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To the editor:
On February 15 the Columbiana County Commissioners held a public hearing on a proposed ban on "large solar facilities" and "large wind farms" in the unincorporated parts of Fairfield, Franklin, Perry, and West Townships. The trustees in these townships passed resolutions requesting that the commissioners adopt their own resolution to implement the ban. I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed ban.
In this letter I am going to only talk about solar, since wind will most likely never be developed in Columbiana County on a large scale because we don't have enough sustained wind. One of the reasons touted by some for the ban on solar has been harmful effects to the environment and wildlife. Anyone who knows me understands that I care about protecting the environment as much as anyone does. Generation of electricity by any fuel results in some detrimental effect to the environment, and the environmental impacts from solar generation are minimal.
If enacted, this ban will only prohibit solar systems of at least 50 megawatts or larger and/or systems that would have a single interconnection to a high voltage transmission wire of at least 100 kilovolts. Systems of at least 50 megawatts would require at least 500 acres, and more likely, more than 1,000 acres. Their interconnection would have to be adjacent to, or very close to a transmission wire because the very large copper wire required to make the interconnection is extremely expensive. Developers don't want to run that interconnection wire any further than they absolutely have to, thus there are very few locations in the county where these large systems would even be feasible.
I feel that this ban would be an unnecessary infringement on private property rights. I understand that folks feel that these "large solar facilities" would infringe on adjacent property owner's rights, and I am sure that many don't want their "viewshed" changed with a bunch of solar panels. But, our energy has to be produced somewhere. That's the price that we pay by having large increases in energy demand every year in this country. I believe that solar needs to be part of our overall energy portfolio. If this proposed ban were to be put in place across much of Ohio then Ohio would take a huge energy loss, which would only weaken our overall energy picture.
Trustees in seven additional townships have requested that the commissioners adopt a resolution for a ban in their townships. One of those townships is Salem Township, where I reside. When a public hearing is held on a later date for the proposed ban in these townships, I plan to once again voice my opposition to the proposed ban.
I wonder why Fairfield and Perry Township Trustees felt there was a need to request that the county commissioners include their townships in the ban? Those two townships have enacted zoning for the entire townships, which already greatly restricts the building of solar and wind facilities.
Whether you support the ban or oppose it, it is good to see so many people turn out for a public hearing and get involved in the workings of county government.
TOM BUTCH,
Salem Township
.