This year, Montgomery County is celebrating its’ bicentennial. Sen. Mike Braun praised the county in his letter to the Congressional Record. He used words like quintessentially “Indiana,” the mellow bends of Sugar Creek crossed with covered bridges and the buzzing hometown feel of Crawfordsville. What a beautiful picture that paints! What a wonderful history Montgomery County has.
What if, just what if, by not turning our county into an industrial solar plant, that we are the forward thinkers? What if, in 50 years, our children and our grandchildren look back and say, they are so thankful that this generation didn’t do that to their county?
What if, just around the corner, there is a better renewable energy? Technology is changing at an amazing rate!
Every day, 2,000 acres of farmland are lost due to development in the U.S. This is close to happening in Montgomery County. Approximately 10,000 acres have been signed up to become industrial solar plants. This county has some of the best farm ground in the State of Indiana! Should we be reducing our food source? Remember how COVID affected our economy? It was shocking to go into our local Walmart and see the entire back wall of refrigerated shelves almost empty.
We are in the North Montgomery School District. Across from our home, 1,529 acres have been signed up for solar on 150 E. This would be a 2 1/2-mile stretch from C.R. 550N to C.R. 800N. From my research, it would be at least half a million solar panels.
When a person chooses where to live in Montgomery County, they know in advance what their surroundings will be. How can you live in a residential or agricultural area, and all of a sudden an industrial solar plant be allowed to build within 200 feet of your homes property line?
Finally, solar is not cheap. These solar companies are getting paid $50,000 per acre (our taxpayer dollars) in government subsidies. On 10,000 acres -— that’s $500 million. No wonder there are multiple solar companies raging through our county.
Please share how you feel with our county commissioners, Dan Guard, Jim Fulwider and John Frey. They will have the final say on any amendments made to the solar ordinance.
Let’s leave a better legacy than this to our children and grandchildren.
Julie Bullerdick
Crawfordsville
