MOUNT VERNON — Clinton Township resident Bob Phillips resigned on Monday from the Ohio Power Siting Board ad hoc committee on the Frasier Solar project.
Phillips is running in the March 19 Republican primary for Commissioner Thom Collier’s seat. The bedrock of Phillips’ campaign is no farmland solar.
Phillips said the OPSB advises committee members to avoid commenting before the agency rules on the project.
“My campaign signs obviously state no farmland solar, so I thought it would be detrimental to the process if the developer wanted to fight the case,” Phillips said of his reason for resigning.
“I pulled myself out of the environment because I didn’t want the township or the people of the township to be harmed.”
The Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 52 in 2021. The bill gives county commissioners the authority to designate areas of the county off limits to large-scale solar. Prior to SB 52, the commissioners and townships had no say.
The bill grandfathered in Open Road Renewable’s project in Miller and Clinton townships because it had passed a certain point in the process when the legislature passed SB52.
However, the bill provides for local representation to the OPSB as it reviews projects. A county commissioner and township representative now serve on the ad-hoc committee for each project.
Clinton and Miller township trustees appointed Phillips as their representative to the ad-hoc committee last December.
Matt Butler, the PUCO’s public information officer, said the OPSB received Phillips’ resignation via email on March 4. The Ohio Power Siting Board did not request the resignation.
Butler provided the following statement:
“The OPSB received the resignation of Bob Phillips as ad hoc board member for the proposed Frasier Solar project. We have advised the townships to contact the OPSB if they intend to select a replacement, and to provide the name and contact information of the new designee, if they choose one.”
Clinton Township trustee Terry Thompson said at Monday’s meeting the township appointed resident Galen Smith to replace Phillips.
However, Miller Township Trustee Lynn Rowe said several names are possibilities.
“Right now, nothing is cut in stone who we’re going to go with,” he said.
Clinton and Miller trustees will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. to decide who will replace Phillips.
