405 Megawatts, Now On Illinois’ Grid
Pulaski Solar is complete and generating. The 405-megawatt facility reached commercial operation ahead of schedule and now delivers zero-carbon electricity to the regional grid, connected by an eight-mile transmission line to Vistra’s retired EEI/Joppa plant.
It is Vistra’s largest solar project anywhere in the country, supported by a long-term commercial power purchase agreement. Over its first fifteen years it is projected to produce roughly 12 million megawatt-hours of electricity.
The $650 million project is the largest private investment in Pulaski County. Construction created 1.2 million hours of work for the building trades — income, benefits and advancement for the families behind it — and an economic boost felt across Illinois. It was financed entirely with private capital, built on land leased from Pulaski County owners by members of Illinois’ union construction trades.
Pulaski Solar within Pulaski County, Illinois.
What Pulaski Solar Means for the County
In 2022 the land this facility sits on generated $62,056 in property taxes. In its first full year on the tax rolls, Pulaski Solar is projected to generate $3.2 million.
County tax base75%Projected rise in Pulaski County’s total equalized assessed value, from $52.9 M to $92.3 M.
First full year$3.2MIn property taxes to local governments.
Over 25 years$57MTotal projected property taxes to local taxing districts.
Permit fee$2.2MOne-time payment to Pulaski County.
More than half of the property taxes paid by the facility support education in the county. Projected revenue over 25 years, by taxing district:
Unit School District 100$26.7 M
Pulaski County$23.5 M
Shawnee Community College$4.8 M
County Unit Road District$1.3 M
Total, 2027–2051$57.0 M
In addition to the property tax revenue, the landowners participating in the project receive significant lease income for as long as it operates.
Property tax and equalized assessed valuation projections were prepared for Vistra by Gruen Gruen + Associates in February 2024, applying the $218,000-per-MWac cost basis set by Illinois Public Act 100-0781, a 25-year depreciation schedule and 2022 tax rates held constant. Actual tax amounts will vary if local rates change. The full analysis is in the project documents below.
Building Pulaski Solar
Building Pulaski Solar was a two-year undertaking, and the economic benefits reached well beyond the property line.
$185 MForecast economic activity from construction, across the local, regional and state economy.
1.2 Million Labor HoursConfirmed hours on the jobsite.
8 milesNew transmission line to the retired EEI/Joppa plant site, complete and carrying power.
Economic modeling developed for the project forecast $185 million in activity from construction. That figure includes wages earned by the trades, equipment and materials purchased, and the spending those dollars set off at businesses throughout the region. Work on this scale is felt across the community, the county, the region and the state.
Pulaski Solar was constructed under a Project Labor Agreement by members of Illinois’ union construction trades. Local vendors shared in the work as well, among them Partridge Landscaping of Grand Chain.
Vistra is committed to being a good neighbor in the communities where it operates and a steward of the properties it manages. Over the course of construction the project team donated an automated external defibrillator to the Karnak Police Department, helped with community storm cleanup, and sponsored the Village of Karnak’s car shows and fireworks.
Construction economic activity was modeled for Vistra by Dr. David G. Loomis, Strategic Economic Research, LLC, and is stated on a statewide basis. The analysis is in the project documents below.
Stewardship of the Property
Pulaski Solar sits on private land leased from owners across the county, who receive income from the project for as long as it operates.
Every utility-scale solar facility in Illinois operates under an Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement, and Pulaski Solar is no exception. An AIMA is negotiated with the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Land and Water Resources before construction begins, and it sets the standards the project must meet to return affected land to its pre-construction capability — covering matters such as soil decompaction and the repair of drainage tile. The State requires these agreements of solar facilities as it does of wind farms, pipelines and transmission lines, specifically to protect landowners’ interests.
While the facility operates, the ground around and beneath the panels is planted in low-growth native vegetation and a native seed mix, installed and maintained by a local contractor. The site is energized, so public access is not permitted.
At the end of the facility’s working life the property is decommissioned and returned to its owners in a condition suitable for agricultural reuse. That commitment is part of the county approval under which the project was built.
Questions About Pulaski Solar
Project Documents
Fact sheets, construction and community updates, open-house materials and the independent economic and property tax analyses prepared for the project. Much of this material was prepared for and shared with residents through Pulaski County’s zoning hearing and review process, and the updates below were distributed to the community as construction progressed.