Another big Ohio solar project bites the dust

Months of proactive community engagement appeared to be paying off for the developer of the Grange Solar Grazing Center agrivoltaics project in central Ohio.

Open Road Renewables knew it faced an uphill battle before the state energy-siting board, whose recent deference to local opponents has helped make Ohio one of the most challenging places in the country to build large solar arrays. So the company showed up early and often in Logan County, listening to residents’ feedback and committing millions of dollars in donations for community investments.

As public comments rolled into state regulators, the developer reviewed the submissions last month and found a clear majority of those weighing in supported its plan. The analysis filtered out hundreds of repeat comments, at least 140 of which came from just 16 people who mostly opposed the project.

Optimism around Grange Solar lasted only days, however. On Feb. 21, staff at the Ohio Power Siting Board recommended denying the project’s permit: ​“Staff believes that any benefits to the local community are outweighed by the overwhelming documented public opposition and, therefore, the project would not serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.”

Open Road Renewables withdrew its application for Grange Solar late last week, making it at least the fifth large solar project in Ohio to be canceled over the past 15 months.

The case highlights the power that local opponents have to block renewable energy projects in Ohio, even when they otherwise check all the boxes for regulatory approval. It also raises the question: What more can developers do?

Open Road Renewables held listening sessions last spring for its up to 500-megawatt solar farm to learn about community concerns and address them even before applying for its permit. Beyond the $5 million in annual local tax revenue the development was expected to generate, the company committed $10 million in donations for a community center, public safety, a river cleanup, job training, and other programs.

“All legitimate concerns about the project were addressed and the benefits would have been spread far and wide,” Doug Herling, vice president of Open Road Renewables, said in an emailed statement.

The section of the siting board staff’s report that focuses on whether Grange Solar serves the public interest does not discuss local benefits. Nor does it address statewide public-interest issues, such as growing energy needs, efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and projected positive economic impacts.

The staff report also does not address conflict-of-interest issues and procedural problems raised by the developer about some of the local governments’ filings. And it doesn’t mention the company’s analysis of public comments, showing that three-fourths of those who had commented on the project supported it.