Knox County Solar Farm Approved: Cause for Celebration or Alarm?
BY NICK ROGERS
The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has green lit the Frasier Solar Project located on the boarders of Clinton and Miller Townships and the City of Mount Vernon in Knox County, Ohio. Proponents for this “green” energy project such as National Resource Defense Council and the company behind the project, Open Road Renewables, are rejoicing at the ruling. Opponents – such as local residents of Mount Vernon and Miller – are deeply concerned.
The debate over the need and desire for large-scale solar development rages on in the state, but it seems the pendulum is swinging toward those in favor, despite Ohio law favoring local township authority.
The prevailing narrative sweeping mainstream media coverage of the Ohio solar debate centers around “shadowy” fossil fuel interests purveying “misinformation” about the burdens imposed by industrial-level solar farms.
“There was a lot of misinformation such as solar opponents falsely claiming tax dollars would pay for the project, and solar proponents warning about rising energy prices," Clinton Township Trustee Jay Maners said.
Knox Smart Development – an organization with supposed fossil-fuel-industry-funding – hosted a packed town hall meeting last November. Speakers at the presentation included Jared Yost, the organization’s founder, and Steve Goreham of the Heartland Institute, a group well-known for fervent disagreement with mainstream scientific consensus that “climate change” is being driven by the burning of fossil fuels. A scouring of the evidence would suggest Goreham is correct.
Despite top-down, big-hitter support for solar energy across the globe, local opposition for mega solar arrays has remained staunch, aided by the fact that Ohio Revised Code 4906.10(A)(6) puts the burden on OPSB to find that a respective project serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity. To this point, the OPSB has given in to local dissent time and time again. The Knox County ruling may represent a turning of the tide.
“We’re thrilled that Frasier Solar has received approval and is moving forward in Knox County," Craig Adair, Vice President of Development at Open Road Renewables, said, "This project reflects our deep commitment to working hand-in-hand with farmers, government officials, and the local community to deliver significant, long-lasting benefits.”
He continued, “From new jobs to stable income for local farmers to millions in new revenue for Mount Vernon schools and county services, we’re proud to be a part of Knox County’s future and excited to help meet Ohio’s rapidly growing energy needs with reliable, homegrown power.”
Adair and his team claim the project will generate around $42 million for local schools and services over the lifespan of the site; a site which will feature hundreds of grazing sheep to manage the vegetation to prevent soil erosion.
A deeper look into solar farms shows a realistic possibility of attached equipment catching fire, the potential for leaching of toxic chemicals into nearby soil (a major concern for nearby farmland and well water), and proven biodiversity impact. Deer migration is affected, and bats have died due to their mistaking panels for water.
Ohio residents have long-since been concerned over aesthetic degradation to rural areas and the lessening of surrounding property values. With a typical lifespan of solar panels ranging from 30 to 40 years, there is uncertainty over the viability of reusing the plots for farmland were a solar panel site ever to be decommissioned.
Lawyers for the Ohio Ethics Commission discovered a conflict of interest with Knox County Commissioner Drenda Keesee – who was forced to take a neutral position on the issue – as it was learned that she owned property next to the project site.
Clinton Township’s board, who had previously stated their opposition to future solar projects, declared they would remain “officially neutral” on the Frasier Solar project.
As non-profits and government alike sound the alarm bell over the need for grid bolstering due to the data center boom in Ohio, the fact remains that solar power, like wind, is intermittent – not base load – entirely dependent on weather conditions.
According to Monitoring Analytics, the independent market monitor for PJM (the grid operator for Ohio, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia), solar power production produced only slightly more than two percent of the company’s power in 2024. This would, of course, increase with more solar farm construction.
The question remains: Do rural Ohioans support new solar farms? Depends on who you ask.
