Jasper County, IN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

None codified. No county-specific setbacks adopted.

Jasper County Area Plan Commission (APC): CUP or Improvement Location Permit (ILP) in Agricultural district.

Strongly supportive / economic development focus

County incentive framing; BZA vote history; Mammoth Solar community engagement

Stable

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.

Indiana Renewable Energy law (IURC): no Renewable Portfolio Standard — Indiana repealed its RPS (HB 1271, effective 2023).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.

Dunns Bridge Solar I (NIPSCO / NextEra Energy Resources) | 265 MW / ~900,000 panels / ~3,000 acres | IURC Cause No. 45052 Approved 2020 | Construction 2022 | Operational 2022–2023 — adjacent to NIPSCO R.M. Schahfer coal plant site; ~$59M in Jasper County property tax revenue over project life; ~300 construction jobs; agrivoltaic pollinator habitat program Dunns Bridge Solar II (NIPSCO / NextEra) | 435 MW solar + 75 MW / 300 MWh BESS | IURC Approved | Construction completed 2024 | Operational — Jasper and Starke Counties; NIPSCO's largest single renewable project Roselawn Solar (unnamed developer) | ~300 MW | BZA Special Exception Approved 2022 | Under development COMBINED JASPER SOLAR: approximately 700 MW operational or under development as of Mar 2026; one of the highest-density solar counties in Indiana

No confirmed denials on record as of Mar 2026.