Renewable energy organizations decry potential changes to Ohio wind farm setback waiver process
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition jointly submitted comments of warning to the Ohio Power Siting Board (PSB) this week, opposing proposed changes to the wind farm setback waiver process.
In their comments, the organizations call the changes — proposed by state Rep. Bill Seitz (R-OH) — a death sentence for wind energy in Ohio, as well as the jobs that come with it. Painting it as the latest in a personal vendetta by Seitz against wind energy investment, its jobs, and tax revenues, AWEA said the changes would make it essentially impossible to build a wind farm in Ohio.
“State Rep. Seitz’s proposal to the Ohio Power Siting Board would twist otherwise reasonable landowner input on wind farm development into an unconstitutional violation of personal freedom and property rights by requiring consent of dozens of neighboring landowners to approve land use changes on one owner’s private property,” Andrew Gohn, director of Eastern State Policy for AWEA, said. “If this proposal goes through, Ohio will continue to fall behind neighboring states, making it extremely difficult to attract new investment from major corporations with renewable energy goals.”
Currently, property owners within the setback radius of wind turbines have to sign waivers before building can proceed. Under the proposed changes, many additional waivers would be required from others with property adjacent to properties within the actual setback radius.
