My family and I were driving to Terre Haute, Indiana this past weekend, and I noticed something a little familiar, yet so different along the way.

At Palestine Grade School we have solar panels that provide energy to our school, and now, if you take Highway 63 from Grayville, Indiana to Terre Haute, Indiana, you will notice the Fairbanks Solar project that began in 2017. This is a project that a company by the name of Invenergy owns. It is currently still under construction and is expected to be completed in Spring of 2025. This project is expected to bring many benefits to Sullivan County. It is expected to bring $125 million in property taxes, employees to build the project, and payments for local goods and services which will help the economic activity of the local community.

The cost of solar energy in Indiana has declined by 43% over the past ten years. Invenergy picked Sullivan County because of the verified and consistent strong solar resource, existing transmission lines limiting the need for new infrastructure, interested property owners, and low environmental affects. Solar energy results in cleaner air and water. While building and choosing where to put their solar panels, Invenergy ensures the least possible impact to wildlife.  Invenergy also ensures that all roads are left in the same or better condition that they were before they began construction.

Solar energy is ample, clean, and inexpensive. Solar power will save us consumers money in the long run.  Most importantly, solar energy is reliable, because one thing you can count on is that the sun will rise every day!