Orion Sold Solar Project BEFORE it Was Built

[FTW]

This article "may" have come from a newspaper, but we are not sure which one, since Rockport Indiana does NOT have a local town newspaper.

Spencer County Council keeping tabs on Troy solar project
Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 9:34 am
By DON STEEN

TROY – While the ownership of the planned solar array in Troy is in flux at the moment, the project is still moving forward. The Spencer County Council has been keeping tabs on recent developments, particularly in lieu of the proposed solar farm passing from Troy Solar LLC to Vectren, the Evansville-based company that is itself undergoing a merger with CenterPoint Energy.

Council attorney John Wetherill reported that as the solar-energy project is now under the ownership of Vectren, the tax abatements the council agreed to with the original company, Troy Solar, are now void.

However, Vectren or CenterPoint Energy as the surviving company from the merger, could approach the council seeking the same abatements if they so choose.

The council would weigh whether to grant such abatements based on the potential economic impact of the project. The bulk of the development plans remain unchanged, with little in the way of permanent jobs, but considerable potential benefits to overall tax revenues for as long as the array is in business, as well as the promise of lower energy bills for local customers.

The solar array is still in its preliminary stages, but its first phase is scheduled to begin generating power by 2020. The completed array would include 150,000 solar panels, which would generate enough power for 12,000 homes.

Construction of the solar farm will begin after approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. A decision from the commission is expected in the first half of 2019.