Marshall County Commissioners move to ban industrial solar farms and data centers

The Marshall County Commissioners voted Monday to have County Attorney Sean Surrisi draft resolutions that would ban industrial-scale solar farms and data centers in the county.

Marshall County is currently under a one-year moratorium on industrial-scale solar facilities and data centers. With concerns that the county cannot implement proper regulations for both types of facilities within the next four months before the moratorium expires, Commissioner Stan Klotz suggested implementing a complete ban instead.

Commissioner Jesse Bohannon referenced conversations with State Representative Jim Soliday about the issue. "In my conversations with Representative Soliday last year, he made it clear to us that we just have to say yes or no. He just doesn't want local government jerking these companies around, which I think is fair," Bohannon said.

Klotz said the ban would provide clarity and avoid potential legal battles. "This takes all the doubt away. I look around at St. Joseph County. I see what is happening in Fulton County. I just don't want to go there. I don't want to get caught in litigation anymore. I'm tired of paying lawyers," he said.

The county attorney will draft the ordinances and present them at the March 2nd commissioners’ meeting. The proposed ordinances will then be forwarded to the County Plan Commission for review and public hearing before returning to the commissioners for final approval.

Bohannon requested that definitions for "industrial-scale solar" and "industrial-sized data centers" be included in the resolution for clarification.

Klotz did say that the county could lift the ban at a later date, after an ordinance is created to regulate solar or data centers in the future.