Many rural Ohioans are familiar with the growing presence of solar generation across the state. With 3,224 megawatts of installed solar capacity, Ohio ranks 14th among the states, up from 32nd in 2022.
Yet despite the numerous battles over solar in Knox, Stark, Greene, and other counties, most localities have yet to experience active solar generation facilities. Only eight are operational to date; however, that will soon be changing with over 30 new projects approved or under construction.
Currently, 12 new solar projects are under construction. Like most utility-scale solar in Ohio, they are in the western half of the state, west of a north-south line running roughly along the eastern border of Franklin County.
The northernmost of the projects under construction is Wheatsborough Solar in Erie County and the southernmost is Nestlewood Solar in Clermont and Brown counties. The westernmost is Powell Creek Solar in Putnam County.
When all the plants under construction get plugged into the grid, they’ll add 2,542 megawatts of installed capacity to the grid. The increase in solar generation has already caused concern about the reliability of Ohio’s electric grid.
A reassessment of generation sources by Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM), which manages the grid in Ohio and other Midwestern and East Coast states, determined a reduced capacity from solar, resulting in a “further tightening the supply-demand balance.” The reduction in solar capacity, and batteries as well, is a result of their “past performance during winter peak demand periods.”
“As energy demands grow, it creates a problem for PJM,” reported CenterSquare. “PJM expects demand to increase significantly by 2040, but the power supply is becoming more intermittent as solar projects dominate the queue to get plugged into the grid.”
Grid reliability is not the only concern raised by the increase of solar generation. Many residents are concerned about how it will affect their lives and lifestyles.
Preble County resident Jill Sorrell said on Facebook that it was a "sad day for Preble County" when the Ohio Supreme Court approved the construction of two large solar farms in the county.
"Our farm is right beside the solar farm and across the road,” she added. “We are very concerned about our tile, run off on crops, where's the wildlife going to go, value on our property, the maintenance on them once they are done. It's been a five year process our attorney and group has done a great job but how do you beat the government. I will be heartbroken the rest of my life."
There are also concerns about the economic effects of solar in Ohio. Knox County Regional Airport Authority (KCRAA) Chair Joe Ziegman is that the proposed Frasier Solar project could threaten the safety of flight and financial stability of the Knox County Airport.
“Both are now in jeopardy if the Frasier industrial solar project is permitted to move forward in its current form and locations,” wrote Ziegman in a recent report.
“The glare and turbulence risk from large solar fields adjacent to the airport will likely dissuade many student pilots from using our airfield as they learn and advance their skills,” added Ziegman.
There is more solar in the queue beyond those facilities under construction. Twenty-four projects totaling 3,523 megawatts have already been approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board. Another 10 with 1,993 megawatts are pending decision or in the pre-application stage. If all the solar projects in the queue come online, solar generation capacity in Ohio will almost quadruple.