Pride of the Prairie Solar
EARTHRISE ENERGY
Earthrise Energy is an independent power producer with a mission of adding new sources of clean energy to the grid faster than ever before. Earthrise acquires, owns, and operates existing power plants and leverages their transmission infrastructure to accelerate renewable energy development, bringing projects online 2-3x faster than typical “greenfield” solar development. Earthrise owns and operates 1.7 GW of natural gas-fired peaking plants and is planning 1.5 GW of complimentary solar projects across the Midwest.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Earthrise’s Pride of the Prairie Solar project represents over 600 MW of proposed solar energy in Will County. Pride of the Prairie Solar will be on land leased and/or purchased from private landowners and located near Earthrise Energy’s natural gas plant in Manhattan. This project will leverage the existing transmission infrastructure at the Lincoln Generating Facility in Manhattan to connect to the electric grid, adding complimentary power generation, producing electricity when the natural gas plant does not. Combined with Plum Valley Solar, these two projects will generate enough electricity to power approximately 110,000 homes.
PRIDE OF THE PRAIRIE OVERVIEW
| Capacity at Point of Interconnection | 600 MWac |
| Location | Village of Manhattan, Townships of Manhattan, Green Garden and Wilton |
| Point of Interconnection | Lincoln Generating Facility, 41.39, -87.94 |
| Commercial Operation Date | 2028 |
| Anticipated Project Life | 35-50 Years |
| Regional Transmission Operator | PJM |
| Setbacks from Solar Array (at least) | Adjacent Residences – 150’ Adjacent Property Lines – 50’ Public Rights of Way – 50’ |
PRIDE OF THE PRAIRIE PROJECT AREA
By the numbers
Pride of the Prairie Solar will generate an estimated
$3.5 million
in new tax proceeds to local taxing bodies in the first year of operations
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS, FIRST YEAR BREAKDOWN
- Will Country: $311,544
- Joliet Junior College: $162,705
- Frankfort Fire District: $129,783
- Manhattan Fire District: $389,802
- Green Garden Township Road Funds: $74,220
- Manhattan Township Road Funds: $32,600
- Wilton Township Road Funds: $172,575
- Green Garden Township Funds: $21,807
- Manhattan Township Funds: $9,863
- Wilton Township Funds: $54,167
- F.W. MultiTownship Assessment: $3,112
- Community Mental Health Board: $15,925
- Forest Preserve: $52,923
- Village of Manhattan: $10,726
- Village of Manhattan Road & Bridge: $65
- Peotone Public Library: $43,092
- Manhattan-Elwood Library: $30,744
- Manhattan Park District: $56,271
- Peotone Community Unit School District 207-U: $1,870,684
- Manhattan School District 114: $75,420
EMPLOYMENT
Pride of the Prairie Solar will be 100% union built. Earthrise Energy’s prospective general contractor has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the IBEW, IUOW, and LIUNA unions.
Pride of the Prairie will generate significant employment opportunities during construction and commercial operations.
| Construction | Operations | |
| Direct | 668 | 9.0 |
| Indirect | 625 | 35.4 |
| Induced | 803 | 12.3 |
| Total | 2096 | 56.7 |
TIMELINE
2025
USE PERMITS
2026
APPROVALS
2026
BEGINS
2028
OPERATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL, SITE INVESTIGATION,
AND AVOIDANCE
Earthrise Energy prioritizes environmental stewardship through comprehensive studies and mitigation. Field investigations inform the design of the facility, minimizing impact on wetlands, archaeological sites, habitats, and other sensitive areas. Earthrise ensures there are cover crops, thorough drain tile mapping, and other remediation techniques to maintain proper drainage throughout the project.
WETLAND AND STREAM DELINEATION
1. Site plans will avoid impacts to jurisdictional wetlands and bodies of water.
2. Final engineering and building permit plans will prioritize avoidance.
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES REVIEW
1. Project design will minimize habitat impacts.
2. There will be no impact to listed Federal or State rare species.
CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY
1. Archaeologically and historically sensitive areas are being surveyed and studied.
2. Archaeological evaluations are underway with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
DRAIN TILE
1. Earthrise is working with landowners and drainage consultants to locate, and map drain tiles in the project area.
2. Earthrise will avoid, reroute, or repair drain tile to maintain proper drainage.
Construction for the Pride of the Prairie Solar project is anticipated to last 18-24 months. Earthrise will coordinate closely with local jurisdictions to keep the public informed.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Earthrise Energy is registered as a Public Benefit Limited Liability Company (PBLLC), which means that we align our goals with the long-term needs of all our stakeholders. We strive to be active and engaged in our communities through our RISE Grant giving, workforce development programs, scholarships, and event sponsorships. Earthrise has financially supported organizations like The Nature Foundation of Will County, ShareFest of Will County, United Way of Will County, the Manhattan Park District, The Manhattan Fire District, and many more. Earthrise has awarded scholarships to both Joliet Junior College and Governors State University. In addition, Earthrise is active in multiple chambers of commerce and has sponsored a wide variety of local events.
