SAY NO TO BLUEGRASS CREEK SOLAR OR 950 ACRES OF INDIANA FARM GROUND COULD BE GONE

Important concerns about the Orion Bluegrass Creek Solar Project, a proposed almost 1,000-acre industrial solar farm in Scott Township of Northern Vanderburgh County, located between Old State Road and Interstate 69.

POTENTIAL VIEW IF THIS PROJECT IS APPROVED

What would this look like?

In 2021 this same company, Orion Renewables, attempted to install a 600+ acre solar farm across Highway 41 from the current PROPOSED project in Scott Township Indiana. Citizens that opposed the project privately funded the video below to help people grasp the concept of what 600 acres of solar panels would look like. This would be about 2/3 the size of what they want to install with the current PROPOSED plan. We truly hope this helps give some perspective of the overwhelming scale of what they are trying to do.

Say No To Bluegrass Creek Solar

1. Threat to Property Values and Land Use

  • Nearby landowners, especially those who are completely surrounded, could see a drop in property values.
  • Once obsolete, the solar panels may be abandoned, leaving behind a “solar graveyard” of metal with questionable clean-up accountability as Orion, a California based company, will sell the project before or near completion.
  • Orion, a California based company, has never decommissioned a project in its 20+ year history. Will they truly restore this land? To our knowledge no Solar company has ever brought a used field back to agricultural ground.

PHOTO OF LOCAL RECENTLY COMPLETED POSEY COUNTY SOLAR PROJECT

Say No To Bluegrass Creek Solar

2. Water Safety Risks

  • Most local homes rely on wells or cisterns—there’s no city water here. During construction there is a risk of puncturing oil pipes and contaminating ground water which would then contaminate wells and some cisterns.
  • Over time, solar infrastructure could contaminate groundwater with heavy metals or chemicals, potentially harming future generations’ health.

3. Impact on Neighbors and Farming Families

  • Families could be surrounded on all sides by solar panels—a drastic change to their homes and quality of life.
  • Generational farmers are being displaced. Non participating farmers are concerned about run-off, land erosion, and the inability to grow healthy crops due to soil degradation.
  • In an unstable global food system, preserving productive farmland is more critical than ever. Evansville has been more and more aware of food insecurity. Why are we proposing taking almost 1,000 acres of food production out of the picture?

4. Long-Term Environmental and Community Damage

  • Torn-up roads, invasive weeds, storm debris, and permanent loss of topsoil are just a few more long-term consequences we may face.
  • Poor maintenance of pollinator friendly ground cover draws vermin, insects and other invasive species that wouldn’t otherwise be present. Mowing twice a year, as Orion has proposed, is not sufficient to provide a truly Pollinator Friendly environment.

POSEY COUNTY SOLAR PROJECT

How can I say no to the PROPOSED Bluegrass Solar Project?

  • Email Vanderburgh County Commissioners to express your opposition:
    • Justin Elpers: jelpers@vanderburghgov.org
    • Amy Canterbury: acanterbury@vanderburghgov.org
    • Mike Goebel: mgoebel@vanderburghgov.org
  • Attend public meetings to show your support in person. Do not assume there will be enough opposition that you do not need to do anything. This is proposed to be a 30 year MINIMUM project. That spans the next 2 generations.
  • Please feel free to copy and paste this into an email or print as a letter. Anyone who care about our community, our farms, our water, and our future should be made aware of what is actually being considered for some of the last open farm ground in Northern Vanderbugh County.
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