Battery storage land in DeKalb County, Illinois

Read later amendments alongside the code

The county ordinance register lists O2026-007 as approved on May 20, 2026. Its general code directory still states an update through February 2026. The May document replaces the energy-storage provisions; relying only on an older code download can miss that change.

Ask the developer which version it used and whether any later amendments affect the proposal. Keep the document date with your notes. If you already received an offer based on the 2023 battery ordinance, ask for an updated explanation of the review path and proposed layout rather than assuming the earlier advice still applies.

Reference: DeKalb County: approved 2026 ordinances · DeKalb County: code directory and stated update date · DeKalb County: adopted Ordinance 2026-007, including storage provisions

Confirm the use category and governing authority

The amendment concerns unincorporated county land and separates private accessory storage from its larger energy-storage provisions. Storage associated with commercial solar or wind is treated separately in the definition. Have the team identify the category and office for the actual design.

Describe whether the proposal is a separate battery project, equipment serving an existing business or an addition to an existing energy site. Share the parcel location and any current agreement. Ask what the developer would need to change if the category or governing authority differs from its initial assumption. You should not have to calculate an electrical rating to submit an inquiry.

Reference: DeKalb County: adopted Ordinance 2026-007, including storage provisions

Understand permission to apply before signing it

The storage application provisions address owner acknowledgment when the applicant does not own the land. If the developer requests your signature, ask to see the proposal it plans to submit and the exact permission the document gives.

Compare that request with any option, entry rights and map already discussed. Ask who is authorized to represent the proposal, how you will receive application changes and whether the requested permission is limited to a particular layout. Permission to seek review, the land agreement and final approval need to be explained separately.

For example, you may be willing to discuss a corner of a field but want to keep the existing farm lane. Before authorizing an application, check that its drawing shows that lane and the area you intend to retain. Ask how your approval of a revised boundary would be handled.

Reference: DeKalb County: adopted Ordinance 2026-007, including storage provisions

Discuss drainage before the site is changed

The amendment addresses farmland drainage, repair and agricultural damage. Ask for the proposed drainage plan and how existing conditions will be documented. Include any tile map, drainage-district information or history of wet areas you already have.

If you keep farming the remaining land, explain how water moves through both the reserved area and the retained fields. Ask who investigates a blocked tile, who arranges repair and how crop damage would be documented. Discuss access for that work as well as access to the battery.

A useful owner note might say: “The field drains toward the southern ditch, and the tile location is uncertain. I need to keep the lane open during harvest.” That identifies work the design team needs to investigate without asking you to produce an engineering solution.

Reference: DeKalb County: adopted Ordinance 2026-007, including storage provisions

Have any waiver and removal arrangement reviewed

The storage text includes recorded-waiver provisions and a decommissioning plan with financial assurance. Ask your reviewer to explain the requested documents for your property, including what survives a sale and how removal funding is maintained.

If a waiver is requested, put the affected boundary or neighboring use on the drawing. Ask why the design needs it, what changes if the equipment moves and what happens if the project is never built. Do not assume that accepting rent explains the effect of a separate recorded document.

For removal, ask who prepares the estimate, who can use the security and how you would learn about a lapse or change. Discuss foundations, cables, soil, drainage and roads, including anything you would prefer to retain. Keep the operator’s current contact details with the agreement.

Reference: DeKalb County: adopted Ordinance 2026-007, including storage provisions

Match the option period to the remaining work

Ask for a list of completed and remaining steps: property rights, local review, site design, electrical studies and any other approvals the team identifies. Beside each step, write the evidence available and the date expected. A hearing recommendation should not be described to you as a final construction decision.

Request the payment schedule for investigations, construction and operation. Find out what starts rent, who can extend the reservation and what happens if a needed step cannot be completed. A county storage rule does not establish utility capacity or determine your compensation.

Start your Sunland inquiry with contact details and the location. Add DeKalb County, current use, available area and any received offer if known. Property details are optional. An inquiry does not grant entry, authorize an application or reserve the land.