TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A division of Duke Energy that develops renewable energy projects plans to build a $180 million solar farm in western Indiana that would produce enough electricity to power 35,000 homes.
The Hoosier Jack Solar farm proposed by Duke Energy Renewables Solar LLC — a division of Duke Energy that’s not overseen by state regulators — would be located in southern Vigo County and northern Sullivan County.
The proposed 175-megawatt solar farm would provide enough electricity to power 35,000 homes, said Tyler Coon, business development manager for Duke Energy Renewables Solar.
The project, which would be on leased land, would span 1,500 acres, including 896 acres in Vigo County and 604 acres in Sullivan County, and would be located on reclaimed coal strip mine currently being used for crops.
The site is linked to a 138-kilovolt Duke Energy Indiana transmission line through a utility-owned interconnection switching station near Farmersburg, the Tribune-Star reported.
Construction is slated for 2023, creating a maximum of 200 construction jobs over a 12- to 18-month period. Power generation would begin by mid-2024.
Representatives of Duke Energy Renewables Solar went before the Vigo County Council on April 6 to request a 10-year tax abatement on property and 10-year tax abatement on personal property of $100 million, for the portion of the farm that will be in Vigo County.