Greene County commissioners on their final meeting of the year voted to approve a developer road agreement and the county’s portion of an economic development package tied to a planned large-scale solar project.

The agreements include a standard road-repair and baseline-survey commitment from the developer to restore county roads to “good or better condition” after construction and an economic-development agreement (EDA) that secures payments to the county during an abatement period. Ben, the developer representative, told the commission the PDA/CDA contemplates $2,500,000 paid over 10 years and that the first payment would arrive only after construction is complete. "It's $2,500,000 over 10 years," Ben said, adding the project is targeting commercial operation in 2028 and that construction delays could push initial payments to 2029–2030.

Why it matters: the county’s EDA portion is the mechanism that guarantees revenue to Greene County during the abatement period. County Attorney Marvin noted the EDA is the critical part of the package for the county and that a recent revision added an indemnification clause intended to require the developer to hold the county harmless for damages or lawsuits arising from project activities.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about how the council would allocate the incoming funds. One commissioner asked for a commitment now on intended uses; the developer and several commissioners replied that the money is received into the county’s accounting structure and that, from a paperwork standpoint, it flows into the general fund. "The funds do come in into the general fund from an accounting standpoint," Marvin said. Several commissioners said they wanted a clearer promise from the council about spending priorities before long-term revenues begin arriving.

Developer counsel warned that delays in approving the county's CDA could delay utility work needed for the substation upgrade. Ben said advancing the CDA would allow Hoosier Energy to begin conceptual engineering and avoid slips in the construction timeline. "If we wait another month, we'd have to say…hold up," Ben said, warning a delay could push the commercial operation date.

The commission moved and approved the road agreement and indicated support for the county’s economic development agreement while asking staff to pursue a clearer commitment from the county council on proposed uses for the EDA payments. The county did not set specific spending allocations during the meeting; commissioners said those decisions remain with the council.