The following article was posted on our Facebook Group Page

Written by Dean Cervenka


ACTION REQUESTED for all Pulaski County residents, homeowners, and land owners. Solar developers are locking up farm land throughout the county for solar panel installations.

This is done very discretely and the landowner, once signing up their land for 30 years, is also signing a non-disclosure contract. So you may not have been aware of the scope of the project until recently, like I was.

The developer also can extend the contract for 30 year increments, effectively removing the ground from agricultural production forever and the land owner has little control of the ground. Our farm declined these offers.

However, do not assume the farmland out your window or next to your property will stay the same. If you are contemplating buying a home, farm ground, or land in Pulaski County you should also do the research to make sure you will not be surrounded by solar panels in the next couple years. Declining property values already are a concern just based on the recent knowledge that Pulaski County is being converted to a large solar energy plant. Why invest in Pulaski Counties rural ground, homes, small business and the community when solar panels may change the rural landscape that is so hard to find?

Solar panels, invertors, and substations will be on 4,500 acres if the county BZA approves this first project and there is more farm ground being signed up and rumored to be up to 12,000 acres already.

The developer states the plant will produce and export 500MW (up to 1000MW) of power and of course this energy is not for Pulaski County. Land owners are selling out their ground for leases ranging from $1000-$1500 per acre per year with no regard for the long term effect on their neighbors, community, and their own farm ground. The money driving them is a significant lure.

Ag zoning was in place to protect agricultural ground, however, the county planning board, BZA and commissioners are driving through this exception. The Pulaski County ordinances, as written and reviewed, are not strong enough to protect the community and the land. That is one primary reason why Pulaski County is a prime target for these Solar Energy developers.

Go out and contact all of your surrounding neighbors and county officials, and ask if they have signed up their farmland to these solar plants.

If this concerns you… and it should… then attend the Pulaski County BZA meeting on this Monday, August 24th in the Winamac Highway Garage and ask the BZA to decline this exception to turn over 4,500 acres of tillable ground to an unproven solar developer.

This is in your hometown and backyard and will effect the community for generations by loss of prime farm ground, small business, and agricultural jobs. Get involved now as this may be your last chance!

See research at Pulaski County Against Solar Facebook site.