Dear Residents of Prairie Grove,

First, I want to wish all of you a happy and prosperous new year.

I am writing to address rumors circulating about Eolian Energy’s proposed battery energy storage project, known as the “Monarch Grid Project,” and to share the facts as the Village understands them today. My purpose is straightforward, and that is to provide clear, verified information so residents are not left trying to separate truth from speculation.

To start with location, the project Eolian has been discussing is primarily on unincorporated McHenry County land off Behan Road, on the former Frye mink farm site. The total project area being discussed is approximately 52 acres, and roughly 14 acres of that is within Prairie Grove’s municipal limits. In 2024, McHenry County contacted the Village to ask whether Prairie Grove had any interest in annexing the unincorporated land so the entire project would fall within Prairie Grove. That inquiry is how the Village became involved.

Second, and this is important, Prairie Grove has not received a formal application, petition, or zoning request from Eolian for this project. To date, the Village’s involvement has been limited to receiving information and asking questions. For transparency, the PowerPoint presentation Eolian provided during our December 2025 Village Board meeting is linked here so that residents can review the same baseline information the Board received. Our January 6, 2026 Village Board meeting was also live-streamed on Facebook, and the recording remains available on the Village’s Facebook page. No actions in connection with the BESS project were considered or taken at that meeting.

Today, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 25 into law. This legislation, known as the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, takes effect June 1, 2026, and it changes the regulatory landscape for energy projects in Illinois. As we currently understand the legislation, SB25 changes what McHenry County can and cannot do on battery storage siting; it limits the County’s ability to prohibit these facilities in agricultural or industrial zoning districts and requires that any local siting rules be adopted through a zoning ordinance that complies with the new statewide standards. Because SB25 has direct implications for how projects like this are reviewed and regulated, I am also linking a letter I sent to the Governor last November expressing concerns about the bill and urging protection of local control that counties and municipalities previously enjoyed. That letter can be found here.

Village Administrator Freese and I spoke at length today with Eolian representatives. It is our understanding that Eolian intends to move forward with a 600-megawatt project. As described to us, the project is intended to be built on the unincorporated McHenry County land. The only way the footprint would expand into Prairie Grove would be if the Village were to annex the unincorporated property and, as part of that decision-making, allow the project to utilize the additional approximately 14 acres within Prairie Grove’s limits.

We were also told that the overall energy scale would remain 600 megawatts regardless of whether the project is limited to the unincorporated acreage or spread across both areas. What would change is the site design. If Eolian must fit everything within the unincorporated land, the layout and configuration would differ from a design that can utilize the additional Prairie Grove acreage. In practical terms, that could affect the overall layout, buffering, and the size, number, and technology type of battery containers used to deliver the full 600-megawatt capacity.

I want to be perfectly clear: no decision has been made by the Village on annexation or anything else related to this project. The Village Board’s responsibility at this stage is to gather all available information, understand the impacts and the applicable law, and evaluate what is in the best interest of our community. If Eolian submits a proposal or petition we are mandated by law to take it up for consideration; however, no decision will be made without first providing the public with the information available at that time and following the public process required by law.

Eolian’s representatives were receptive to holding a town hall-style meeting, potentially online, for Prairie Grove and surrounding communities, possibly as soon as early February. Once the format and date are confirmed, the Village will announce details through official channels.

I also want to be direct about misinformation. Please be cautious about treating online and social media posts, screenshots, and secondhand summaries as settled fact. This is a high-interest issue, and rumors spread faster than verified information. The Village will share updates as we receive them and as we are able to confirm them.

We will continue gathering and evaluating verified information carefully, and we will keep residents informed here, through official updates. Please consider signing up for Village alerts at https://prairiegrove.org/subscribe-to-updates/.

Very truly yours,

David F. Underwood
Village President