Questions remain ahead of a crucial hearing Wednesday for the Rainbow Trout Solar Project, a proposed 1,700-acre installation that would mark Tippecanoe County’s first industrial-scale solar farm.
The project, backed by developers Geenex and RWE Clean Energy, is scheduled to go before the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) with a recommendation for approval from county planning staff. The staff report, released Friday, stated that the proposed 120-megawatt arrays and a decommissioning plan projected as far as 40 years out meet the requirements of county zoning codes adopted in 2021.
The staff analysis noted the unprecedented size of the project, covering land zoned for agriculture and representing 0.77% of the county’s total 222,136 acres. While concluding the project did not pose an immediate threat to crop production, the report cautioned that future solar developments could raise concerns about the amount of farmland being converted to non-tillable uses.
The report also stressed the broader benefits of renewable energy, stating: “If climate science is to be believed, the time to invest in renewable energy was more than a decade ago. Some sacrifices now, i.e. cropland, will have a much longer-term positive impact by reducing reliance on fossil fuels.”
The proposal has sparked significant opposition. Nearly 400 pages of letters were submitted to the county, including two in support and about 70 against. Many of the objections came from neighboring residents concerned about land use, property values, and the project’s overall scale.
The BZA, a seven-member body appointed by Lafayette, West Lafayette, and county officials, will decide whether the project qualifies for a special zoning exception needed to move construction forward. The hearing is expected to draw considerable public input.