4 months ago
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As much star farms are projected crossed Ohio, nan state’s highest tribunal is progressively being asked to determine whether they get built.
The cases each move connected 1 idea: whether nan task serves nan nationalist interest. State rule requires nan Ohio Power Siting Board to see that criteria erstwhile approving ample projects.
On Tuesday, nan justices heard arguments connected really to specify nationalist interest. They’re weighing really to equilibrium section concerns pinch statewide needs -- and whether wide governmental guidance to star should facet in.
The court’s decisions successful these cases transportation large consequences.
Ohio’s request for energy is growing, and galore families are already emotion nan strain of higher power bills. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that each megawatt produced successful a star section is capable power to powerfulness astir 125 Ohio homes.
The result of these cases will style what kinds of powerfulness Ohio generates, wherever it’s generated, and really quickly caller star power comes online — if it comes online astatine all.
Circleville Solar task
In December 2021, Circleville Solar applied for support to build a 70-megawatt star workplace connected astir 1,300 acres successful Jackson Township successful Pickaway County.
Local officials passed resolutions against nan project, and successful November 2024 nan committee denied nan application, saying it didn’t service nan “public interest, convenience, and necessity.”
The lawsuit now hinges connected really nan tribunal defines that clause.
Attorneys for Circleville Solar and nan Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council told nan justices that “public interest” should activity otherwise than it did. They based on that:
- Local guidance should not beryllium capable to artifact a project.
- Community concerns should beryllium weighed alongside statewide benefits.
- Political guidance to star shouldn’t beryllium treated arsenic nationalist interest.
Circleville Solar’s attorney, Ryan Richardson, said nan powerfulness siting board’s rejection relied solely connected section opposition, creating “a de facto section support requirement.”
If section governments tin efficaciously veto projects, she argued, “that full process is meaningless.”
Justice Jennifer Brunner, nan court’s lone Democratic member, pressed connected nan partisan authorities point.
“If location is accusation that stated impacts tin beryllium mitigated, nan committee would still beryllium acting successful nan champion liking of folks if nan committee decided that nan authorities needed nan power,” Brunner said.
But Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy focused connected whether nan siting committee really based its determination solely connected section opposition.
Attorneys for some nan committee and Jackson Township said it did not.
“The committee did not dainty this arsenic an sentiment poll,” lawyer Jack Van Kley said. “The committee did not guidelines this connected what nan section governments thought.”
The tribunal could return respective weeks earlier releasing its decision.
Fountain Point Solar Energy
On nan flip side, nan Ohio Power Siting Board approved Fountain Point Solar Energy for construction. Local opponents challenged really nan public-interest trial was applied.
The justices heard oral arguments successful November, and a ruling hasn’t been released yet.
The lawsuit centers astir a September 2024 support of a 280-megawatt star workplace successful Logan County. The task would screen astir 2,100 acres successful Bokescreek Township.
A group called Citizens Against Fountain Point sued, saying guidance successful nan area is strong, and they judge nan committee gave excessively overmuch weight to a fewer section officials who supported nan project.
They besides questioned information readying and raised imaginable conflicts of interest.
The committee said it reviewed each comments, followed nan rule and had nan authority to determine really overmuch weight to springiness each witness.
Hancock Solar Farm
On Christmas Eve, nan Ohio Supreme Court ruled successful favour of Hancock Solar Farm.
The justices upheld nan siting board’s determination to o.k. a 130-megawatt star task connected astir 700 acres successful Hancock County.
A adjacent resident, Travis Bohn, appealed nan approval, arguing nan committee improperly weighed nan grounds and approved it based connected incomplete and “one-sided” information.
The tribunal disagreed.
The developer, South Branch Solar, scaled backmost nan task from an earlier, larger plan, and nan siting committee attached much than 50 conditions nan institution must travel during building and operation.
“As it stands, Bohn’s claims astir nan antagonistic impacts of nan task are unsubstantiated theories,” Brunner wrote successful nan opinion.
