(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – The Greensburg Board of Zoning Appeals met on Wednesday evening to hear and discuss the ongoing Greensburg Solar Project proposal.
RWE Clean Energy presented the project overview under the direction of RWE Development Lead Francisco Galeano.
The project footprint suggests that roughly 1,000 acres of land in Washington and Clinton townships will be utilized for solar panels.
The proposal also notes that if the proposal is approved, construction could begin as early as the end of 2025 with the solar projects lasting 35 to 40 years.
The RWE presentation said that the project “will not consume ag land; it will introduce a new alternative business venture.”
Decatur County landowners and farmers in favor of the project mentioned the opportunities for solar grazing. This phenomenon allows livestock, typically sheep, to manage vegetation surrounding the panels.
Those in support of the project also addressed concerns with land covered in solar panels not producing food and stated that “every acre used in solar energy creation reduces the need for 40 acres producing ethanol and those acres and go into true food or feed production.”
The Decatur County Citizens Stop Industrial Solar & Wind group also spoke on behalf of their concerns and opposition to the project.
DCCSISW addressed their concerns that the project could potentially lead to additional projects inhabiting prime agricultural farmland in the future. The group also touched on health and safety concerns.
One of the younger voices in the group is North Decatur junior Garrett Schwering.
Schwering said he opposes solar projects on farmland as he thinks about losing careers in the agricultural industry and worries about the outcome that a younger generation will be left with when the lifespan of the project expires.
“They’re not looking toward my generation and most of them in 30 to 40 years won’t be here,” Schwering said. “My generation will be dealing with the repercussions of their decision with the solar panels.”
After roughly three hours hearing from both sides, the BZA decided to conclude the meeting after 10 p.m. and will reconvene at a later date, giving the board time to evaluate the new information before casting their votes.
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