Solar development will benefit Knox County

Most Ohioans agree that farmers and landowners have the right to make decisions about the use of their land. Most Ohioans also agree that we need to protect the health of our environment so we can have clean water, clean air, AND a carbon-free climate that supports human and other life, both now and into the future. Finally, as Knox Countians, most of us agree that economic development that brings jobs and tax revenues is critical for our future. 

Unfortunately, there are powerful utility and fossil fuel interests working to prevent the development of renewable energy. These multi-billionaire companies have a lot to lose, so they are funding shadow organizations to fight solar and wind. How are they doing this? They use disinformation, they distort facts, they take facts out of context, and they even lie. They deliberately design these distortions of facts to make us afraid, leading thoughtful and caring people to doubt the safety and wisdom of solar or wind energy. In reality, the facts and all the credible research supports the development of renewable energy. 

I urge you to contact the Knox County Commissioners and ask them to allow the siting of solar and wind facilities in the county. We should allow our farmers and landowners to make decisions about their own land. We should take advantage of the tax revenue that will benefit both the county and the townships where renewable energy is located. And from a moral point of view, we can actively contribute to a future that avoids the worst effects of climate change. We can be on the side of a brighter future. We can give our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren a future where they can breathe clean air and safely play in our streams and rivers.

– Janet Chandler, Mount Vernon