Op-ed: Delaware County should take advantage of utility solar benefits now

The three members of the Delaware County Commission imposed a fourth moratorium against utility solar at its Feb. 18 meeting.

While the fourth moratorium is in place, the goal of the county commission is to rewrite the county’s current utility solar ordinance, which has never been allowed to go into effect because of three previous moratoria. Once it is written, the next step is to have the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Plan Commission members review the new ordinance at its April 3 meeting.

Why have the commissioners been unable to move forward? Disinformation and residents’ anger.

That said, as local governmental officials continue to delay welcoming new business into the county, Delaware County residents continue to miss out on benefits that surrounding county governments and their residents are receiving via economic development agreements and charitable donations from utility solar companies.

Right now, Delaware County generates zero electricity for its own use or others. The county has to import all of its electricity from other Indiana counties or from out of state.

Most other counties in East Central Indiana, except Grant, have completed projects or will start them soon. Blackford has four projects approved that will start construction in the next year and a half. Madison, Henry, Randolph and Wayne counties already have utility solar in operation.

All these projects are important to their communities, as well as to Indiana because the state is energy-insecure. Indiana uses three times as much electricity as it produces.

First, let me share how the county that has had renewable energy the longest in East Central Indiana is benefitting.

Randolph County has been in the renewable energy business for more than 10 years.

As a result, here are some of the benefits.

• A Randolph County leader says the county estimates that 24 percent of its tax base will be supported by renewables with the completion of its last solar project in 2027, which means lower property taxes for homeowners.

• By 2027, the landowners with energy projects on their farmland can expect about more than $400,000 of monthly revenue to be distributed among them. I’m sure some of this money will be spent locally, and money spent locally contributes to the economic health of a county.
• Modoc and Losantville have had $1.5 million spent in their communities to fix their sewers. A new water tower has been built, too.
• More than $1 million in repairs have been done to Randolph’s courthouse.
• Economic development money allowed for the purchase of a new ambulance and repairs to a county bridge.
• The one energy company that has worked in Randolph County has been generous in setting up a community foundation and paying for any number of special activities.

I know of at least four companies that want to build utility solar facilities in Delaware County. What hidden financial benefits might these companies offer Delaware County?

I encourage you to contact our county commissioners and let them know that Delaware County needs a utility solar ordinance that is workable for solar utility companies, that meets the state’s recommendations so Delaware County can be recognized as an energy-ready county and supports landowners’ property rights. The county eliminated wind from its renewable energy portfolio years ago.

Delaware County commissioners are as follows:

Shannon Henry, president: shenry@co.delaware.in.us

Stephen Brand, vice president: sdbrand@co.delaware.in.us

Sherry Riggin: sriggin@co.delaware.in.us

Keep in mind, too, that the state is looking at building small nuclear energy plants, which would take upwards of 15 years to build. I’m not against nuclear power, but I would prefer utility solar because it’s ready to be built now in Delaware County. We need the electricity.

I would like to see Delaware County and its residents benefit from having renewables in its county. Recall the positive steps forward other counties in East Central Indiana are taking and benefiting from.

Sheryl Swingley is a retired Ball State University journalism instructor, and the courses she taught included science writing. She is now a utility solar activist in Delaware County.