A Land Use Dispute Casts Shadows on Solar Projects
Source: WISH-TV
WHITE COUNTY, IND — In 2019, Doug McGill leased 400 acres of his property to EDP Renewables to build a solar farm. The company agreed to preserve the existing drainage infrastructure, topsoil and clear brush from specific areas.
“I tried to get the bulldozing stopped and could not,” McGill told WISH-TV. “They said they’re going to do it whether I liked it or not, and so they did.”
However, after receiving the notarized lease, McGill discovered that the provisions had been deleted or modified. The construction contractors acting on instructions from EDP Renewables, bulldozed 60 acres of topsoil and significantly damaged the drainage system. While the lease includes clauses to restore the land after dismantling the solar farm, McGill is skeptical that his heirs can use it for agricultural purposes.
EDP Renewables operates five wind farms and a solar farm on leased land in White County. Before finalizing a lease, the company negotiates with landowners through lease option agreements. The company never changes a lease agreement without the landowner’s consent. Leases can be signed at different locations, but notarization always occurs in person in the county where the project is located.
“I try to treat the development process with a lot of thought and I believe we are a very good developer,” Andrew Magner, the company’s senior project development manager told WISH-TV. “We take the time to talk with landowners, meet with individuals around the county, go to county meetings. We’re out there, and we’re open for public comment if there are concerns.”
The company pays McGill $800/acre/year for land with solar panels; the rest brings in $200/acre. McGill used the money to buy new land but needs the company to fix the leased land’s drainage issues. He and his neighbors are against future solar farms in their area, but McGill thinks they should be built on less suitable land.
