Cook County honored for solar energy efforts

Cook County has received a Bronze designation from the national SolSmart program for making it faster, easier, and more affordable for homes and businesses to go solar.

"I believe this award is a significant step forward in establishing Cook County as a world-class model of sustainability," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a news release Monday. "I applaud the hard work of our Departments of Environment and Sustainability and Building and Zoning in making going solar faster, cheaper and easier in Cook County. For companies looking to expand, a SolSmart Bronze designation is a signal that our county is 'open for solar business.'"

SolSmart is led by The Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. More than 150 cities, counties, and small towns have achieved SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016.

As a SolSmart designee, Cook County is helping solar companies greatly reduce the cost of installations and pass those savings on to consumers, officials said.