Pulaski County BZA denies appeal to retract solar permit

Concerned citizens gathered Monday at the Pulaski County Highway garage in Winamac during a public hearing with the Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals over the solar permit given to Doral Renewables for part of their Mammoth South Solar Project. 

For the past five years a large number of Pulaski County residents have been publicly vocal about their concerns against solar farms in the county for a wide-range of reasons, including declining property values. In 2020, a small group, dubbed "Pulaski County Against Solar," was started as a way to give the residents a voice. Growing over the past five years, the group has since been able to retain an attorney to help them fight against the county's solar permits.

An appeal was filed by the residents, who claim the permit was not done in accordance with county ordinance due to missing and unfinished documents that include the financial assurance bonds, decommissioning agreement and road usage agreement. 

After listening to the residents concerns Pulaski BZA members ultimately decided that the appeal didn't have standing, as all documents in question were found to exist in their records before the permit was granted. The Pulaski BZA stressed that their decision didn't come down to personal opinions on the solar projects itself, but rather whether or not the permit was granted in accordance with county ordinances. 

During a Pulaski County Council meeting on July 14, a Doral representative pitched "Mammoth Grazing Lands and Pastures," a 945 megawatt solar project. According to Doral, Mammoth Solar is already considered to be one of the biggest solar energy projects in the country. Meanwhile, residents continue to push back against the project, and the county has considered a moratorium on battery storage.