Knox County commissioners have scheduled a public meeting to discuss whether to adopt a resolution banning industrial solar farms in unincorporated areas of the county.
In 2022, commissioners adopted a resolution banning wind farms, but allowed the construction of industrial solar. The resolution stated, “The Board of Commissioners shall permit the construction of ‘large solar facilities’ … in the unincorporated areas of Knox County pursuant to the hearing and approval processes.”
The construction of industrial solar has become a significant issue in the election of new commissioner Drenda Keesee, particularly due to the ongoing effort to build the Frasier Solar facility.
Keesee emphasized the need for action during her campaign, citing feedback from townships. She noted, “Eighteen Knox townships have made resolutions against industrial solar fields, along with the Mount Vernon City Council.”
County Commissioner Bill Pursel said one purpose of the meeting is to hear from the townships.
“We would want the townships to reaffirm whatever their [previous] position was at the hearing,” Pursel said. “We won’t make any legal vote until we get their input.”
When the commissioners voted to ban wind farms in 2022, commissioners Bill Pursel and Thom Collier emphasized their desire for input from the county’s townships on the solar issue.
“We have asked [Knox County Prosecutor] Chip McConville to reach out to all of the townships,” Collier said. “Any township that wants their township to be in an exclusionary zone should forward their resolution to the commissioners no later than February. We will hold a public meeting and allow any township to be an exclusionary zone if that is the preference of their constituents.”
However, the meeting that Collier promised was never held.
Before approving the upcoming public meeting, commissioners tabled a resolution to “Approve the Opposition of the Board of Commissioners of Knox County, Ohio, to the application of Frasier Solar, LLC, for the development of a Solar-Powered Electric Generating Facility in Knox County, Ohio.”
Craig Adair, project lead for Frasier Solar, was present at the hearing.
Frasier Solar’s application to build its facility is currently under consideration by the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB). Frasier Solar would not be affected by a ban on solar construction in Knox County, as it was grandfathered in when the law allowing counties to ban wind and solar was passed by the Ohio Legislature.
However, the county’s opposition to the project could influence the OPSB’s decision, as it has turned down other solar projects due to local opposition.
The upcoming public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at the Knox Memorial Theatre.
