It took three years and nine months, but Spencer County, Indiana residents finally WON against the local solar invasion, at least for now.
Here is how we did it.
1. One local resident created several websites dedicated to exposing all of the lies and misrepresentations told by solar developers and much of the main stream media.
2. He also created local social media sites, where the local residents could share information about the following activities:
• Upcoming county or town board meetings,
• Reports of surveyors representing the solar developers, wondering around the county surveying land for future developments
• Distribution points where local residents could pick up anti-solar yard signs, banners and hats that contained the address of his websites.
3. Volunteers contacted local residents and business owners willing to donate cash, in order to help pay for yard signs, banners and hats, that could be donated to residents.
4. Multiple local town meetings were organized and held by town residents, to share knowledge, plans and other strategies that could be used to save our homes and communities.
5. Volunteers went door to door, talking to local residents and passing out anti-solar yard signs.
6. Multiple individuals attended various county and township board meetings and made VIDEO and/or audio recordings of the meetings, so the contents of the meetings could be shared with other local residents that were unable to attend in person.
7. Local citizens PACKED the county and township board meetings so they became standing room only.
8. Local citizens organized volunteers that would CALL commissioners and zoning board members, with requests and additions that could be placed in moratoriums and ordinances.
As a result of being organized, the local residents were able to convince enough board members to write and pass an extra strong ordinance that will virtually prevent any COMMERCIAL solar projects from being built in this county, for now.
However, we also realize these ordinances can be watered down in the future, so we plan on paying close attention to local elections and make sure we support any future board members that will stand fast in upholding these restrictions, AND continuing to attend various board meetings, just to make sure our communities stay safe for our grandchildren.
We also still have one local lawsuit for $30 million, to contend with that was filed by a solar developer against the BZA in one of our towns. We have confidence in the attorney that is handling that lawsuit and plan on having a large crowd attending ALL of the court proceedings to make sure the judge and/or jurors know the voting residents are behind the BZA.
I am attaching a link to a copy of our ordinance AND highlighting a recent addition that blocks all Commercial Solar Projects from being located within TWO miles of any well in our county.
In Section Y, it states,
“No distal solar panel may be located less than two (2) miles from any residential, commercial, industrial or artisan well.”
Since many of our towns, farmers and other rural residents have wells, this addition will block any large Commercial solar developments from taking over farmland in our county.
Written by FTW
2023-16 Ordinance Solar Energy.pdf- (1.5 MiB) Downloaded 36 times