The proposed solar farm in northern Madison County would generate 120 megawatts of electricity, but officials with developer Invenergy say that not obtaining the tax abatement could make the project financially impossible.

The proposal calls for nearly 580,000 solar panels on what is mostly farmland near the Sullivan County community of Fairbanks, some 20 miles south of Terre Haute.

Vectren turned to the market to find the best sources for its long-term energy plan and mostly received bids for solar and wind projects.

Though the numbers for last year are still rolling in, Indiana is projected to have installed more than 140 megawatts - mostly as a result of large, utility-scale projects.

The Tipton Community School Corp.'s nearly 2,000 solar panels went online last month at the district's campus.

Last year, the U.S. International Trade Commission recommended the tariffs after concluding that cheap foreign panels had hurt the domestic market.

The city of Richmond is considering paying solar customers with excess power the lower wholesale rate plus 25 percent, rather than the higher retail rate.

The fix would help more schools finance solar projects, to reduce their electric bill and put money back in the classroom.

A state law and an international trade case could make solar more expensive for some Hoosiers.

If approved, the solar farm and battery storage equipment would become the first so-called "microgrid" at any National Guard facility in the state.