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THE RENEWABLES REVOLUTION<br />
>> However, it's important to note how these types of projects<br />
impact actual landowners. The Jordan Creek project will provide<br />
approximately $75 million in payments to landowners. “A lot of these<br />
wind and solar projects are lease agreements, which equates to income<br />
diversity for farmers. They’re getting an income stream from that land<br />
lease whether they can farm it or not,” said Campbell of NIPSCO.<br />
Companies like NextEra have thought about how these projects will<br />
impact farmers long past their commissioning date, as the useful life<br />
of these projects is typically 25-30 years. “A full decommissioning<br />
bond is put in place with the county or township to fully decommission,<br />
and it is put in place before the first shovel is in the ground. The<br />
estimate is generated by a third-party engineer. Even if NextEra<br />
were to go bankrupt, that money has already been set aside to give<br />
county residents peace of mind that there is a financial structure to<br />
decommission the site, should something happen,” said Zach Melda,<br />
Project Director at NextEra.<br />
Once a decommission has occurred, topsoil is brought in. “The land<br />
has been given 25 years of rest. It will recoup nutrients that were lost in<br />
farming days, giving farmers a brand-new surface that is ready to take<br />
on agriculture again,” Melda continued.<br />
Affordable and Renewable Energy<br />
Benefits all Hoosiers<br />
There are not currently any utility-scale renewable energy projects<br />
in Porter County, but a proposal has been made. The Malden Solar<br />
project would have a capacity of up to 200 megawatts of solar<br />
energy. If approved, it is estimated that over the first 35 years of the<br />
project, NextEra would make a significant capital investment of $250<br />
million. It would also generate approximately $52 million in additional<br />
tax revenue.<br />
Steve Eberly<br />
Executive Director,<br />
Hoosiers for Renewables<br />
Melda speaks highly of the innovations that would be part of this<br />
project. “The Malden project would use bifacial panels. These<br />
photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays capture sunlight and the light that is<br />
reflected on the ground. Snowy day? The reflection of the snow can<br />
photo provided<br />
Zach Melda<br />
Project Director,<br />
NextEra Energy<br />
Resources<br />
photo provided<br />
6 VALPARAISO MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022
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