On November 21, 2019, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) rejected the AEP proposal to develop 900 MW of renewable energy, including 400 MW of solar power in Highland County, Ohio. Approved by the Power Siting Board, the two solar farms detailed in the proposal are the 300 MW Highland solar farm and the 100 Willowbrook Solar Farm which would be located 3.2 miles northwest and 2 miles east of Mowrystown, Ohio, respectively. The decision comes 4 months after the passage of HB6 which bails out nuclear plants Davis-Besse and Perry as well as two coal plants, Kyger Creek in southeastern Ohio, and Clifty Creek in Indiana, whose pollution impacts air quality in the Cincinnati metro area. The PUCO rejected the proposal based on a supposed failure of AEP to demonstrate a need for the two farms.
According to PUCO, “Ohio’s current legal framework and options available in the retail electric marketplace provide ample opportunities for customers to act on their electric generation supply, price, and technology preferences.” Such a statement is misleading as there is evidence that most Ohioans support the development of renewable energy in the state, according to a recent poll by Georges Mason University. A Sierra Club poll conducted in March 2018 had similar findings. According to AEP, the two solar farms would have led to the creation of roughly 4,000 jobs for a $24 million contribution in new state tax revenue. More importantly, and likely the reason behind renewable energy receiving so much support from Ohioans, the development of the biggest renewable energy project in the Midwest would come with tremendous environmental benefits. While the Appalachians have once relied on coal to support their families, coal power plants in addition to polluting our air and water have long lost their economic appeal. Indeed, not only is the rate of return of solar and wind much lower than the cost of building new coal plants but also the operating cost of solar and wind continues to decline. A recent study shows that the scarring of the Ohio Basin over the years via coal strip mining has increased the region’s risks to extreme weather events linked to climate change namely flooding.
Nonetheless, despite receiving more than 3000 comments in favor of the AEP proposal to reduce Ohio’s reliance on coal, Governor Dewine’s appointee, Chairman Randazzo has decided that there was no need for the two solar farms.
Fortunately, some Ohio municipalities have picked up the slack and are taking actions towards developing more renewable energy in Ohio. The city of Cincinnati will be constructing a “100 mega-watt solar array [which] will reduce the region's annual carbon emissions by 158,000 tons”. Cleveland plans to build solar arrays at up to 16 sites including City Hall and the public auditorium. Lakewood has just committed to using 100% renewable energy by 2035. These examples highlight the importance of the Sierra Club Ready for 100% campaign to get municipalities to commit to 100% renewable energy.
In the meantime, holding elected officials accountable is just as important. Let Governor DeWine know what you think about PUCO rejecting the AEP proposal to develop more solar power facilities in Ohio as well as what type of energy you would rather pay for.