Duff Solar project denied second phase expansion for now

County Commissioners agreed the expansion of the Duff Solar project into a second phase would remain on pause as officials study and consider enacting new ordinances regulating their installation.

Commission Chad Blessinger stated he had been approached by officials from EDP Renewables, the company installing the Duff Solar Park. Blessinger said the current project is south of the railroad tracks along County Road 600 West, and they had planned a second phase to continue on the north side of the tracks.

“They asked what is the likelihood that we would look at their application and consider approval of their phase two,” he told the commissioners.

The area included in Phase 2 would extend north to the Patoka River access near Division Road.

“That is a huge footprint,” Blessinger said, adding that they had said they didn’t plan on building it all out.

Blessinger told them that the chances of approval are essentially nonexistent under current circumstances.

During the meeting, he asked the other two commissioners what their thoughts were on it.

Commissioner Nick Hostetter supported maintaining the rejection stance during the moratorium period, emphasizing the need to complete the current review process before considering new applications.

“At least during the moratorium period, I have no appetite to approve anything new,” he said. “I think once we review and maybe reset some standards at that point, we can discuss it again.”

Commissioner Serice Stenftenagel agreed. “I’m not in favor of that,” she said.

The rejection comes as county officials continue researching regulatory authority over battery storage systems associated with solar developments. Blessinger said he had reached out to the Indiana Office of Energy Development and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security seeking clarification on installation and expansion requirements for battery systems.

Initial responses from state agencies have been limited, with one official confirming receipt of the inquiry and indicating that legal departments are reviewing the questions to provide accurate information.

“I received one comment that said, hey, you’ve written to the right person. And that was about it,” Blessinger explained. “Basically they said, we received your email.”

The research effort stems from ongoing questions about local regulatory authority over various aspects of solar developments, particularly battery storage components.

“We have had many people say, you can regulate that, you can regulate that, but from what we’ve looked at, that hadn’t necessarily been the case,” Blessinger noted.

County officials plan to continue researching regulatory authority until they obtain definitive answers about what local governments can and cannot regulate regarding solar developments and associated infrastructure.

The moratorium on new solar projects remains in effect while commissioners work to establish clearer standards and guidelines for future development proposals. The current review process aims to address community concerns and regulatory questions before considering any new applications.