120MW solar project brought to a halt in Tippecanoe County

In a packed Tippecanoe County Office room, the Board of Zoning Appeals made the decision to deny a special exemption for Rainbow Trout Solar, a utility-scale solar project, stopping the plans in their tracks.

After over seven hours of public comment, debate, and rebuttals from the community, the cheers that broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. were tired, but relieved.

The room was largely split down the center aisle, with those on one side wearing bright red shirts or bandanas to express their opposition to the project. Across from them sat a gradient of blues and teals — the colors supporting Rainbow Trout Solar. While the red clearly took up most of the room, the teal supporters had grown in numbers compared to previous meetings regulating Rainbow Trout. Both spilled out of the meeting room’s open doors.

Each side presented their case in-depth, but in the end, the opposition took the win in a tight 4-3 vote against the special exemption request Rainbow Trout needed to move forward. Had the request passed, it would have been the go-ahead for Rainbow Trout to start construction on the 1,700-acre, 120-Megawatt project.

“We submitted a strong proposal that complies with county ordinance, so we’re disappointed in the outcome but appreciate the time the board spent hearing both sides and deliberating their decision,” said Nick Gruzdowich, director of utility scale development for RWE Clean Energy, one of the companies collaborating on Rainbow Trout. “We will carefully review the board’s findings and evaluate options for moving the Rainbow Trout project forward.”

RWE indicated their interests lie in reevaluating why the decision by the board was reached and continuing to pursue the project in the county.

Kenny McCleary, president of the group called Tippecanoe County Residents Against Utility-Scale Solar, also committed to continuing his involvement in solar discussions for the county.

“We have more stories to tell,” he said. Now that the project has been halted, the door is open for the community to come together and discuss what solar energy should look like in Tippecanoe County, McCleary said.

The whole community is on the same side — they all want what’s best for the county and what’s best for renewable development, he said.

Red and teal — what the community had to say

Those in support of Rainbow Trout receiving its special exemption were the first to take the floor. They were a mix of largely company workers involved with the project, local Purdue students, and a few residents in the area.

Many spoke in overall support of renewable development in the face of climate change or rebutted certain arguments they anticipated to be raised by the opposition. Others, specifically members of the Purdue Solar Racing Team, which received sponsorship money from Geenex, spoke to the positive effects of investment in the community.

The supporters argued that Geenex and RWE, the two companies collaborating on Rainbow Trout Solar, had addressed many of the complaints raised by residents.

Native pollinator species would provide benefits to wildlife and protect against erosion. Buffer zones had been increased from county minimums, and the size of the project was reduced from its original scale.

“I want to say that I believe that many of the initial concerns raised with the project were valid,” said Reed Davidson during public comment. “Yet, the developer has listened to the community and responded in good faith.”

But opponents said their concerns were not addressed.

Nearly all members of the group were local residents who would border the panels, and they shared concerns about everything from aesthetic damage to property value decline.

A major point, stressed by multiple members, was the loss of the farmland Rainbow Trout Solar would be built over. The land would have been out of agricultural use for the 40 years that the solar field will be in commission, and many shared worries that it couldn’t be returned to its original state after the removal of the panels.

“This is not a time for leniency. This is not a time to ignore the rules,” said Katherine Sobiereski, concluding the opinions of the resident’s group. “The rules have not been satisfied by this application.”

She referred to Rainbow Trout not addressing missing documentation for drainage, driveways, a power purchase agreement and needed federal and state approvals in their plan.

Representatives from RWE stated that the mentioned documents had either been substituted with other paperwork or would not be required until a later date, when they would be delivered.

Moving forward, RWE plans to determine what went wrong so they can find the best path forward. Despite the loss, “(RWE) remains excited about the opportunity,” Gruzdowich said.

Gruzdowich said he was not able to comment on whether RWE will now be restricted by the June 16 moratorium on Tippecanoe County’s solar ordinance.