A proposed 2600 acre solar farm in Allen and Auglaize County has many people concerned and looking for answers.
Comments about the Lightsource bp solar project are circulating all over social media since residents learned about it back in October. Some of those comments are regarding the county commissioner’s ability to stop it. Today, Allen and Auglaize County commissioners held a conference call with legal counsel for the County Commissioners Association of Ohio to see what, if any, involvement they could have with the proposed project. According to the Ohio Revised Code, they have no authority in the permitting process for the project.
Allen County Commissioner Cory Noonan explains, “We do not have a vote whether or not this project is permitted. We, like everybody else, will have the ability if there is a legal reason for it for us to submit comments to that. But the overall application, the overall approval or denial of the project comes to a board in Columbus, the Power Siting Board.”
The “Birch Solar Project” is listed in the pre-application point on the Ohio Power Siting Boards website. They have 90 days from their informational meetings to submit their application. Two virtual meetings are scheduled for November 20 and 23rd from 6 to 8 p.m. Instructions to join the meeting are on their website where you can also make comment.
