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Brown County, IN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

46.2
Risk Grade
Good
Most Stringent ordinance and heavily forested/hilly terrain combine to create a de facto ban. Brown County State Park identity and arts/tourism economy create strong community opposition to any industrial land use including solar. Zero applications submitted; zero expected. Structural constraint: <5% of land area is flat enough for utility-scale development.
Assessment Snapshot
Population
14,957
State Rank
#19
Compliance
90%
Trajectory
50

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
None codified. No county-specific setbacks adopted.
Zoning Mechanism
Brown County Area Plan Commission (APC): CUP or Improvement Location Permit (ILP) in Agricultural district.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
No utility-scale market — Indiana's most forested county; Brown County State Park and Hoosier National Forest adjacency cover terrain entirely unsuitable for solar; no developer interest on record
Basis for Assessment
R-majority Commissioners; forested Brown County hills; state park adjacency; no utility-scale solar viable; terrain constraint — not political opposition
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
[Board of County Commissioners] | See county website | Republican | Term Expires: Unknown

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
MISO / Duke Energy Indiana or Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) zone (verify by project location)
Utilities
Duke Energy Indiana, South Central Indiana REMC
State Permitting Process
Local permit: Special Exception (SE) in A-1 Agricultural zoning via county Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA); some counties use two-step process (Plan Commission recommendation + BZA approval). BZA SE is the standard county-level pathway for all utility-scale solar. IURC CPCN: Indiana Code §8-1-8.5 — IURC Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity (Cause No.) required for generating facilities >80 MW; process runs parallel to county BZA SE and does not replace it. IURC approval does NOT override a county BZA denial except where federal jurisdiction applies (see Mammoth Solar / Pulaski County precedent, 2023). IC 36-7-4: Indiana Code §36-7-4 limits how restrictive county ordinances can be for solar; basis for developer preemption litigation against overly restrictive ordinances (Randolph County 2024 litigation pending). SB 411 (2022): Voluntary 'solar-ready county' designation for counties meeting solar-friendly siting standards. SB 390 (2023): $1/MWh financial incentive for solar-ready counties.
State Incentives
Indiana Renewable Energy law (IURC): no Renewable Portfolio Standard — Indiana repealed its RPS (HB 1271, effective 2023). Net metering: available for ≤1 MW retail customer generation (IURC regulated utilities); Indiana Michigan Power (AEP), Duke Energy Indiana, Vectren/CenterPoint, NIPSCO offer programs. IURC CPCN: required for generating facilities ≥80 MW. HEA 1381 (2022): counties retain siting authority for solar in unincorporated areas. No state cash incentive program for solar. Utility: Duke Energy Indiana serves central/eastern IN; NIPSCO (NiSource) serves NW IN (Cook/Lake/Porter); Indiana Michigan Power (AEP) serves northeastern IN; Vectren/CenterPoint serves SW IN; REMC cooperatives serve rural areas.

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
No confirmed utility-scale solar projects on public record as of Mar 2026.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed denials on record as of Mar 2026.

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Last verified: April 2026 (training knowledge) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes