Wind, solar projects have opponents, supporters

Members of Auglaize County Townships United in this file photo were present at a recent meeting to share their stance on solar and wind projects; similar meetings and gatherings have been held throughout the year.

It’s difficult to pick a single topic that has received more ink this year than renewable energy projects. With solar projects tipping the scales a bit more than wind, the WDN has covered meetings at all levels, interviewed citizens as well as local and state legislators on the topic and have worked to stay on top of the subject as the conversations and legislation continue to evolve.

Here’s a roundup of what happened in 2021:

OVERVIEW:

After hearing in 2020 there were plans to site a solar project in Allen and Auglaize counties, the anti-solar group, aptly named Anti-birch Solar, continued to meet throughout the year, organizing a strategy to oppose Lightsource bp’s proposed 300 megawatt project in northern portion of Auglaize and adjacent portion of Allen.

Organizers planned a meeting with area legislators in February to discuss legislation that would allow townships to have a say in whether a project could be located within their borders. Jim Thompson, spokesman for Anti-birch Solar, said the Ohio Power Siting Board, which was solely responsible for approving solar projects, was ill-equipped to handle the influx of solar projects.

Meeting with Rep. Bob Cupp (R-lima) and Sen. Matt Huffman (R-lima), Anti-birch Solar members along with other groups with a stake in solar power, shared information during a session where no decisions were made but plenty of opinions and options were shared. Cupp urged attendees to share their concerns with the Ohio Power Siting Board; Huffman reminded them people have the right to welcome these projects to their own private property.

Later in February, Ohio Rep. Craig Riedel (R-defiance) was one of two legislators to introduce House Bill 118, companion legislation to Senate Bill 52. HB

118 was penned to protect the property rights of township residents by allowing a referendum for wind and solar projects.

In April it was announced Amazon would purchase all of the energy generated by the

Birch Solar project as part of the company’s effort to source green energy for nine new renewable energy investments locally.

Testimony on the bills was heard in May and Shanelle Montana, Lightsource bp project director and Thompson, as well as Adrian Whetstone, who organized opposition to the Moonwalk energy project, were among those sharing their views. Concerns continued to be environmental impact, lack of necessary studies, drainage and a lack of local control.

As lawmakers continued to amend the bills prior to passage, some projects were grandfathered, including the one proposed by Lightsource bp.

The Ohio Senate passed SB 52 on June 2; the House approved an amended version on June 28. The legislation became effective Oct. 11.

In July the OPSB ordered Lightsource bp to hold another in-person public meeting after the Anti-birch Solar group, as interveners, filed complaints about the process. That meeting was set for Aug. 19; those attending represented both sides of the issue.

In October, the OPSB recommended Lightsource bp’s application be denied unless 44 different conditions are included; this meant preconstruction, final engineering drawings, geotechnical studies and an emergency response plan need to be filed.

The Ohio Power Siting Board held a hearing for non-interveners on the Birch Solar Project on Nov. 4. More than 70 people signed up to testify during the hearing, which lasted more than four hours.

ON THE COUNTY LEVEL

The Auglaize County Board of Commissioners met throughout the year with township officials to help solidify their position on the topic and in June met with attorneys who specialize in economic and energy policy. During that session, commissioners were told there are benefits to renewable energy projects including ease of transmission over flat land to the east coast and as an economic development tool leveraging Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) dollars as incentives. The board did send letters of support for Senate Bill 52 to area legislators, believing more local control over renewable energy projects was needed.

In May, a modification of SB 52 gave the decision-making powers to the county commissioners; Commissioner Doug Spencer called that possibility a “shock.” He and John Bergman and Dave Bambauer continued their deliberations on the benefits of a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with Lightsource bp as the project continued to be developed.

Logan Township residents met with county officials in July to discuss filing as interveners in the Birch Solar Project as it made its way through the Ohio Power Siting Board process.

In August, the board of commissioners sent a letter to the OPSB to act as interveners in the Birch Solar project. They also met that month with members of the Allen Auglaize Coalition for Reasonable Energy, a pro-solar group.

Adrian Whetstone, founder of Auglaize County Townships United, spoke with commissioners in September, outlining the group’s concerns with the proposed Moonwalk Energy wind project — 50 turbines across 100,000 acres

in Clay, Goshen, Union, Wayne and Pusheta townships. She said the company’s lack of transparency has caused frustrations.

Both Thompson and Montana met with Auglaize County Democrats to discuss the pros and

cons of the proposed project.

ELSEWHERE

In the meantime, other projects came to light throughout the year, including proposals from Algonquin Power and Utilities, Liberty Power’s Moonwalk Energy, Open Road Renewables and Geenex Solar.

Moonwalk’s solar and wind hybrid project would touch Wayne, Goshen, Clay and Union townships. Residents in that area met in March to voice their opposition. At the time, the Ohio legislation addressing township authority continued as pending in Columbus. Later, in August, a Liberty power spokesman told commissioners the project was amended to wind only, involves 40-plus landowners and 153 parcels of land.

Open Road Renewables project is located mainly in Moulton Township, although the boundaries have yet to be determined. Company officials met with Moulton Township trustees in November to update their project: a 900acre,. 117 megawatt solar project whose boundaries are still being defined.

Geenex Solar of North Carolina holds a Wapakoneta Chamber of Commerce membership, and this spring sponsored a solar energy camp for middle school students. Their spokesman said the project area remains undefined. In November company reps met with Clay Township trustees to note they considered themselves at “step one of a 100-step process.”

Also heard from was the Ohio Farm Bureau, which came out as neutral in a statement related to renewable energy. “We believe in personal property rights,” said Jill Smith, Auglaize County’s Farm Bureau director. “It’s a land owner’s decision how they want to proceed…a community needs to decide whether a project is good for their community.”

IN 2022

As Senate Bill 52 is now law, and gives county commissioners the ability to give their thumbs up or down to a project or can make exclusion zones for wind and solar development, Auglaize commissioners indicated they would make a decision on an exclusion zone after hearing an official stance from the county’s 14 townships. So far about nine Townships have indicated to commissioners they want to be included in an exclusion zone.

And as the other projects move forward, while leases in many cases have been signed, there is still a long list of studies ahead and maps to be drawn before applications would be made to the Power Siting Board.