During rain events water is shed from the panel surface onto the ground at all panel tilt angles depending upon the time of occurrence. The rainwater is then absorbed by the ground cover vegetation specifically designed to improve water infiltration into the underlying soil.  To ensure the project is properly managing stormwater, prior to commencing construction activity it will seek a Construction Stormwater General Permit from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, which administers the program in cooperation with the Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District office (“SWCD”).

Yes.  The solar panels tilt eastward to align with the rising sun in the morning and track the sun throughout the day and tilt westward in the evening with the setting sun.

Panels are typically 78 inches by about 36 inches, though these dimensions may differ slightly depending on the solar panel manufacturer.

The project is responsible for all landscape maintenance and associated costs for the life of the project.  The Vanderburgh County Zoning Ordinance mandates continual maintenance and upkeep of the perimeter landscaping.

Regardless of the owner of the project, the project is responsible for all necessary improvements and costs to accommodate construction and operation of the facility.

Large components of the solar facility, such as the racking system, electrical cabling, and many electronic components are sourced domestically. Solar panels may be sourced from US manufacturers, but this will depend on the final selection of the panel type which is decided prior to issuance of a building permit. Many other materials such as the extensive landscaping and vegetation installed throughout the project as well as materials for constructing the operations and maintenance building will mostly be sourced from local and domestic sources.

As the project nears construction and a general contractor is selected, the general contractor will source labor from local and regional resources, which may include union workforce. Union labor will participate in the bidding process for construction contracts.

Unfortunately, there are very few if any areas that are unpopulated or have low population density where it is feasible to construct a project. Such areas also do not consume power and therefore do not have sufficient infrastructure and transmission lines in place to deliver power to population centers where it is needed. Building in unpopulated areas would require building new transmission lines which is not only costly and more visible, but is also likely to involve many more non-participating landowners. In contrast, the Bluegrass Creek Project is located in one of the least densely populated areas of Vanderburgh County.  The project is in close proximity to where the power will be consumed and makes use of existing utility infrastructure.

The project owner will maintain the facility. There will be a dedicated operation and maintenance building that will house spare parts and several employees will work there.  The operation and maintenance building will be located near the project's main substation at the corner of Baseline Road and Interstate 69.

The general contractor, or the construction company undertaking construction, will be selected through a competitive bidding process. The final selection will occur prior to the issuance of a building permit.

Vanderburgh County, and southwest Indiana is home to an existing, robust, electric grid and a large market with growing electricity demand from residential, commercial and industrial customers. Regional utilities such as CenterPoint, Hoosier and Duke have all issued plans that call for the adoption of more renewable energy on their systems.

There have been no fully decommissioned utility scale solar projects that we are aware of because such facilities typically operate for 35+ years. However, there is a long history of successfully decommissioned and restored projects in the U.S. across various industries with far more extensive and intrusive infrastructure, such as the mining industry, natural gas or coal-fired power projects.

It is likely that Interstate 69 and State Route 57 will provide main routes of transport for materials into the project area. Prior to construction, the project will enter into an agreement, which is approved by the County.  This agreement will specify which roads will be used in the project area to: deliver materials with designated ingress and egress routes; identify temporary laydown areas for construction staging; outline traffic safety regulations construction crews must adhere to; and address any improvements prior to, during and after construction that are necessary to accommodate construction.  All such road improvement costs are paid for by the project.

Yes. The on-site operation and maintenance building will have a contact person and phone number for the public and County to contact at all times.

Yes. The on-site operation and maintenance building will have local personnel who will be responsible for addressing any issues that come up during operations.

Landscaping will be maintained for the life of the project as mandated by the Vanderburgh County Zoning Ordinance. There are additional landscaping related obligations that the project will voluntarily make as a condition to its permit.

Please contact Turner Hunt at 812-947-7844 with any additional questions about the project.

The Vanderburgh County Zoning Ordinance which regulates large scale commercial solar facilities has the most robust landscape rules and regulations that we have encountered. As a result, other solar projects that we have developed in Indiana including Troy Solar and Dunns Bridge Solar do not have anything comparable to the Vanderburgh County requirements, but we are happy to provide pictures of those projects.

No. An easement is not required along the north side of East Baseline Road.

Final panel selection will occur prior to the issuance of a building permit. Solar panels will be sourced from Tier 1 manufacturers which include companies such as Canadian Solar, First Solar, or other similar manufacturers.  Many of these manufacturers produce panels both domestically and internationally.

All project facilities will be removed as a condition of the decommissioning agreement at the project’s expense.

No. While Orion helped to answer questions about the industry, it did not aid in drafting Vanderburgh’s Solar Ordinance. The drafting was done by a variety of County stakeholders overseen by the Planning Commission and County Commissioners.

The project is solely responsible for the planning and design of any necessary underground electrical facilities needed for the project.

Inverters are not installed along public roadways, but rather in the interior of the project near the solar panel arrays. Inverter locations can be found on the project’s submitted site plan.

Zinc is a common micronutrient included in many agricultural fertilizers. It's often added to fertilizers because it's essential for plant growth and development, and zinc deficiencies in crops are relatively common. Solar panel supports are typically galvanized steel, which contain zinc. The galvanized steel used is no different than those used in highway barriers, poles used in chain link fences in our backyards, and ubiquitously throughout the construction industry. Typically the mounting racks are aluminum based. These structures do contain zinc and aluminum but they do not leach in any appreciable amount from these poles or racks and will not impact local soil or groundwater.