A white tail deer keeps watch over her three fawns Friday in a corn field along County Road 146 south of Millersburg. The field is within one of the sites for a planned a new solar farm project, which the Elkhart County commissioners will consider Monday. Staff photo by
Joseph Weiser | The Goshen News
GOSHEN — The Elkhart County commissioners are expected to decide next week whether or not to greenlight plans for a large new solar energy farm near Millersburg.
On the agenda for the commissioners’ meeting Monday is a zoning request to allow the development plan for Elkhart County Solar Project, a new initiative led by Missouri-based solar company Savion. The company anticipates investing more than $120 million into the project.
Plans call for installing a series of solar panels within about 850 acres of agricultural land near Ind. 13 south of Millersburg. The sites, leased through agreements with property owners, will sprawl on parcels of the land around C.R. 146, C.R. 46 and C.R. 148 and C.R. 43. Up to 150 megawatts of solar energy are expected to be generated by the array.
The sites were selected primarily because they’re near electric transmission lines owned by American Electric Power. The array would connect to the lines through a substation and switching station, according to plans submitted to the Elkhart County Planning and Development Department.
Details in the plans show the project is expected to produce energy that can power up to 27,700 homes in the state. A provision also shows the project is intended to run at least 30 years, and when complete, the panels and equipment would be removed.
The county plan commission voted 6–3 to recommend approval of the request during their meeting July 8. The decision followed discussions as people appeared at the meeting to speak against or in favor of the project.
The commissioners anticipate hosting a large crowd during their meeting Monday for another round of discussion on the request.
At the plan commission meeting, supporters listed what they saw as benefits to a new solar farm: Clean energy that’s generated locally; the energy can be distributed to homes in Indiana with a potential to lower utility costs; and the technology wouldn’t alter the landscape in the way residential or industrial projects would, according to the meeting minutes.
Opponents argued against what they saw as negative effects. Among the concerns were: The project would contribute to diminishing farm land; have negative effects on wildlife; and that much of the power generated would go out of state through purchase agreements. Concerns about the types of fires that occur at the sites were also expressed.
Some residents, who live near the proposed site were concerned the solar panel array would disrupt the quality of the view from their homes and the rural feel they sought, according to the minutes.
Sara Mills, development director with Savion, and other Savion representatives responded to several of the concerns during the meeting.
In statements to the Goshen News this week, Mills said the company designs projects to fit their environments and local ecosystems, including conducting many environmental studies. She pointed out grass will through the sites, wildlife will be able to roam around the area, and that while fires are uncommon at solar farms, the company will work with local fire departments during the project design on mapping out access routes for emergency responders.
Mills also pointed out the proposed 850 acres for the project amounts to 0.5% of the agricultural land in Elkhart County.
“We see solar as a good fit for the rural character of this area,” Mills said in a statement. “At the end of the project’s life, equipment will be removed from the site and it can be farmed again, if that is what the landowners decide to do.”
Plans for the project show fences surrounding the solar panels would be kept at least 330 feet away from neighboring homes. Mills noted trees and shrubs would help screen the fences and panels.
Mills said the solar farm will connect and pool into Audobon, Pennsylvania-based company PJM’s regional electrical grid. The grid covers several East Coast and Mid-Atlantic states, including parts of northern Indiana.
“At some times of the day, Indiana imports 80% of its power from other states,” Mills said in a statement. “That happens when the area around a power plant isn’t using as much energy as the power plant — but it also leaves Indianans vulnerable to what is happening elsewhere. The energy that will be produced by Elkhart County Solar Project is not different — it will flow outside the local area when it is producing more energy than local homes and businesses are using.”
Mills also said utilities and large energy users can purchase a facility’s electricity output through contracts, and the money from that returns to an area via property taxes.
If approved, Mills said the project could begin operating by the end of 2023.
Since the commissioners anticipate a large crowd for Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Suzanne Weirick said those wishing to speak should be ready to state their name and address before giving their comments, as part of procedure. Speaking priorities will go to residents and the project petitioners.
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