Noble County, IN — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

50 ft from non-participating property line OR 300 ft from nonparticipating dwelling (whichever is greater) — CSES Overlay District Ordinance, adopted Nov 2021. 6-ft perimeter fence required. Noise limit: 50 A-weighted dB (hourly avg) at fence. Proposed increase to 750 ft setback raised by Commissioners in 2024.

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

Cautious/neutral

R-majority Commissioners; NE Indiana; Indiana Michigan Power territory; limited pipeline; no major BZA votes on record

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Indiana Renewable Energy law (IURC): no Renewable Portfolio Standard — Indiana repealed its RPS (HB 1271, effective 2023).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

Multiple BZA special exceptions | 20–60 MW | 2019–2024. Noble County (Ligonier/Kendallville area), northeast Indiana. I&M serves Noble County. Multiple BZA special use permits 20-60 MW. Flat agricultural land.

No confirmed IURC denials. Local BZA process controls. HEA 1381 repealed RPS 2023.