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

A massive solar development just Solar Damper east of New Carlisle will create up to 200 construction jobs, three to five permanent positions and about 150 megawatts of clean energy — enough power for about 24,500 homes, officials from the firm say.  

But for local taxing authorities, the biggest benefit will come from the more than $27 million in additional real and personal property Solar project DC motor, taxes that will be generated by the $164.7 million project in the first 25 years of its existence — even while it's passing back $37 million to the developer.

Lightsource BP, which took over the project called Honeysuckle —from a company called RES last year, plans to install 407,000 solar panels on about 1,100 acres of leased land bounded roughly by U.S. 20 and Spruce, Tamarack and Darden roads. 

Years in development:St. Joseph County working on plans for massive solar farm called 'Project Honeysuckle'

Solar tracker actuator Construction is expected to get underway later this year, but first the proposal needs to go through a variety of steps that include the approval of a development agreement between the county and the developer as well as the creation of a tax-increment financing district or TIF. 

The development agreement has already been approved by the redevelopment commission, and commissioners are set to vote on the proposal on Tuesday. County Council recently tabled the agreement to give the developer more time to work out construction labor agreements. 

NMRV Series Worm Gear Reducer Those agreements basically stipulate what portions of the construction project will be handled by area trade unions, said Chris Brown, an economic development specialist with the county. 

After the development Solar Tracking Controller agreement is approved, the process to create a TIF district will then get underway, said Brown. The creation of the TIF allows taxes generated by the project to remain in the district over the next 25 years. 

That’s important because it would allow the county to incentivize the project by passing back $37.4 million of the projected $61.5 million in new taxes to the developer through the agreement. 

But it would also allow the redevelopment commission to capture Planetary gear motor, a bonus $2.4 million for the New Prairie United School Corporation, $18 million for the underlying taxing units such as the school district, Olive Township, the St. Joseph County Public library, the South Bend airport and the county plus another $3.75 million for the redevelopment commission — presumably for future infrastructure improvements in the district.