Solar future?

Another renewable energy project may be on the horizon for Jay County.

A Chicago-based company confirmed this week that it’s looking at a significant solar energy project in Penn and/or Jackson townships.

“Invenergy is in the early stages of exploring an opportunity for a solar project in Jay County,” the company said in a prepared statement. “One of the initial steps in this exploration is for us to engage with interested landowners to get a better understanding of what a project could look like.”

Over a period of about 18 months, Invenergy Solar Project Development LLC has been contacting landowners and negotiating easements for land that could eventually host solar panels.

To date, easements involving more than 3,550 acres have been recorded at the Jay County Courthouse.

The land that has been targeted lies roughly between Fiat and county road 550 West, south of the county line to about county road 600 North. It’s an area that is primarily glacial moraine and not known to have high crop yields.

It would be a mistake to assume all that acreage would be involved.

As engineering and environmental studies are completed, the company said it has secured easements for extra land in the project study area to give it maximum flexibility.

For example, wetlands and forested areas would require setbacks and other areas may not be suitable for hosting solar panels.

While there is not currently an Indiana Michigan Power substation in the area that could handle power produced by such a solar farm, some companies have been known to build their own substations when necessary.

The initial phase of project development is expected to take at least the next six months, an Invenergy spokesman said.

Invenergy designs, builds and operates renewable power projects in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. To date it has more than 100 projects in development or operation.

That includes 96 wind farm projects, 30 solar projects, 11 natural gas projects and 13 energy storage projects.

Founded in 2001, it has been honored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Labor and the American Wind Energy Association.

Most recently the company broke ground on three large solar projects on the Iowa-Minnesota border that will generate 750 megawatts.

While NextEra Energy Resources and Scout Clean Energy held off construction of Jay County’s two wind farms until a buyer for the electricity could be secured, Invenergy’s Iowa-Minnesota project is going forward with construction without a buyer lined up, according to The Energy News Network.

The Madison County Council has voted to rescind the economic revitalization area designated for another Invenergy project, the proposed Lone Oak Solar Farm, the Anderson Herald Bulletin reported.

Last year, the council voted to deny a 10-year tax abatement for the proposed $110 million, 120-megawatt project in northern Madison County.

Invenergy officials have put the project on hold because of the denial of the tax abatement.