Note: There are some links to PDFs on this page that might not be accessible to screen readers. For an accessible version, contact ERI at eri@iu.edu or 812-855-8539.
Renewable energy development resources for Hoosier communities
As more Indiana utility companies, businesses, and property owners seek to take advantage of the benefits of renewable energy, local governments in Indiana are looking to make informed decisions about solar and wind energy proposals and future development.
To help local governments create a long-term plan and proactively address potential land use conflicts, ERI and the Great Plains Institute worked with experts and local stakeholders to develop Indiana-specific resources for local decision makers.
Deliverables include:
- A model solar ordinance that provides zoning language for utility-scale and on-site installations.
- A renewable energy guide offering a long-range perspective on renewable energy markets and development trends.
View ERI's fact sheet on facilitating renewable energy development
Indiana model solar ordinance
The Indiana model solar ordinance has been tailored to reflect Indiana-specific enabling statutes, ordinance practices, and community priorities currently seen in the state. Because Indiana communities’ ordinances, comprehensive plans, and other local planning documents naturally vary, not all provisions included in the model ordinance will be suitable for each individual community. Local planning authorities can customize and adapt the model ordinance language to fit the needs and priorities of their communities.
Indiana Renewable Energy Guide
Solar and wind resources are abundant throughout Indiana, and the cost of capturing this energy is forecast to continue to decline. This guide provides Indiana communities with a long-range perspective on utility- and community-scale solar and wind energy markets and development trends, addressing topics such as siting authority, incentives, and energy-generation potential.
Additional resources
- The 2020 Indiana Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning Scorecard is a starting point to create pollinator-friendly solar projects in Indiana.
- The Michiana Area Council of Governments’ (MACOG) Technical Guide: Establishment and Maintenance of Pollinator-friendly Solar Projects assists landowners, solar developers, and local governments implement pollinator-friendly solar projects by providing best management practices.
- The USEPA Renewable Energy Ready Home Solar Photovoltaic Checklist assists builders in designing and constructing homes equipped with a set of features that make the installation of solar energy systems after the competition of the home's construction easier and less expensive.
- A study published in the journal Ecosystem Services shows pollinator-friendly landscapes on solar developments sequester 65 percent more carbon than traditional solar installations and row crops while also benefiting pollinators.
- The Energy Zoning Database brings together more than 1,600 local ordinances from six Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin)
- City of Goshen - 2017
- City of Plymouth - September 2019
- City of South Bend
- Elkhart County - Amended January 2020
- Fulton County
- Henry County - Proposed
- Lake County - September 2020
- Marshall County - Amended January 2020
- Monroe County - 2015
- Porter County - April 2020
- Posey County - March 2020
- Pulaski County - December 2019
- Randolph County - July 2020
- Shelby County Unified Development Ordinance - Updated December 2020
- St. Joseph County Renewable Energy Systems - February 2020
- Starke County - June 2019
- Town of Bargersville - September 2020
- Vermillion County - 2020
- White County - January 2019
