COLUMBUS — The Ohio Power Siting Board set dates for three in-person public hearings for three new solar project proposals. For more than a year, public hearings have been held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first is for Cadence Solar Energy, LLC’s proposal to construct an up to 275 megawatt solar-powered electric generation facility in York, Liberty and Taylor townships in Union County. The hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 29 at West Mansfield Conservation Club, 701 South Main Street, West Mansfield, Ohio 43358.
A hearing for Wheatsborough Solar, LLC’s proposal to construct an up to 125 megawatt solar-powered electric generating facility located in Groton Township, Erie County is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 7. The hearing will be held at Margaretta High School, 209 Lowell Street, Castalia, Ohio 44824.
The third hearing is being held for Sycamore Creek Solar, LLC’s proposal to construct an up to 117 megawatt solar‑powered electric generating facility located in Cranberry Township, Crawford County. The hearing is set for 6 p.m. July 22, Bucyrus Public Library, 200 E. Mansfield St., Bucyrus, Ohio 44820
The purpose of the local public hearings is to allow individuals, who are not parties to the case, to provide sworn testimony regarding the proposed facility. Testimony will be limited to five minutes per witness, and the hearing transcript will become part of the case record considered by the board.
Witnesses are not required to pre-register online in order to testify at the hearing. Witnesses will register when they arrive at the hearing and will testify in the order in which they register. If a witness wishes to supplement their testimony with an exhibit, a copy of the document should be provided to the administrative law judge during the hearing.
Unless otherwise specified by the facility, individuals who are not fully vaccinated should plan to wear a face covering and socially distance.
More details
The Cadence Solar project would consist of large arrays of solar panels, mounted on a rack system. The project would sit on about 1,925 acres within an 4,900-acre project area.
The project would include access roads, an operations and maintenance building, underground electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters and transformers, a collection substation and a 345 kilovolt generation interconnection line. More information regarding the proposed solar facility is available at opsb.ohio.gov in case number 20-1677-EL-BGN.
The Wheatsborough Solar project would sit on about 968 acres and include a 50 MW battery energy storage system, access roads, electric collection lines, inverters, weather stations, a facility substation, a generation interconnect line, an operations and maintenance facility and construction laydown yards.
Additional information regarding the proposed solar facility is available at opsb.ohio.gov in case number 20-1529-EL-BGN.
The Sycamore Creek Solar project would cover about 917 acres and include facilities like access roads, electric collection lines, inverters, weather stations, a facility substation, an operations and maintenance facility and construction laydown yards.
Additional information regarding the proposed solar facility can be found under case number 20-1762-EL-BGN.
