Months after receiving an unfavorable recommendation from the Montgomery County Advisory Plan Commission, Copper Box Solar has returned with a revised petition seeking to rezone approximately 1,800 acres from agricultural to agricultural overlay for a proposed commercial solar energy system.
The Montgomery County Advisory Plan Commission will conduct a public hearing on the revised petition at 4 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Montgomery County Government Center, 1580 Constitution Row, Crawfordsville. Residents who cannot attend the meeting may submit written comments to Montgomery County Administrator Tom Klein at Tom.Klein@montgomerycounty.in.gov before the hearing.
The project returns after its original rezoning request was withdrawn earlier this year.
In March, the plan commission heard more than three hours of public comments from residents, farmers and energy advocates before voting 6-2 to send an unfavorable recommendation to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Before the commissioners could consider the request, ENGIE North America, Copper Box Solar’s parent company, withdrew the petition.
Company officials say several developments since then prompted the revised application.
“In just a few months, a number of things changed to bring about opportunities for the benefit of all of Montgomery County,” said Julie Vitek, vice president of communications for ENGIE North America.
Vitek said legislation signed by Gov. Mike Braun on March 12 reinstated a tax depreciation floor for clean energy projects in Indiana. According to the company, the change would more than double the projected tax contributions Copper Box Solar would provide to Montgomery County.
She said the company also continued gathering feedback from residents following the March hearing and incorporated changes into the updated petition.
“We have submitted an updated application which incorporates the updated economic development benefits and refinements that we know were particularly important to neighboring landowners,” Vitek said. “These improvements include but are not limited to an updated site layout, enhanced screening and further sound mitigation.”
Vitek said Indiana is facing increasing energy demand in a rising-cost environment and said the revised proposal would provide one of the lowest-cost forms of electricity generation while helping meet that demand.
The proposal seeks to rezone land across 19 parcels in Madison and Union townships. According to project information previously presented to the plan commission, approximately 890 acres would contain fenced solar arrays and electrical equipment, while the remaining acreage would include setbacks, buffers, access roads and vegetative ground cover. Company representatives have said the project could generate up to 200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 33,000 homes, represent an estimated $300 million investment and create about 250 temporary construction jobs.
During the March public hearing, supporters said the project would provide additional tax revenue for local governments and schools, create construction jobs and help meet Indiana’s growing demand for electricity. Proponents said solar leases provide farmers with another source of income while allowing landowners to determine how their property is used. Energy advocates said the project would create cleaner air, attract new business investment and improve pollinator habitat through native vegetation planted throughout the site. Copper Box Solar representatives also assured residents the land could return to agricultural use after the facility’s estimated 30-year lifespan and noted the project exceeded county setback requirements by placing panels more than 500 feet from nearby homes.
Opponents argued the project would remove productive farmland from agricultural use and conflict with the county’s comprehensive plan. Residents also raised concerns about potential impacts on nearby property values, drainage systems, wildlife habitat and neighboring farms. Others questioned potential fire hazards and whether local fire departments would have the equipment and training necessary to respond to an emergency at a commercial solar facility. Some expressed concerns about the project’s proximity to conservation areas and its potential long-term effect on farming land. Following the March hearing, plan commission members said their unfavorable recommendation was based primarily on three statutory rezoning factors: consistency with the county’s comprehensive plan, the existing agricultural character of the area and the land’s continued suitability for crop production.
Following the Aug. 11 public hearing, the plan commission will vote on whether to recommend approval or denial of the revised rezoning request. The recommendation will then be forwarded to the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, which will make the final decision on the petition.
