Northern Illinois Public Storage sites to soon be solarized in major community deal

Public Storage plans to put solar panels on 60 of its rooftops in northern Illinois over the next two years, working with developer Solar Landscape. The projects fall under ComEd's service territory and will feed 44 megawatts of power into the grid through community solar, a setup that lets nearby homes and businesses subscribe to a shared solar project and get credit on their electric bills, even if they can't put panels on their own roof.

ComEd says it expects to have around 400 community solar installations across its northern Illinois territory by the end of the year, which the utility calls a national leading pace. The buildout is backed by two state clean energy laws, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the Clean and Renewable Grid Affordability Act. If you live in ComEd territory, this could mean a new option to sign up for a community solar subscription and see savings on your electric bill, worth watching for as these Public Storage sites come online.

The project is also expected to support about 300 construction jobs, with several workforce training groups, including STEP-UP Solar, the Chicago Urban League, and local YouthBuild programs, preparing residents for solar careers. Public Storage says it already runs the largest solar program in the self-storage industry and plans to expand solar to 1,300 of its properties nationwide by the end of 2026.