There are large areas of land in Indiana for solar energy projects

A new report shows Indiana has plenty of land space for solar and renewable energy projects.

The Nature Conservancy’s Mining the Sun report found that the state has many brownfields – that is, formerly used industrial land – and former coal mining sites that could serve as sites for future solar projects.

Sean Mobley is a senior associate for climate and clean energy policy at the Indiana chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He said the report examines areas that are suitable for these solar projects but also do not interfere with other natural features.

“Various areas across the state were highlighted where they are suitable for solar in terms of infrastructure, proximity to transmission, and also do not interfere with nature or our work on the land, agriculture or forestry,” he said.

Mobley said the report identified a large portion of Indiana that would meet those criteria.

“The Mining the Sun report identified approximately 150,000 acres of mine lands, primarily in southwestern Indiana, and 150,000 acres of brownfields over ten acres in size throughout Indiana,” he said.

He said the group’s main focus is to keep its projects and research community-centered. Mobley said the group used community input to formulate parts of its report.

“Mining The Sun’s approach followed communities to see what benefits they would like to see from a project in this area,” he said. “It would mean creating jobs, potentially adding outdoor recreation opportunities or something else that would benefit this community. We simply see Mining The Sun as having the potential to avoid nature conflicts and the diversion of acres from agriculture because we realize we need to feed the world in a sustainable way.”

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Mobley said a good first step would be to identify potential project areas. However, he said implementing the projects will require cooperation and input from state and local governments and local communities.

“Now we must work with state and local government entities to further incentivize or prioritize these facilities for renewable energy development,” he said.

Mobley said there is also the possibility of further collaboration with federal funding.

“A lot of these mine sites need remediation,” he said. “EPA is making millions of dollars available to states for mine site remediation.”

Mobley expressed hope that statewide utilities and clean energy buyers want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop cleaner energy.

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