What “special interests” are actually at play regarding the Frasier Solar Proposal?
This writer strongly applauds the stance taken by the editorial board that actions taken by “special interests” should not be allowed to prevail over the “common good.” In its closing, the editorial calls for “ensuring that development, in all its forms, serves the common good” and that we all should “champion a vision of development that is sustainable….” This carefully considered response is not only a resounding affirmation of that sentiment but also an in-depth examination of how the values of the “common good” and “sustainability” are being served in the context of the Frasier solar proposal.
Because it speaks volumes to this question, the place to start is what was billed as a “town hall meeting” at the Knox Memorial Theater on Nov. 30. The “town hall meeting” concept originated in New England and was considered “the most open to the people……the purest form of democracy that ensures all decisions are in the public interest."
Yet we find that when someone showed up to represent the solar company, entry was denied. Due to that absence of openness, several problems ensued. For those attending to preserve agricultural use of land, there was no opportunity to convey that a full 800 of the 840 acres are going to be turned into one of the largest sheep grazing locations in Ohio: “This dual-use, or ‘solar grazing’ operation means that virtually all of the acreage …. will also remain in full agricultural production….. a sheep grazing operation in between, beneath, and around the solar panels."
They were also prevented from learning how the entire world is already moving in this direction. Dual use of solar and farming is not some “pie in the sky” theory concocted by those concerned about the climate future of their children. Japan already boasts over 1,000 applications and it is spreading throughout Europe and India. This three-minute video shows it “in action” in a way impossible to refute.
Ohio State University has received a major grant to implement dual use - also called “agrivoltaics” - at the Madison Fields solar project, and the Oak Run project is set to become not only the largest scale demonstration of agrivoltaics in the country but also a national learning center.
This event was also a major revelation concerning the concept of “special interests.” Its sponsor - Knox Smart Development - has an earlier version of its website that has been deleted but still saved in an "archive" form, available here. “If the reader clicks on the words “Empowering America,” it leads directly to “The Empowerment Alliance” (TEA) - a dark-money group aligned with the gas industry. Its former director previously worked as president of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and a PAC it founded spent over $1 million on digital ads in Ohio ahead of the 2022 general election.
One of the speakers at the Nov. 30 event - Mitch Given - “has appeared on behalf of TEA to promote natural gas issues to county commissioners in Ashland, Madison and Logan counties. In Ashland County, Given said the Alliance takes a hard line against renewables."
“TEA supports increasing exports of methane gas." Science reports warn that methane is not only an almost incomprehensibly 80 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas in its first 20 years, but there are massive leakages happening from pipelines and gas facilities. An increase in exports would only compound an already dangerous problem.
Another speaker was Steve Goreham of Heartland Institute. Wikipedia reveals that Heartland worked for the tobacco industry to “blur the facts” about smoking and has done the same on climate for over 20 years. It “is known for its rejection of both the scientific consensus on climate change and the negative health impacts of smoking.”
Is it fair to ask whether there might have been “special interests” at work in this event held in Mt. Vernon?
This event does not qualify to be described as a “town hall meeting,” which is a democratic process open to divergent views. In this case, a respectful “give and take” between perspectives - always the route to the best public policy - succumbed to the exertion of control and censorship.
There is a price paid when such happens. This entire community has now been plunged into conflict and controversy as a result of distortions and misinformation. The people of Knox County deserve better than that.
They have a right to access information which reveals there is a WIN-WIN solution in which solar panels can peacefully co-exist with the continued agricultural use of land. Such an option is being offered right in this very project.
The editorial board of Mt. Vernon News should stand up for an open, transparent, and democratic process. If it genuinely seeks for decisions regarding solar farms that “serve the common good,” then this is the most promising path which can allow that goal to be achieved.
