Macon County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

08(G) of the Macon County Code, adopted by Ord. O-157-03-25 on March 13, 2025 as part of the county's new Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Siting chapter, ties BESS lighting to a named outside standard: any lighting at a BESS site must comply with the provisions and guidance of the International Dark-Sky Association. The rule layers on two more limits beyond simply following that guidance: lighting must be limited to what is minimally required for safety and operational purposes, so a site cannot be lit more than necessary to run and secure it, and whatever lighting exists must be reasonably shielded and downcast from all residences and adjacent properties, not just from directly bordering parcels.

08's design requirements for BESS installations, which include 200-foot setbacks from parcel lines and public rights-of-way, a 500-foot setback from nonparticipating residences, a 35-foot height cap, and required fencing and screening. The lighting condition, like the rest of Chapter 157, is imposed through the special use permit the County Board and Zoning Board of Appeals grant before a BESS project can be built, and is checked as part of that siting and building permit process.