The Ohio Power Siting Board is set to conduct a public hearing on December 10 in Cardington regarding Crossroads Solar I's proposal to build a 94-megawatt solar-powered electric generation facility in Morrow County.
According to a report by the Mount Vernon News, the Mount Vernon City Council is deliberating whether to petition the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn a similar proposal for the Frasier Solar project. This project partially falls within Mount Vernon's city limits and is perceived as potentially violating a Senate bill that authorized large solar projects, as it disregards a Knox County ruling intended to restrict such projects to unincorporated areas of the county.
The Ohio Power Siting Board has released information stating that Crossroads Solar plans to construct its facility across a 726-acre area in Cardington, Lincoln, and Westfield townships. The proposed development will include photovoltaic panel arrays, electrical collection lines, inverters, transformers, access roads, a substation and generation interconnection line, an operation and maintenance building, and temporary construction laydown yards. The project will also incorporate sheep grazing and related infrastructure.
The board's release further explains that the local public hearing will enable individuals to provide sworn testimony about the proposal. The hearing transcript will be included in the case record reviewed by the Ohio Power Siting Board. Witnesses will testify based on their registration order upon arrival at the hearing, with each witness allotted three minutes for testimony. Those wishing to supplement their testimony with exhibits must provide copies to the administrative law judge during the hearing.
The public hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. on December 10 at Cardington Community Methodist Church located at 300 South Marion St., Cardington.
Public comments on the Ohio Power Siting Board's website show mixed reactions. In May, Melissa Stall from Cardington expressed support for the development via email, citing benefits such as income streams for farm landowners, job creation, additional revenue for local governments, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Conversely, John Brooks submitted a comment in June opposing the solar project due to concerns over declining property values, potential equipment hazards, wildlife habitat disruption, and loss of quality of life due to changes in land use from primarily farmland.
