Solar Energy Developer Underscores Value for Mattoon Community Solar

For Immediate Release – September 8, 2025

Company will present to Mattoon City Council on September 16.

MATTOON, IL – SEPTEMBER 9, 2025 – Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), an independent power producer focused on clean energy infrastructure, wants to more clearly share with Mattoon residents, officials and others the details and benefits behind its proposed Hayes Community Solar Project. The array would be located just north of Dodge Grove Cemetery.

Representatives of GSI plan to attend the September 16 Mattoon City Council meeting to present the many ways the Hayes Solar project would benefit Mattoon and its residents; share photo-realistic renderings of how the project will look upon completion and after one to four years; and answer questions from officials and community members.

“We recognize that we could have communicated better in the past; and we are confident Mattoon’s officials and residents will see the value of taking an objective look at this project,” shared GSI’s Senior Project Developer Drew Rogerson. “GSI has a good track record in Illinois and in the 11 other states where we work; and we hope to be a good neighbor here in Mattoon, too.”

Once this project is completed, nearly 1,000 Mattoon homes could sign up at no cost to benefit from the Hayes Community Solar project. Each household would receive a 10-20% discount on their electric bill, every month for 35 years, regardless if utility rates increase.

Why This Parcel of Land:

Members of the subdivision closest to the site have asked why this project can’t be built further north on other land the landowner holds. The answer comes down to two key factors: First, the landowner has only made this specific piece available for consideration; and second, any solar project needs to connect to the electrical grid. And to be financially feasible, a community-sized project like this must be located near an existing substation. This parcel is the only available land near the substation, which makes it a viable location.

What Community Solar Offers:

Broad benefits: Community solar (CS) is designed to benefit multiple stakeholders, including: the local / hosting community, electric ratepayers, the power company and the developer.
Lower energy costs: CS reduces local, subscribing ratepayers’ electric bills 10-20% every month over 35 years.
Efficient siting: The CS array must be located near an interconnection point (electric substation) to connect to the local distribution grid.
Small footprint: Unlike utility-scale projects (which often occupy 700+ acres), CS uses 20-30 acres. Hayes Solar would use just 21 acres.
Clean energy goals: CS is designed to help states meet their climate and renewable energy goals through widely distributed generation sources.

What (some) Residents Think:

GSI spent a few days conducting in-person surveys in Mattoon to learn what residents think about solar energy and this project, specifically. A total of 51 people responded: 36 Mattoon residents (M) and 15 Coles County residents (C) living outside of Mattoon. Two key questions and the selected answers offer useful insights:

When asked, “What aspects of a small, local community solar project in Mattoon do you like?”:

83% of Mattoon residents, 73% of Coles County residents and 80% overall said they like that it “Lowers local electricity bills for residents.” (M: 30/83%, C: 11/73%, Total (T): 41/80%)
A majority of Mattoon and Coles County respondents said they like thatthe program “Offers cost savings to low-income families” and “Supports job creation or training for local workers.
Only five of 51 respondents said, “Regardless of these benefits, I don’t like the idea.”

When asked, “How do you feel about the idea of Mattoon / Coles County making its own clean, renewable energy from the sun?” A majority of Mattoon and Coles County respondents said they “really like the idea.”

Approximately 150 residents living close to the project signed a petition opposing it (and many came to the July 22^nd) planning commission meeting to voice their concerns and opposition). GSI responded to these concerns by offering:

Significant Design & Material Changes:

Planting a natural screen of shrubs and planted trees (that are seven feet high at the time of planting) along the entire project perimeter surrounding the array. Photo renderings, which will be presented on September 16, are also visible HERE;
Increasing the setback to nearly 700 feet between the eastern edge of the array and the closest home on Evergreen Court;
Increasing the setback to 500 feet between the southwestern corner of the array and the closest home on North 28th Street; and
Relocating the access road to the north-western side of the project, thus avoiding Evergreen Court and entering from North 33rd Street / North County Road 400E.

GSI hopes that Mattoon officials and residents consider the following community investment and savings the project will deliver…

Community Investment & Savings:

Estimated $12 million in savings on electric bills for Mattoon residents over 35 years. (Average of nearly 20% savings on every bill for each resident who signs up.)
$600,000 in direct community support through our Host Community Benefit Agreement over the life of the project.
$583,411 in solar property taxes paid to Mattoon over 35 years, with $363K going to School District 2.
$156,000 in scholarships to LIFT Vocational Training over 25 years.
Enough clean energy to power 750–1,000 local homes every year.
Up to 50 good-paying jobs created over a one-year period.
Absolutely no cost to residents to participate – just lower bills.

Construction & Disruption:

The project construction would be completed in four to six months.
No concrete foundations are used with the arrays and there are no permanent structures. Instead, vertical steel pillars are placed into the ground on which horizontal beams are placed to hold the panels. The soil is maintainedin place for future use; and the site will be restored at the end of the project’s life.
Naturally occurring (or planted) groundcover and wildlife would continue to co-exist with the panels.

Sight & Noice Concerns:

The solar array would be nearly invisible at street level.
An attractive array of Aspen trees and shrubs would be planted along the entire perimeter.
The panels are silent.
There would be no light emitted from the project.

“We thank the people of Mattoon for the opportunity to build something positive and lasting,” added Rogerson.