MOUNT VERNON – The next step in the Frasier Solar project begins at 10 a.m. Monday with a hearing before the Ohio Power Siting Board in Columbus.
Unlike the hearings in Mount Vernon earlier this year, Monday’s hearing is a formal court proceeding. Only the parties to the case will attend: interveners, Open Road Renewables and OPSB staff.
According to Matthew Butler of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the OPSB has scheduled the hearing for 10 days. However, Butler said it is unlikely the hearing will last more than a few days.
“We will have a better idea of the timeline once the hearing begins on Monday,” he said by email.
Butler said all potential witnesses could submit written statements, affidavits or both in advance and be cross-examined based on their testimony.
“Witnesses may or may not be cross-examined, depending on the interests of the other parties,” he explained.
The public will have the opportunity to follow the proceedings. The hearings will not be available online.
Parking is available in a parking garage on 4th Street, north of Broad Street. There are also parking meters on the street. Click here for more parking information.
Butler said the hearings are expected to last until 5 p.m. each day. There will be a lunch break and several other breaks throughout the day, but there are no set times for them.
Frasier Solar Background
Knox Pages first reported on Open Road Renewables’ Frasier Solar project in May 2022.
At the time, Open Road Renewables and two other solar developers had leased land in the county. However, only Frasier Solar was affected by Senate Bill 52.
The project area covers approximately 1,000 acres in Miller and Clinton Townships, of which approximately 800 acres are equipped with solar panels. The majority of the area is in Miller. The City of Mount Vernon has 100 acres as part of the project.
In August 2022, the district commissioners banned the construction of wind farms in the district and approved solar plants on a case-by-case basis.
Community members were vocal about the project, both in their opposition and in their support.
The OPSB held a public comment hearing in Mount Vernon in April 2024. The committee adjourned the hearing at midnight and scheduled two additional hearings in May to hear the remaining comments.
Once the hearing concludes on Monday, the parties may be able to file briefs. Once that process is complete, the OPSB Administrative Law Judge will prepare a proposed decision for the Board’s consideration.
There is no set time frame for the board’s decision.
Once the OPSB issues its decision, the parties have 30 days to appeal the decision. If a party files an appeal, the panel has 30 days from the date the appeal is filed to decide on the appeal.
Ultimately, OPSB decisions can be appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court.
