Marshall County rejects solar plans

 

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind.-- Marshall County will not move forward with the Tamarack Solar Energy Center project. A 4-1 vote from the Board of Zoning Appeals Dec. 9 denied the proper approvals for Invenergy to move forward with its venture in Union Township. 

"One of the core principles of our comprehensive plan was to preserve the rural nature of Marshall County," said Jesse Bohannon, Marshall County Council President and Commissioner-elect. "While they might call these things solar farms, they're actually power plants. And to add you know, what would have been 1500 acres of power plant to rural Union Township, certainly doesn't preserve the rural nature of the county."

According to inner G's website, the Tamarack solar energy center would have been a 150 MW Solar farm, producing enough electricity to power 29,000 homes, and reduce the emissions equivalent to planting 61 million trees. It would provide 175 construction jobs, and $100 million in local revenue. 

But these promises don't outweigh the harms risks or fears that Marshall County residence are bringing up. The matter was in the hands of the board of zoning appeals, which would have voted last month, but there was so much public engagement, the meeting ran out of time.

The board voted Monday to deny the special exceptions for the solar panels. Invenergy Can reapply with the exact same proposal in one year, but it is likely to face similar backlash.

Bohannon said Marshall County residents largely reject the idea, and that the issue was on the ballot this year.

"We made it very clear to the people that we would do everything we could to stop it," Bohannon said, "And they elected us."

ABC57 previously reported on the lawsuit filed by the Marshall County council against the county commission, alleging one commissioner had a financial conflict of When it came to the solar project.

A special judge from Elkhart County has been appointed to the case, according to Bohannon. But he said he hopes When the new administration comes in come the new year, they can resolve the conflict without going to court.