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Bill to ease approval of wind, solar farms flops, but debate rages on FREE NEWSLETTERS Wildcat Wind Farm in Tipton County. (IBJ photo/Eric Learned) A strong coalition of renewable energy developers, major businesses and manufacturers could not muster enough support in the Indiana Senate Tuesday to pass a bill that would have shifted some local control over the siting of wind and solar farms to the state. The Senate’s less comprehensive version of House Bill 1381 technically died after it wasn’t even called for a vote by Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, ...

A bill that would have overridden local ordinances that restrict or prohibit wind power in Indiana has taken a “180 degree turn” after pushback from local officials. HB 1381 would establish statewide standards for how close wind and solar projects can be to other properties. But a new amendment would allow county and local governments to maintain restrictive ordinances, while also offering a hefty incentive for abandoning them. The bill was amended in the Senate Utilities hearing Thursday morning to include the option for counties to adopt “renewable energy districts.” Essentially, ...

A new amendment in House Bill 1381 allows counties that have restrictive wind farm ordinances to keep them, but also encourages them to allow wind farms in special districts.

Proposed law would force local governments to adopt state standards

Proposed law would force local governments to adopt state standards