Solar is booming in Indiana. Not everyone is happy about it.

Indiana has quietly become one of the country's biggest builders of large-scale solar power. Last year it ranked third in the nation for new solar installations, behind only Texas and California, driven partly by demand from data centers seeking clean electricity. But as solar farms multiply across the state, so has pushback from residents worried about losing farmland, falling property values, and changes to the rural landscape where projects go up.

That opposition has real consequences. A recent study found local resistance is a top reason county officials in Indiana reject solar projects, even when the economics look favorable. Indiana has no statewide siting rules, so each of its 92 counties sets its own regulations, and researchers found more counties currently discourage solar than welcome it: 11 have outright bans, 20 have restrictive rules, and only 24 are considered favorable. One economic analysis estimated that counties with restrictions missed out on thousands of jobs and tens of millions in investment over two decades.

Solar actually uses a tiny sliver of Indiana farmland, far less than golf courses, but that fact hasn't quieted the debate. Researchers say the developers who fare best are those who show up early and often at community meetings, fairs, and hearings, rather than appearing only when a project needs approval. For homeowners, the takeaway is that whether a solar farm ends up nearby, and on what terms, depends heavily on your own county's rules and how engaged local officials and developers are with residents.