Dubois County officials provide information on Crossvine Solar project, community meeting planned
AES is preparing a stakeholder engagement program with an open house in November as residents raise questions about battery storage systems and project scope.
Dubois County officials are addressing community concerns about the Crossvine Solar project, with developer AES planning a public meeting in November to provide detailed information about the renewable energy development.
County Highway Engineer Levi Leffert told commissioners he has been fielding numerous questions from residents about the solar project and associated battery energy storage systems planned south of Huntingburg and west of the Huntingburg Airport. In response to those questions, Leffert reached out to AES for some answers.
He told them that AES is currently preparing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program that will include a dedicated website with detailed project information and location specifics.
“Keep an eye out for the website,” Leffert said. “They should have one together here soon.”
The company also plans to hold an open house with the community in November, with officials indicating November 13 as the likely date, pending final confirmation around Veterans Day scheduling conflicts.
“The open house will be a great opportunity for community members to come speak to them in person, where they can answer any and all questions and hear out concerns that they can proactively work to address as a project develops,” Leffert explained.
The November meeting will feature handouts and visual materials designed to increase transparency about the project. AES plans to send invitations to neighbors and community members and welcomes suggestions for additional outreach methods, including newspaper advertisements and local media.
Some residents questioned why they did not receive initial project notifications, Leffert said. AES told him they only sent letters to property owners within a 0.25-mile radius of the geotechnical investigation area, with broader outreach planned for the full project beginning in November.
The project includes battery energy storage systems located next to CenterPoint’s proposed substation off Holland Road Northeast. These systems will be designed and installed according to National Fire Protection Association standards as outlined here, and the project has undergone a hazard mitigation analysis.
AES told the county it plans to coordinate with local authorities and equipment manufacturers to provide first responder training before the systems become operational. The company emphasized it operates hundreds of battery energy storage projects safely across the country.
County Commissioner Chad Blessinger and Leffert stressed that the solar development represents private property agreements between landowners and the solar company, though the county maintains involvement through road use agreements due to potential impacts on local infrastructure.
“It’s not a Dubois County job. It’s not a highway department job. It is the property owners entering into agreements with the solar owners to make those projects happen,” Leffert explained. “But it does impact the county, and we understand that.”
The highway department requires road use agreements with the project since construction and operations will affect local roads and potentially impact them negatively.
“There are people in the community that they want to lease their large pieces of land to these people, that’s their private property,” Blessinger stated. “Our job as a county is to protect county assets and the health and safety of our residents, and that’s what we intend to continue doing.”
Blessinger stated Nina Santarpia serves as the stakeholder relations representative for AES and has been working with county officials, including Colton Pippinger with Dubois Strong, to address community questions and concerns.
County Commissioners have received three preliminary layout maps showing the project’s scope. The development spans a significant area, located approximately half a mile from Highway 161 on the western side and a similar distance from Highway 231 on the airport side.
Officials acknowledge that community members have expressed concerns about potential safety issues, including questions about what would happen if battery systems malfunction. The hazard mitigation analysis conducted by AES addresses these safety concerns and will be available for public review.
AES has requested contact information for residents with specific concerns, indicating the company wants to establish direct communication channels rather than having county officials serve as intermediaries.
“They ask that if you have any questions or concerns, they would like to get contact information for any of these concerns locals because they want to reach out to them directly,” county representatives explained.
County officials strongly recommend that residents with questions or concerns attend the November community meeting to engage directly with AES representatives and obtain comprehensive information about the Crossfine Solar project and its associated infrastructure.
The project remains in preliminary design stages, with more detailed information expected to become available through the company’s forthcoming website and the planned November stakeholder meeting.
