By James P. Economos, DDS, Opinion Contributor
In September 2025, the DeKalb County Board approved a massive 2,000-acre solar farm despite the DeKalb Plan Commission wisely rejecting the proposal. Local Democrats, joined by a handful of misguided Republicans, pushed the project through. At the same time, a much smaller 40-acre solar site was also approved.
On paper, the large project is projected to generate 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity, while the smaller one would produce 5 MW. But here’s the problem: these predictions are hardly ironclad. The track record for both wind and solar projects is riddled with underperformance and reliability issues. And what’s almost never mentioned? The toxic waste that must eventually be disposed of once these panels are decommissioned.
To put this in perspective, 300 MW of power is theoretically enough to supply about 300,000 homes, or 750,000 people. But that’s only a rough guideline – it doesn’t fully account for seasonal demand spikes, commercial usage, or the inefficiencies that plague solar production.
Now consider the alternative: nuclear energy. A single modular nuclear reactor, such as the GE Hitachi BWRX-300, requires only about 35 acres of land – yet it can produce the same amount of power as this 2,000-acre solar farm. That means you could install one reactor on the site and still preserve nearly 1,950 acres of rich, productive farmland. Scale it further, and 55 modular reactors on the same acreage could provide enough power for over 41 million people, or 16.5 million homes.
Opponents of nuclear power rarely mention the full story. Nuclear plants produce zero emissions, have an impeccable safety record, and – while they require a cooling water source – offer unmatched efficiency and reliability.
Meanwhile, solar panels in Illinois sit idle for much of the winter when covered in snow or ice. They are also vulnerable to tornadoes and hail damage. Even Italy recently banned ground-mounted solar panels on farmland, recognizing that food security should take precedence over inefficient energy schemes.
Illinois farmland is among the most productive in the world, and paving over it with solar panels is a colossal mistake. If solar energy must be part of the equation, build the farms in arid regions where crops cannot grow. But here in DeKalb County, sacrificing lush farmland for unreliable solar panels is not “green energy” – t’s just taking more of your green, as in Ben Franklin’s.
