1    (505 ILCS 147/1)
2    Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Renewable
3Energy Facilities Agricultural Impact Mitigation Act.
4(Source: P.A. 99-132, eff. 7-24-15; 100-598, eff. 6-29-18.)
 
5    (505 ILCS 147/5)
6    Sec. 5. Purpose. The primary purpose of this Act is to
7promote the State's welfare by protecting landowners during
8the construction and deconstruction of commercial renewable
9energy facilities, pipelines, and electric transmission lines
10to ensure that land affected by these projects is restored to
11its pre-construction condition..
12(Source: P.A. 99-132, eff. 7-24-15; 100-598, eff. 6-29-18.)
 
13    (505 ILCS 147/10)
14    Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
15    "Abandonment of a commercial wind energy facility" means
16when deconstruction has not been completed within 18 months
17after the commercial wind energy facility reaches the end of
18its useful life. For purposes of this definition, a commercial
19wind energy facility will be presumed to have reached the end
20of its useful life if (1) no electricity is generated for a
21continuous period of 12 months and (2) the commercial wind
22energy facility owner fails, for a period of 6 consecutive
23months, to pay the landowner amounts owed in accordance with
24the underlying agreement.

 

 

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1    "Abandonment of a commercial solar energy facility" means
2when deconstruction has not been completed within 12 months
3after the commercial solar energy facility reaches the end of
4its useful life. For purposes of this definition, a commercial
5solar energy facility shall be presumed to have reached the
6end of its useful life if the commercial solar energy facility
7owner fails, for a period of 6 consecutive months, to pay the
8landowner amounts owed in accordance with the underlying
9agreement.
10    "Agricultural impact mitigation agreement" means an
11agreement between the pipeline owner, electrical transmission
12line owner, commercial wind energy facility owner or the
13commercial solar energy facility owner and the Department of
14Agriculture described in Section 15 of this Act.
15    "Agricultural Inspector" means a person hired by a
16pipeline, electric transmission line owner, or commercial
17renewable energy facility and approved by the Department who
18will work with the facility throughout the construction and
19deconstruction phases to ensure compliance with the provisions
20of the Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement.
21    "Commercial renewable energy facility " means a commercial
22wind energy facility or commercial solar energy facility as
23defined in this Act.
24    "Commercial solar energy facility" means a solar energy
25conversion facility equal to or greater than 500 kilowatts in
26total nameplate capacity, including a solar energy conversion

 

 

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1facility seeking an extension of a permit to construct granted
2by a county or municipality before the effective date of this
3amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly. "Commercial
4solar energy facility" does not include a solar energy
5conversion facility: (1) for which a permit to construct has
6been issued before the effective date of this amendatory Act
7of the 100th General Assembly; (2) that is located on land
8owned by the commercial solar energy facility owner; (3) that
9was constructed before the effective date of this amendatory
10Act of the 100th General Assembly; or (4) that is located on
11the customer side of the customer's electric meter and is
12primarily used to offset that customer's electricity load and
13is limited in nameplate capacity to less than or equal to 2,000
14kilowatts.
15    "Commercial solar energy facility owner" means a private
16commercial enterprise that owns a commercial solar energy
17facility. A commercial solar energy facility owner is not nor
18shall it be deemed to be a public utility as defined in the
19Public Utilities Act.
20    "Commercial wind energy facility" means a wind energy
21conversion facility of equal or greater than 500 kilowatts in
22total nameplate generating capacity. "Commercial wind energy
23facility" includes a wind energy conversion facility seeking
24an extension of a permit to construct granted by a county or
25municipality before the effective date of this Act.
26"Commercial wind energy facility" does not include a wind

 

 

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1energy conversion facility: (1) that has submitted a complete
2permit application to a county or municipality and for which
3the hearing on the completed application has commenced on the
4date provided in the public hearing notice, which must be
5before the effective date of this Act; (2) for which a permit
6to construct has been issued before the effective date of this
7Act; or (3) that was constructed before the effective date of
8this Act.
9    "Commercial wind energy facility owner" means a private
10commercial enterprise that owns or operates a commercial wind
11energy facility. A commercial wind energy facility owner is
12not nor shall it be deemed to be a public utility as defined in
13the Public Utilities Act.
14    "Construction" means the installation, preparation for
15installation, or repair of a pipeline, electric transmission
16line, or commercial renewable energy facility.
17    "County" means the county where the pipeline, electric
18transmission line, or commercial renewable energy facility is
19located.
20    "Deconstruction" means the removal of a pipeline, electric
21transmission line, or commercial renewable energy facility
22from the property of a landowner and the restoration of that
23property as provided in the agricultural impact mitigation
24agreement.
25    "Department" means the Department of Agriculture.
26    "Landowner" means any person (1) with an ownership

 

 

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1interest in property that is used for agricultural purposes
2and (2) that is a party to an underlying agreement.
3    "Pipeline" means all parts of those physical facilities
4through which gas, carbon dioxide, oil, or other hazardous
5liquid moves in transportation, that crosses or is located in:
6        (1) Illinois; and
7        (2) one or more other states.
8    "Pipeline Owner" means a private commercial enterprise
9that owns a pipeline.
10    "Underlying agreement" means the written agreement with a
11landowner, including, but not limited to, an easement, option,
12lease, or license, under the terms of which another person has
13constructed, constructs, or intends to construct a pipeline,
14electric transmission line, or commercial wind energy facility
15or commercial solar energy facility on the property of the
16landowner.
17(Source: P.A. 99-132, eff. 7-24-15; 100-598, eff. 6-29-18.)
 
18    (505 ILCS 147/15)
19    Sec. 15. Agricultural impact mitigation agreement.
20    (a) A pipeline owner, electric transmission line owner, or
21a commercial renewable energy facility owner of a commercial
22wind energy facility or a commercial solar energy facility
23that is located on landowner property shall enter into an
24agricultural impact mitigation agreement with the Department
25outlining construction and deconstruction standards and

 

 

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1policies designed to preserve the integrity of any
2agricultural land that is impacted by pipeline, electric
3transmission line, or commercial renewable energy facility
4construction and deconstruction. The construction and
5deconstruction of any pipeline, commercial wind energy
6facility, electric transmission line, or commercial solar or
7wind energy facility shall be in conformance with the
8Department's standard agricultural impact mitigation agreement
9referenced in subsection (f) of this Section. Except as
10provided in subsection (a-5) of this Section, the terms and
11conditions of the Department's standard agricultural impact
12mitigation agreement are subject to and may be modified by an
13underlying agreement between the landowner and the commercial
14solar energy facility owner.
15    (a-5) Prior to the commencement of construction, a
16commercial solar energy facility owner shall submit to the
17county in which the commercial solar facility is to be located
18a deconstruction plan. A commercial solar energy facility
19owner shall provide the county with an appropriate financial
20assurance mechanism consistent with the Department's standard
21agricultural impact mitigation agreement for and to assure
22deconstruction in the event of an abandonment of a commercial
23solar energy facility.
24    (a-10) Prior to the commencement of construction, a
25pipeline owner shall submit to the Federal Energy Regulatory
26Commission (FERC) an executed agricultural impact mitigation

 

 

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1agreement. The executed agricultural impact mitigation
2agreement shall be included as part of the pipeline's
3submissions to FERC, and the pipeline shall request FERC
4include a statement affirming the pipeline's adherence to the
5construction standards and policies in any environmental
6assessment or environmental impact statement, or both, that
7may be prepared on the pipeline.
8    (b) The agricultural impact mitigation agreement for a
9commercial wind energy facility shall include, but is not
10limited to, such items as restoration of agricultural land
11affected by construction, deconstruction (including upon
12abandonment of a commercial wind energy facility),
13construction staging, and storage areas; support structures;
14aboveground facilities; guy wires and anchors; underground
15cabling depth; topsoil replacement; protection and repair of
16agricultural drainage tiles; rock removal; repair of
17compaction and rutting; land leveling; prevention of soil
18erosion; repair of damaged soil conservation practices;
19compensation for damages to private property; clearing of
20trees and brush; interference with irrigation systems; access
21roads; weed control; pumping of water from open excavations;
22advance notice of access to private property; indemnification
23of landowners; and deconstruction plans and financial
24assurance for deconstruction (including upon abandonment of a
25commercial wind energy facility).
26    (b-5) The agricultural impact mitigation agreement for a

 

 

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1commercial solar energy facility shall include, but is not
2limited to, such items as restoration of agricultural land
3affected by construction, deconstruction (including upon
4abandonment of a commercial solar energy facility); support
5structures; aboveground facilities; guy wires and anchors;
6underground cabling depth; topsoil removal and replacement;
7rerouting and permanent repair of agricultural drainage tiles;
8rock removal; repair of compaction and rutting; construction
9during wet weather; land leveling; prevention of soil erosion;
10repair of damaged soil conservation practices; compensation
11for damages to private property; clearing of trees and brush;
12access roads; weed control; advance notice of access to
13private property; indemnification of landowners; and
14deconstruction plans and financial assurance for
15deconstruction (including upon abandonment of a commercial
16solar energy facility). The commercial solar energy facility
17owner shall enter into one agricultural impact mitigation
18agreement for each commercial solar energy facility.
19    (b-10) The agricultural impact mitigation agreement for a
20pipeline shall include, but is not limited to, such items as
21restoration of agricultural land affected by construction and
22deconstruction of the pipeline; support structures;
23aboveground facilities; underground pipeline depth; topsoil
24removal and replacement; rerouting and permanent repair of
25agricultural drainage tiles; interference with irrigation
26systems; weed control; rock removal; repair of compaction and

 

 

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1rutting; construction during wet weather; land leveling;
2prevention of soil erosion; repair of damaged soil
3conservation practices; compensation for damages to private
4property; clearing of trees and brush; access roads; weed
5control; advance notice of access to private property;
6indemnification of landowners; deconstruction plans;
7agricultural inspector requirements; and financial assurance
8for deconstruction.
9    (c) For commercial wind energy facility owners seeking a
10permit from a county or municipality for the construction of a
11commercial wind energy facility, the agricultural impact
12mitigation agreement shall be entered into prior to the public
13hearing required prior to a siting decision of a county or
14municipality regarding the commercial wind energy facility.
15The agricultural impact mitigation agreement is binding on any
16subsequent commercial wind energy facility owner that takes
17ownership of the commercial wind energy facility that is the
18subject of the agreement.
19    (c-5) A commercial solar energy facility owner shall, not
20less than 45 days prior to commencement of actual
21construction, submit to the Department a standard agricultural
22impact mitigation agreement as referenced in subsection (f) of
23this Section signed by the commercial solar energy facility
24owner and including all information required by the
25Department. The commercial solar energy facility owner shall
26provide either a copy of that submitted agreement or a copy of

 

 

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1the fully executed project-specific agricultural impact
2mitigation agreement to the landowner not less than 30 days
3prior to the commencement of construction. The agricultural
4impact mitigation agreement is binding on any subsequent
5commercial solar energy facility owner that takes ownership of
6the commercial solar energy facility that is the subject of
7the agreement.
8    (d) If a commercial renewable energy facility owner seeks
9an extension of a permit granted by a county or municipality
10for the construction of a commercial wind energy facility
11prior to the effective date of this Act, the agricultural
12impact mitigation agreement shall be entered into prior to a
13decision by the county or municipality to grant the permit
14extension.
15    (d-10) Prior to the commencement of construction, a
16pipeline owner, electric transmission line owner, or
17commercial renewable energy facility owner shall select and
18hire an Agricultural Inspector. An Agriculture Inspector shall
19be authorized to temporarily halt construction,
20deconstruction, and any other restoration activities when the
21Agricultural Inspector determines that a facility is violating
22any provision of the agricultural impact mitigation agreement.
23Upon making the decision to temporarily halt activities, the
24Agricultural Inspector must immediately contact the facility
25representative, General Contractor of the project, the
26Department's Bureau of Land and Water Resources, and any

 

 

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1impacted landowners, tenants and agents.
2    (e) The Department may adopt rules that are necessary and
3appropriate for the implementation and administration of
4agricultural impact mitigation agreements as required under
5this Act.
6    (f) The Department shall make available on its website a
7standard agricultural impact mitigation agreement applicable
8to all pipeline, electric transmission line, and commercial
9solar and wind energy facilities within 60 days after the
10effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General
11Assembly.
12    (g) Nothing in this amendatory Act of the 100th General
13Assembly and nothing in an agricultural impact mitigation
14agreement shall be construed to apply to or otherwise impair
15an underlying agreement for a pipeline, electric transmission
16line, or commercial solar and wind energy facility entered
17into prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
18100th General Assembly.
19(Source: P.A. 99-132, eff. 7-24-15; 100-598, eff. 6-29-18.)