1. (a) Any or all areas within the boundaries of a single county may be incorporated as a single renewable energy production special district. The territory incorporated in a district formed under this Act shall be contiguous and may contain any territory not previously included in any renewable energy production district.
2. (b) Fifty or more of the legal voters resident within the limits of the proposed district or a majority if there are fewer than 100 legal voters, hereinafter referred to as the "petitioners", may petition the circuit court for the county in which the proposed district is located to cause the question to be submitted to the legal voters of the proposed district whether the proposed territory shall be organized as a renewable energy production special district under this Act. The petition shall be addressed to the court and shall set forth (i) a definite description of the boundaries of the territory to be embraced in the proposed district, (ii) the name of the proposed district, and
3. (iii) a request that the question be submitted to the legal voters of the proposed district.
4. (c) In the event that 2 or more petitions covering in part the same territory are filed prior to the public hearing upon the petition first filed, the petitions shall be consolidated for public hearing, and a hearing thereon may be continued to permit the giving of sufficient notice upon any petition or petitions.

5. (d) The petitioners shall give at least 20 days notice prior to a hearing of the time and place of a hearing upon the subject of the petition. The notice shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the proposed renewable energy production special district or, if there is no newspaper of general circulation within the proposed renewable energy production special district, then by posting copies in 10 of the most public places within the boundaries of the proposed district at least 20 days before the meeting.

   The filing fee on the petition and the costs of printing and publication or posting of notices of public hearings shall be paid by the petitioners.

6. (e) At the hearing on the petition, all persons in the proposed renewable energy production special district shall have an opportunity to present evidence, be heard concerning the creation, location, and boundary of the proposed district, and make suggestions regarding the same, provided, however, that the court may refuse to allow evidence or testimony deemed cumulative. After hearing statements, evidence, and suggestions, the court shall fix and determine the limits and boundaries of the proposed district, and for that purpose and to that extent, may alter and amend the petition. In determining the limits and boundaries of the proposed district the court may consider, among other factors, the public interest and whether the territory contained within the proposed district contains only portions of one or more electoral districts. After the determination by the court the limits and boundaries shall be incorporated in an order, and the order shall be filed in the records of the court. Upon the entering of the order, the court shall certify the order and the proposition to the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition to the voters at the next permissible election in accordance with the general election law. In addition to the requirements of the general election law, notice of the referendum shall include a description of the boundaries of the territory to be embraced in the proposed district and the name of the proposed district.

   The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:

   Shall a renewable energy production special district to be known as the (name of the proposed district) be incorporated? The proposed district encompasses (description of territory in the proposed district).

   Votes shall be recorded as "YES" or "NO".

   The court shall cause a statement of the results of the election to be filed in the records of the court. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question are in favor of the incorporation of the proposed renewable energy production special district, then the district shall thereafter be an organized renewable energy production special district under this Act, and the court shall enter an order accordingly and cause the same to be filed in the records of the court and shall also send to the county clerk a certified copy of the order organizing the district.

(Source: P.A. 97-265, eff. 8-8-11; 97-1110, eff. 8-27-12.)