The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) voted unanimously to deny the construction of a 94-MW agrivoltaic solar project proposed for Morrow County, Ohio.
Sheep graze between solar module rows at a Silicon Ranch project site. Silicon Ranch
Open Road Renewables was developing the co-located Crossroads Solar Grazing Center on 570 acres of land sited between Cardington, Lincoln and Westfield Townships. The solar project would have been built on several different plots in Morrow County and hosted a sheep grazing operation. Open Road initially filed for project permitting in February 2025, with a project timeline to start construction in 2027 and start operations in 2028.
Crossroads had reportedly progressed through the permitting process toward possible approval, but was met with local opposition during public comment periods in the last few months. Most of the comments submitted anonymously during this period opposed Crossroads’ construction, and Canary Media reported that 34 other comments in opposition were submitted under false names.
“[The Ohio Environmental Council] intervened in this case to ensure that decisions are based on facts, fairness and the long-term interests of Ohioans. When objective analysis is overridden, and the volume of public input is prioritized over its substance, it weakens trust in the process and makes it harder to build the energy system Ohio needs,” said Nolan Rutschilling, managing director of energy policy for the Ohio Environmental Council. “To put it plainly: Ohio needs more clean energy generation now to address soaring costs tied to data centers and geopolitical pressures on energy supply chains. Staff’s last-minute reversal on this decision creates an uncertain regulatory environment that will discourage energy developers from future investment.”
While the OPSB voted unanimously to oppose Crossroads’ continued development, non-voting member State Sen. Kent Smith said he’s concerned that the board would deny a solar project during a time of rising energy costs. During the same session, OPSB voted to approve an extended three-year waiver with natural gas provider Columbia Gas of Ohio, and amended certificates for proposed energy storage and solar projects. On Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) also approved a rate increase for utility customers with AEP Ohio.
“The goal of the PUCO and this organization is to have both adequate supply and affordable power supply, and if we’re going to deny solar the ability to compete in Ohio’s marketplace, I think that’s going to result in an artificially high price for Ohio consumers … I’m concerned that this project was initially approved and was eventually denied. I think this is a dangerous thing for the state in terms of both affordability and reliability,” Smith said.
Another source of solar opposition is happening in state legislature. State Sens. George Lang (R-52) and Mark Romanchuk (R-22) have co-authored a bill that if passed would alter Ohio’s definition of a “clean energy source,” which does not include wind, energy storage or solar power. SB 294 would consider nuclear power and natural gas as clean energy sources. The bill is currently under review by a Senate committee.
