County commissioner perspectives on large-scale solar projects in the rural Midwestern United States

The development of large-scale solar projects across the rural United States, and in the Midwestern region specifically, has spurred both local support and local opposition. This research investigates the impacts of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, particularly its tax credits and investment into “energy communities,” as well as local coal industry history, on the acceptance of large-scale solar projects in Southern Indiana. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with local officials in Indiana via telephone from January 2025 to March 2025, with 13 interviews with local officials from counties with energy community status from coal-fired power plant and coal mine retirement, and 9 with local officials from adjacent counties that do not have energy community status. We found that 86% of respondents noted some or heavy influence from the coal industry on their county through tax revenue, bringing other industries to the area, and standing as a stable community institution. For solar development, economic impacts were a key acceptance point and mentioned in 73% of our interviews. Respondents noted growing political pressure from their constituents as a key denial factor, regardless of project characteristics and benefits. Understanding the intersection of local coal history, large-scale solar acceptance, and broader federal policy impacts is essential to ensuring that the clean energy transition in Southern Indiana balances the nuanced needs of this rural region with the need for carbon-free energy.