Cook County Completes Largest Solar Project at Skokie Courthouse

New panels will generate over 1,700 megawatt-hours of clean energy annually, powering half the courthouse's needs.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 10:55pm

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An abstract painting with sweeping geometric shapes and organic patterns in shades of green, blue, and yellow, conceptually representing the flow of renewable energy.Cook County's investment in large-scale solar power generation helps power public facilities with clean, renewable energy.Markham Today

Cook County has completed a major solar power installation at the Skokie Courthouse, creating the largest solar array in the county. The new panels will generate over 1,700 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, meeting half the courthouse's annual power needs and the equivalent of powering 150 homes.

Why it matters

This project is a significant step forward in Cook County's ambitious clean energy goals, which aim to power all county facilities with 100% renewable electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030. The Skokie solar array is part of a broader county-wide initiative to install solar panels at 17 additional locations.

The details

The solar panels have been installed on the Skokie Courthouse building and its parking garage. County officials estimate the new system will generate enough electricity to account for half of the courthouse's annual power usage.

  • The Skokie Courthouse solar project was completed in April 2026.
  • A similar solar panel project was completed at the Markham Courthouse in August 2025.

The players

Toni Preckwinkle

Cook County Board President, who announced the completion of the Skokie solar project.

Cook County

The local government entity that owns and operates the Skokie Courthouse and is leading the county-wide solar energy initiative.

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What they’re saying

“We set ambitious goals to combat climate change, and we are achieving them. These solar installations allow us to generate clean energy on-site, reduce pollution, lower operating costs, and move closer to our goal of powering County facilities with 100% renewable electricity.”

— Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President

What’s next

Cook County plans to install solar panels at 17 additional locations as part of its broader clean energy initiative, with the goal of reaching 100% renewable electricity for all county-owned and operated facilities by 2030.

The takeaway

This solar project at the Skokie Courthouse demonstrates Cook County's commitment to transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources and reducing its environmental impact. The scale of this installation highlights the county's leadership in sustainable infrastructure and its progress towards ambitious climate goals.