Just Say “No” to Wind and Solar Bans

by Lori Gourley Babbey

Since the passage of SB 52 in 2021, some Ohio counties are pre-emptively

vetoing utility-scale renewable projects via the powers granted to County

Commissioners in this bill.

SB 52 grants Ohio county commissioners’ significant authority to

preemptively restrict or prohibit large-scale wind and solar projects within

unincorporated areas. It empowers local officials to designate restricted

zones, requires developers to hold public meetings, adds local voting

members to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), and mandates

decommissioning plans.

The anonymously funded groups spreading misinformation about rural

solar projects are impacting decisions that will impact OUR lives, not theirs

(unless they’re from the fossil fuel industry). The public health and

economic benefits that these renewable energy projects would bring to

Ohio citizens are lost among the lies.

Portage County Ohio’s 2022 Vision Plan includes environmental

stewardship as a priority. Their 2050 Comprehensive Plan includes

objectives to “Encourage alternative energy sources; Encourage new

development to explore wind and solar usage; and Promote alternative

energy.” Despite these goals, they recently announced a public meeting for

their proposed moratorium (ban) on large scale wind or solar installations in

eight of the eighteen townships. This was done at the request of the eight

townships’ trustees. A public hearing was held on March 26, 2026. All

citizens who testified opposed the ban, except one. Despite testimony the

Commissioners said they would pass their moratorium/ban at their next

meeting. Ultimately, instead of approving an outright ban on solar and wind

farms in eight townships, Portage County’s Board of Commissioners have

opted to consider them on a case-by-case basis.

Citizens across Ohio are struggling with their energy utility bills. This is a

serious problem that needs to be addressed. Banning solar and wind

farms is not the answer. A ban will only increase our energy costs, pollute

our environment and continue to harm public health by promoting the use

of antiquated fossil fuels that are known to be toxic. Instead, counties, and

our legislature, should think about instituting Community solar energy

projects. This would be an incredibly safe, sustainable, cost-effective

solution for citizens.

Opportunities for Agrivoltaics could also be a financial boon for farmers by

increasing the efficiency of their land, providing income diversification, and

increasing the availability of locally grown food. Many crops thrive when

grown this way. Solar leases provide a steady supplemental income to

allow farmers to preserve their family legacy. A ban would deny this option.

Concerns about loss of land for agriculture must be put into perspective.

The Great Plains Institute 2021 report states “Accounting for existing solar,

and presuming that all prospective solar is developed, the distribution of

land use across continental US counties is on average 0.23 percent of a

county’s land footprint.”

That is an inconsequential footprint, especially when compared to oil and gas drilling and other mining. The Ohio Dept of Health’s 2022 “Solar Farm and Photovoltaics Summary and Assessment” shows that solar farms do not pose a public health burden, despite false fears of “radiation.”

The benefits of using renewable energies such as wind and solar include

fostering energy independence and resilience, job creation, and boosting

local economies which benefit everyone. For example, Harrison County,

Ohio has a large solar installation held by Knottingham Solar. Knottingham

has paid $700,000 to $900,000 per year to the county for its schools,

library, Athens Township and the county general fund.

https://www.heraldstaronline.com/news/local-news/2023/01/proposed-

solar-plant-could-bring-900k-annually-for-harrison-county/

Wouldn’t it wonderful if all Ohio counties could benefit from a similar

renewable energy project? Imagine the possibilities.

The U.S. Dept of Energy lists the advantages of wind power as:

Wind power creates good-paying jobs. The Bureau of Labor

Statistics shows that the fastest growing occupations are Wind

Turbine Service Technicians and Solar Photovoltaic Installers.

Wind power is a domestic resource that enables U.S. economic

growth. In 2022, wind turbines operating in all 50 states generated more than 10% of the net total of the country’s energy. That same year, funding in new wind projects added $20 billion to the

U.S. economy.

Wind is a renewable source of energy.  Not only is wind an

abundant and inexhaustible resource, but it also provides electricity

without burning any fuel or polluting the air. 

Wind power benefits local communities. Wind projects deliver an

estimated $2 billion in state and local tax payments and land-lease

payments each year. Communities that develop wind energy can use

the extra revenue to put towards school budgets, reduce the tax

burden on homeowners, and address local infrastructure projects.

Wind power is cost-effective. Land-based, utility-scale wind

turbines provide one of the lowest-priced energy sources available

today. Furthermore, wind energy’s cost competitiveness continues to

improve with advances in the science and technology of wind energy.

Wind turbines work in different settings. Wind energy generation

fits well in agricultural and multi-use working landscapes. Wind

energy is easily integrated in rural or remote areas, such as farms

and ranches or coastal and island communities, where high-quality

wind resources are often found.

I urge readers to proactively work with their townships, villages and

municipalities to pass legislation not to ban large-scale solar or wind

projects. If our leaders want to help their constituents, they should be

willing to support the development of solar or wind projects to ease the

heavy energy financial burden we are all subject to right now, with no end

in sight.