Solar permitting — Hancock County, Indiana
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Greenfield/McCordsville Indianapolis ring east; Duke Energy territory. Permitting: Hancock County Area Plan Commission; 250-ft max / 40-ft min setbacks; very high compliance stringency. Political environment: Repub…
Key driver: Greenfield/McCordsville Indianapolis ring east; Duke Energy territory. Greenfield Solar (30 MW) and Fortville Solar (20 MW) approved on rural parcels pre-2022. 2022 ordinance amendment added 1,000-ft residential setbacks in response to organized Greenfield-area opposition. Remaining rural parcels are limited; pipeline effectively closing.
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Hancock County Area Plan Commission (APC): CUP or Improvement Location Permit (ILP) in Agricultural district.
Setbacks & buffers
State default (IC 8-1-42): 50 ft from property line; 250 ft from dwelling; 40 ft from road; decommissioning bond required
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
None codified; managed via CUP/SUP conditions
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
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.
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State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
No binding RPS — voluntary 10% by 2025 | Indiana Voluntary Clean Energy Portfolio Standard (2011) | Ind. Code §8-1-37
State incentive programs
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.
Grid & interconnection
MISO / Duke Energy Indiana or Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) zone (verify by project location)
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Community opposition P1
No organized opposition on record for this county yet — no petition, group, or oppositional coverage tracked. Absence of opposition is a positive siting signal.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- 🔒Project track record
- 🔒Developer intelligence
- 🔒Community & board sentiment
- 🔒Governing board
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Sentiment rollup P2
No sentiment rollup yet (requires meeting transcripts to be processed).
Local news P3
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
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