Solar Prairie — Sullivan County Indiana
Status: 🟡 Publicly Announced (Early Development)
Solar Prairie is a proposed 1,200-megawatt solar photovoltaic project with 300 megawatts of battery energy storage in Gill and Haddon townships, Sullivan County, Indiana, developed by Copia Power (Washington, D.C.). The project is planned as a four-phase development on more than 9,000 acres leased from 40+ landowners, located near the town of Carlisle, east of the Wabash River.
Quick Facts
- Physical Address: Gill Township and Haddon Township, near Carlisle, Sullivan County, Indiana (no civic address confirmed)
- Location: Gill Township and Haddon Township, Sullivan County, Indiana; near Carlisle; east of the Wabash River
- Capacity: 1,200 MW solar PV + 300 MW battery energy storage system (BESS)
- Technology: Ground-mounted photovoltaic panels, single-axis tracking
- Developer / Owner: Copia Power (Washington, D.C.)
- Project Website: sullivansolarprairie.com
- Phases: 4 phases
- Land Control: 9,000+ acres leased from 40+ landowners
- Announced Investment: ~$1.5 billion (developer claim; not independently verified from public financial records)
- Phase 1 Construction Start: Summer 2028 (planned)
- Full COD Target: Mid-2031 (all four phases)
- IURC Cause No.: Not confirmed in public records as of April 24, 2026
- Last Verified: 2026-04-24
Background
Copia Power describes itself as an energy transition company developing, constructing, and owning large-scale infrastructure assets in the U.S. In September 2024, Copia Power representatives — including Development Manager Emily Strobach and a legal representative — appeared at the Sullivan County Courthouse to present the project and answer community questions.
The project is described on Copia’s website as part of the company’s “Midwest expansion” strategy, bringing “solar, storage, and thermal capacity to Sullivan, Indiana.” The project site is near Carlisle, Sullivan County, in Gill and Haddon townships — a different location from most of the other active Sullivan County solar projects, which are concentrated in the northern/Fairbanks area.
Scale Context
At 1,200 MW, Solar Prairie would be the largest single solar project announced for Sullivan County — larger than Fairbanks Solar (250 MW), Trade Post Solar (200 MW), Sullivan County Power Facility (400 MW), and Bear Run Solar (up to 560 MW) combined. Together with those projects, total announced/operating solar capacity in Sullivan County would exceed 2,600 MW. This concentration is one of the most significant utility-scale solar development clusters in Indiana.
Local Regulatory Context
In March 2026, the Sullivan County Council passed an ordinance requiring contractors used to build solar farms in Sullivan County to be local contractors. This ordinance post-dates Copia Power’s initial project announcement and may affect Phase 1 construction contracting. The relationship between this ordinance and Copia Power’s construction plans has not been confirmed in public records.
What Is Confirmed
- 1,200 MW solar PV + 300 MW BESS project in Gill and Haddon townships, Sullivan County (Copia Power project website; WTWO/WAWV September 2024 news report; Power Technology/GlobalData profile)
- Developer: Copia Power, Washington D.C.
- 9,000+ acres leased from 40+ landowners (sullivansolarprairie.com)
- Four phases; Phase 1 construction planned summer 2028; full COD mid-2031 (WTWO/WAWV September 2024 report citing Emily Strobach, Development Manager)
- ~$1.5 billion investment (developer claim; WTWO/WAWV report)
- Dedicated project website: sullivansolarprairie.com
- GlobalData/Power Technology lists the project at the “announced” stage as of November 2024
What Remains Unclear
- No IURC declination-of-jurisdiction petition has been identified in public records as of April 24, 2026 — the project cannot be elevated above “Publicly Announced” until a cause number is confirmed
- PPA counterparty or offtaker not publicly identified
- Grid interconnection (MISO or PJM) not confirmed; no queue position identified
- Whether the Sullivan County local contractor ordinance (March 2026) affects project contracts
⚠️ Devil’s Advocate Note on Scale
A 1,200 MW, 9,000-acre solar project in four phases with a 2028 construction start is ambitious. No IURC filing has been identified despite the project being announced in September 2024. The absence of a cause number more than 18 months after announcement — while other Sullivan County solar projects (Fairbanks 2019, Trade Post 2021, Sullivan County Power June 2025, Hoosier Jack June 2025) all filed within a more typical window — is worth monitoring. This site will update when a cause number is confirmed.
Related Projects
- Fairbanks Solar Energy Center
- Trade Post Solar Energy Center
- Sullivan County Power Facility
- Bear Run Solar
- Solar Farms Index
Ownership History
| Date | Event Type | Owner / Controlling Entity | What Changed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-25 | Development control | Copia Power | Copia publicly lists Solar Prairie as a Sullivan, Indiana project in its portfolio of next-generation energy campuses. The portfolio description now reflects a broader campus concept than the original 2024 solar-only public rollout. | Copia project page; Copia projects overview |
| 2023-11-26 | Project announcement / stated ownership | Copia Power | The project website states Solar Prairie is owned by Copia Power and describes the project as a multi-phase solar and storage development in Sullivan County. | Solar Prairie project website |
Ownership Sources
- Secondary: Solar Prairie project website
- Secondary: Copia project page
- Secondary: Copia projects overview
Economic Impact
Copia’s public materials and local coverage describe Solar Prairie as an approximately $1.5 billion multi-phase project with more than 9,000 leased acres, positioning it as a potentially major tax-base and local-contracting story for Sullivan County. Those figures are presently developer and media claims rather than independently audited county revenue numbers on this site.
The same coverage frames the project as supportive of county roads, schools, and fire funding through assessed-value growth, but those public benefits remain projected until formal tax treatment, valuation, and operating-phase data are documented in county records.
Sources
- Secondary — Developer: Copia Power project page (copiapower.com/solar-next-gen-projects) — describes Solar Prairie, Sullivan, Indiana
- Secondary — Developer: sullivansolarprairie.com — 1,200 MW, 300 MW BESS, 9,000+ acres, 40+ landowners, near Carlisle, east of the river
- Secondary — News: WTWO/WAWV (Yahoo News), September 11, 2024 — Gill and Haddon townships, Emily Strobach quote, 4 phases, summer 2028 Phase 1 start, mid-2031 full COD, $1.5B
- Secondary — Trade Press: Power Technology / GlobalData, November 18, 2024 — 1,200 MW, “announced” stage, 9,000 acres, 2028 construction start, 2031 COD, Copia Power 100% ownership
- Secondary — Video news: WTHITV Facebook, 2025 — Sullivan County solar growth including Solar Prairie
- Primary — IURC: No cause number identified as of April 24, 2026
Last Verified: 2026-04-24
Last Verified: 2026-04-24
