The 44 MW community solar portfolio includes 10 energized sites and is expected to serve about 6,150 households while delivering subscriber bill savings and supporting roughly 300 jobs.
ComEd, Solar Landscape and Public Storage said they plan to develop 60 rooftop community solar projects across northern Illinois over the next two years, with 10 already energized, in what they described as one of the largest community solar installations in the state. The portfolio is expected to add 44 megawatts of community solar capacity, generate enough electricity annually to power about 6,150 households and deliver an estimated $750,000 in yearly subscriber electricity bill savings, or more than $36 million over the life of the projects. Average residential subscribers are expected to save about $120 a year. The projects will use about five million square feet of Public Storage rooftop space, turning commercial real estate into distributed energy assets as Illinois faces rising electricity demand from economic growth, electrification and new technologies. ComEd said it expects to have about 400 community solar installations across its northern Illinois territory by year-end and more than 400 sites completed by the end of 2026. The utility also said more than 1.8 GW of distributed energy resources have been connected in Illinois, which it described as the leading Midwestern state for DER capacity. Construction is expected to support about 300 jobs, with workforce development involving STEP-UP Solar, the Chicago Urban League, the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, YouthBuild Lake County and other Illinois YouthBuild programs, as well as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Since 2024, STEP-UP Solar and its partners have trained 139 people for solar careers. The expansion is backed by Illinois clean energy policies including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the Clean and Renewable Grid Affordability Act, and subscriptions are also being taken up by community organizations alongside residents.