en.Wedoany.com Reported - Nexamp, the largest fully integrated distributed generation and community solar provider in the United States, together with TurningPoint Energy, a community solar and energy storage developer, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Minonk, Illinois, to celebrate the successful commissioning of two community solar projects located on a former coal mine site in Woodford County. These two solar farms transform land previously used for fossil fuel extraction into long-term energy facilities supplying clean electricity to local residents, businesses, and institutions.
The two Minonk community solar projects have a total installed capacity of 9.8 megawatts (MWdc), featuring 16,950 solar panels spread across approximately 40 acres, with the generated electricity directly fed into the ComEd grid. Both projects utilize 100% U.S.-manufactured components, reflecting a commitment to the domestic clean energy supply chain and local employment.
These projects are built on a former coal mine that extracted the Colchester coal seam for approximately 75 years (from the late 19th to early 20th century). Under the Illinois Shines program, they are certified as brownfield projects, earning credits for restoring disturbed land to productive use. They also represent the first Illinois Shines community solar developments in Woodford County, highlighting the county's leadership in adopting shared solar as a pathway for economic development and environmental restoration.
Illinois State Senator Chris Balkema stated that seeing the former coal mine land continue to power the community is a powerful symbol of Illinois' energy future. The Minonk community solar project demonstrates the opportunity to carry forward the energy legacy while embracing new opportunities. Minonk Mayor Russell Ruestman added that the project not only saves costs for local residents and institutions but also effectively utilizes the former coal mine site.
The Minonk projects are among the first on the ComEd system to integrate Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS). DERMS technology enables real-time monitoring and management of distributed energy resources. By integrating DERMS into the two community solar arrays, these projects help ComEd more effectively balance loads, manage variability, and facilitate smoother integration of clean energy into the grid, supporting grid reliability as Illinois expands renewable energy generation.
Mark Baranek, Senior Vice President of Technical Services at ComEd, noted that collaborating with Nexamp on the first projects to use DERMS on its system supports more flexible and efficient grid interconnection for community solar. Nexamp continues to demonstrate its innovative capacity to create greater renewable energy accessibility in Illinois.
The two Minonk community solar projects are nearly fully subscribed, with over 650 unique participants reflecting strong local and regional interest in shared renewable energy. One project serves approximately 450 residential customers, while the second includes about 200 low-income residential customers, expanding clean energy savings to historically underserved households. The projects also feature two institutional anchor customers: Rush University Medical Center and College of DuPage. Together, these two institutions account for 40% of the combined projects' total offtake, providing a stable foundation that enables broader community participation.
Ian Hughes, Director of Environmental Sustainability at Rush University Medical Center, stated that community solar is preventive medicine, reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality in vulnerable communities, bringing communities closer to the healthier, more sustainable future patients deserve.
Developed by TurningPoint Energy and constructed, owned, and operated by Nexamp, these Minonk projects mark the first collaboration between the two companies in Illinois. The projects contribute to Illinois' long-term goal of replacing 100% of its existing energy with renewable sources by 2050. They were built using prevailing wage labor, ensuring that the economic benefits of the clean energy transition are shared with skilled workers and local communities.
Zaid Ashai, CEO of Nexamp, pointed out that by transforming a former coal mine into two community solar farms, the projects help hundreds of customers lower energy costs and enhance energy security. Combining U.S.-manufactured equipment with advanced grid tools like DERMS, these projects demonstrate how community solar can make the grid smarter, more resilient, and better prepared for Illinois' clean energy future.
Salar Naini, President of TurningPoint Energy, stated that the successful completion of the Minonk community solar projects reflects the strength of the partnership with Nexamp and the essential role community solar must play in achieving Illinois' long-term energy goals. By converting former coal mine sites into long-term clean energy resources, it showcases how smart policy, private investment, and experienced development partners can work together to repurpose legacy energy assets into solutions that advance affordability, reliability, and decarbonization.
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