This is a follow-up to a story that ran May 12, 2022, on Knox Pages, “Is solar coming to Knox County?” As solar projects progress in the county, we’ll look at other topics such as PILOT agreements (payment in lieu of taxes) and the impact of solar on farmland.
MOUNT VERNON — With the surging interest in renewable energy, it is not surprising that solar developers are looking at Knox County.
There are 40 solar projects in various stages of development in Ohio. Three of them are in Knox County.
Before the Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 52 last fall, local residents had little control over whether a solar facility located in their area. While they could provide input to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), all authority and oversight rested with the OPSB.
SB 52 gives county commissioners the right to either restrict utility-scale solar outright in unincorporated areas of the county or approve/reject/modify projects on a case-by-case basis. Utility-scale solar is 50 megawatts (MW) and larger.
The right of approval applies only to new projects. Projects that have reached a certain point in the process are grandfathered in and are not subject to the oversight provision. However, even if a project is grandfathered, residents can still provide input during a series of public meetings and hearings, public comment periods, or by writing to the OPSB.
Here is a brief look at the grandfather clause.
To connect to the electric grid, a developer pays a fee and submits information to PJM Interconnection. PJM is a federally regulated organization that operates the electricity grid in Ohio, District of Columbia, and 12 other states.
PJM assigns a number to the project. PJM, in conjunction with the developer, also conducts a series of studies:
• Feasibility
• Impact
• Facilities
“Solar projects that are in the PJM queue, have received their system impact study from PJM, and have paid the PJM application fee by the effective date of the bill — Oct. 11, 2021 — are not subject to the bill’s provisions relating to county commissioner oversight, restricted area designation or referendum,” Matthew Butler, public information officer for the OPSB, told Knox Pages via email.
There are three Knox County projects in the PJM new services queue. Two of them are in the feasibility stage; the other is in the facilities stage.
SB 52 also provides for local representation on the siting board when the board considers a developer’s application.
For any application not completed by Oct. 11, 2021, the OPSB must include two voting ad hoc members: one from the county and one from the township(s).
Butler said the OPSB has received no applications for any project in Knox County. That means that all three projects in the PJM queue will include a commissioner and trustee as voting members when the application goes before the siting board.
Interested parties
Several solar companies are talking with landowners in the county, including Frasier Solar LLC, ibV Energy under the name ibV Properties LLC, and Apex Clean Energy.
According to company representatives, Frasier Solar has about 1,000 acres under contract. ibV Energy has a little over 900.
Frasier Solar and ibV declined to state the rate per acre landowners will receive for putting their land into solar. However, according to Wesley Smith, project development analyst for ibV Energy, lease rates in Ohio average $700 to $1,000 per acre, per year.
Frasier Solar
According to the Knox County Auditor’s website, Frasier Solar, a subsidiary of Texas-based Open Road Renewables, has signed leases for 964 acres in Miller, Clinton, and Pleasant townships. The leases include a six-year development period. If development proceeds, the contract runs for 30 years and can be extended twice for five years each.
Two of the PJM queue numbers belong to Frasier Solar. One is an 80MW project, the other 40MW.
“We’re targeting 80MW for the project. The additional 40MW are for a potential second phase of the project,” Craig Adair, vice president of development for Open Road Renewables, said. “If both phases are developed, the project could eventually have a total capacity of up to 120MW.”
The facilities study is underway for the 80MW project. The 40MW project is in the feasibility study stage.
“For the purposes of SB 52, the two queue positions constitute a single project, all of which is partially grandfathered under the bill,” Adair said. “However, the project is subject to the requirement for local ad hoc representation on the OPSB.
“So, a county commissioner and township trustee will serve as voting members when the project application goes before the OPSB.”
Adair said that while the project is grandfathered, it does not mean that it is a done deal and residents have no say.
“We will work with township trustees, county engineer, county commissioners, and others to make sure that this project makes sense and fits in this community,” he said. “We want to be partners, and there is no sense antagonizing people.”
Solar projects take 5 to 7 acres per MW. Adair said Frasier is targeting a site area of 800 to 900 acres for both projects.
IbV Energy
Florida-based ibV Energy has 792 acres in Berlin, Pike, and Morris townships under lease contract, according to the auditor’s site. IbV’s contract includes an option to lease period of 12 months; the option can be renewed four times with each renewal spanning 12 months.
If ibV exercises the option to lease, the contract runs for 15 years with a right to extend the term four times, each for an additional five-year period.
Last November, ibV representatives told the county commissioners the goal was 972 acres for a 150-megawatt project, which matches the third position in the PJM queue.
Robin Saiz, co-founder of ibV and chief development officer, told Knox Pages that ibV’s project is not grandfathered in under SB 52. The project is in the feasibility study stage.
He noted that it is “equally important where not to go as where to go” for a solar project.
“We are in the early stages of discussions in Knox County, and we’ll see if it will be viable for us,” he told Knox Pages in February. “We would like to bring efficient, low-cost energy and be a good neighbor for a long time. We want to do things the right way.”
Apex Clean Energy
Apex Clean Energy is developing two solar energy projects, Tuma Run and Coleman Branch.
“These projects are in the early stages of development, which means we are still talking with local landowners,” Tyler Fehrman, field manager for Apex, told Knox Pages via email. “As these projects progress, we’re happy to discuss the PJM process further, but as of right now, we don’t have information to share on this.”
Tuma Run is located in the southern part of the county, near Tuma Run Road and the Licking County border. It includes Pleasant, Miller, and Morgan townships. Tuma Run is planned to be a 75MW, 375-acre project.
Coleman Branch is north of Apple Valley near Amity. It includes Pike, Morris, and Monroe townships. Coleman Branch is planned to be up to a 120MW, 600-acre project.
“The number of acres for each project is our targeted amount of leased land but encompasses more than just panels. So, a 600-acre project would not mean 600 acres of solar panels,” Fehrman, a former Knox County resident, said.
“Though I live in neighboring Licking County now, Knox will always be my home and is the place that made me who I am. So, I’m excited to give back to this community,” he said.
“I believe that solar energy offers a huge economic benefit for our community and is a clean, renewable resource that will contribute to Ohio’s energy grid. I’m excited to see the amazing benefits that these projects will bring to Knox County schools, infrastructure, and local services – as well as the stable income they provide landowners.”
To get public input about wind and solar, the Knox County commissioners will hold a meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m. in the Knox Memorial, 112 E. High St.
