"A large majority of public commenters support Open Road Renewables’ plan to build a big agrivoltaics project in central Ohio."

"A new analysis shows that a clear majority of people submitting comments on a planned central Ohio solar farm support the project — a stark contrast with how opponents have portrayed public sentiment.

Open Road Renewables, the developer seeking a permit to build the Grange Solar Grazing Center in Logan County, reviewed more than 2,500 comments submitted to the Ohio Power Siting Board through Feb. 11 regarding its permitting case. After accounting for repeat commenters who submitted multiple times, the company found 80% of commenters expressed support for its project.

A project’s popularity is a potential factor in site permit decisions, but how regulators use that information is the subject of a pending case before the Ohio Supreme Court. Until the question of how state regulators should measure ​“public interest” is resolved, solar advocates and developers say it’s critical to closely examine public comments before drawing conclusions."

Kathiann M. Kowalski reports for Canary Media February 19, 2025. [2]