In a somewhat surprising move, House Bill 1381 was never called for a Senate vote Tuesday.

Without the necessary support, the bill is “essentially” dead but language in the bill that would set statewide standards for wind and solar projects, essentially overriding “home rule” for local government, could be added to another bill.

“We are excited today,” said Kyle Barlow, who helped spearhead Shelby County’s opposition to House Bill 1381. “It’s not over. It’s not done. We’re not going away. We’ve felt from the beginning they just wanted us to go away.”

Renewable energy companies are frustrated with local governments making entry for large-scale projects extremely difficult. House Bill 1381 was created to set standards to be used statewide at the expense of local governmental control.

Barlow and others spent a full day at the Statehouse Tuesday talking with senators, including Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), who represents Shelby County and was opposed to the bill.

“There was a lot of opposition,” said Barlow. “A lot of senators we’re not happy with what they were trying to sneak in there.”

Shelby County’s opposition group saw the bill passed on early Tuesday which gave the impression it was dead. After a caucus and long discussion about another bill, House Bill 1381 came back up, according to Barlow.

Without enough support, though, Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) withdrew the bill.

“There wasn’t enough support to pass the bill,” said Messmer in a story for Indiana Business Journal. “There’s no sense talking about a bill that’s not going anywhere.”

There is statewide support to increase Indiana’s renewable energy footprint. The opposition is not with renewable energy but with where it is being located – in many cases on prime farm land in a state that heavily relies on the agriculture industry.

A large solar industrial project has been approved for northeastern Shelby County which will sit on nearly 2,000 acres of farm land.

Southwestern Shelby County is now being targeted for another massive solar facility.

“They are very quiet,” said Barlow. “We are on our fifth land man trying to acquire more property out here.”

Barlow says talk of the project has been quietly lately. He believes many were following the fate of House Bill 1381.