Honeysuckle solar project between South Bend and New Carlisle finally gets the green light

St. Joseph County Council has given the green light to a 1,100-acre solar power development that should get underway on the west side of the county before the end of the year.

Council voted 8-0 on Tuesday night in favor of an agreement that basically outlines the responsibilities of the county as well as the developer, Lightsource BP, extending from the construction of the project through its decommissioning.

Lightsource BP is proposing to spend $164.7 million on the solar farm, which has been dubbed Honeysuckle. It would be built on leased farmland bounded roughly by U.S. 20 and Spruce, Tamarack and Darden roads.

The project is expected to create three to five permanent jobs and 150 megawatts of clean power — enough for about 24,500 homes — by early 2024.

But perhaps the biggest benefit will come from the additional $27.4 million in real and property taxes it will generate for local taxing authorities while passing back $37 million to the developer in the first 25 years of its existence.

If the property remained agricultural during that same period, it would only generate $1.9 million in taxes, said Chris Brown, an economic development specialist for the county.

More: Honeysuckle solar farm near New Carlisle could bring clean energy, jobs and lots of tax revenue

Though previous development agreements were approved by the Redevelopment Commission and the Board of Commissioners, it’s been held up by council, which wanted guarantees that the company would make its best efforts to employ local labor to build the project.

There were some modest tweaks to the agreement which stipulates that the company will aim to employ 75% local labor during the 12-to-18-month construction phase, but the biggest change came in the side agreements that were reached with three unions — the electrical workers, operating engineers and laborers.

Each reportedly wanted some assurances that they would get a piece of the estimated 150 to 200 jobs that will be created during construction, and each endorsed the project for the first time on Tuesday night.

“I want to commend everybody on being good stewards to their constituents and the community to ensure that this project benefits the community to the maximum that it possibly could, said James Gardner, business representative for Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Other union officials gave similar endorsements.

Darrin Jacobs, development manager for Lightsource BP, said the company also has named South Bend-based Inovateus Solar as general contractor for the project. “Who better to make sure that the project is done well than someone who is here in the community,” he said.

Commissioners, who previously approved a development agreement for the project, are expected to give their approval next week. After that, there are just a few more procedural steps before construction can get underway.

But getting the development agreement approved was viewed as the biggest hurdle that needed to be overcome, according to officials.

Beyond the jobs and taxes that the project will generate, Lightsource BP intends to plant the area with native pollinator plants and it could use sheep to help keep weeds under control at the site. It currently is constructing a slightly larger solar farm called Bellflower about 40 miles east of Indianapolis.

Commissioner Andy Kostielney said approval of the project is important because it will provide clean renewable energy for decades and also shows the county is interested in economic development. It also sets the region apart as a leader on energy production.

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Besides the Lightsource BP project, the county also is home to the nearby St. Joseph Energy Center, which uses natural gas to produce electricity for about 400,000 homes as well as the recently commissioned Indeck Niles Energy Center, which uses natural gas to generate electricity for 650,000 homes and businesses.

“It’s good," Kostielney said, "to have the energy security at a time when some areas of the country are struggling with capacity."

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Honeysuckle solar project near New Carlisle finally moving forward