COLUMBUS, OHIO (Oct. 20, 2022) – The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) today authorized Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy, LLC and Harvey Solar I, LLC to construct solar-powered electric generating facilities in Franklin and Licking counties, respectively. The OPSB also approved Flint Grid, LLC’s proposal to construct a battery energy storage project in Licking County. The OPSB denied Birch Solar 1, LLC’s application to construct a solar-powered electric generating facility in Allen and Auglaize counties.

Birch Solar

The OPSB denied the application filed by Birch Solar 1, LLC to construct a 300 MW solar facility in Shawnee Township us in Allen County and Logan Township in Auglaize County. The OPSB found that, based on the unanimous and consistent opposition to the project by local governments whose constituents are impacted by the project, the proposed project would fail to serve the “public interest, convenience, and necessity” as required by Ohio law.

The OPSB noted that all four local governments in the Birch Solar project area opposed its approval and that the lack of local government support for the project remained consistent before and after the OPSB technical staff issued a report in October 2021 recommending that the OPSB deny the project.

Harvey Solar

The OPSB approved a settlement agreement allowing Harvey Solar to construct a 350 MW solar-powered electric generating facility within a 2,630-acre project area in Hartford and Bennington townships in Licking County. The facility will consist of arrays of solar panels and will include associated facilities such as access roads, operations and maintenance building, underground and aboveground electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters and transformers, a collection substation, and a 138 kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line. To minimize aesthetic concerns, Harvey Solar will implement a landscape and lighting plan to include vegetative screening.

Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy

The OPSB approved a settlement agreement allowing Pleasant Prairie Solar to construct a 250 megawatt (MW) solar-powered electric generating facility within a 2,400-acre project area in Pleasant and Prairie townships in Franklin County. The facility will consist of arrays of photovoltaic modules, commonly referred to as solar panels, as well as associated facilities including access roads, an operations and maintenance building, underground electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters and transformers, and a collection substation. To minimize aesthetic concerns, Pleasant Prairie Solar will implement a landscape and lighting plan to include vegetative screening.

Flint Grid

The OPSB approved a settlement agreement allowing Flint Grid to construct at 200 MW battery energy storage project on 15 acres in Jersey Township in Licking County. The project, with an 800-megawatt hour discharge capacity, will consist of battery containers, inverters, transformers, underground electric collection lines, a collection substation, a 138 kV electric transmission line, and perimeter fencing.

In other business, the OPSB approved a request filed by Clean Energy Future-Oregon, LLC seeking a one-year extension of the certificate issued to construct a 955 MW natural gas-fired, combined‑cycle electric generation facility in Lucas County. The extension was requested because of delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Additional information about today’s OPSB decisions is available at www.OPSB.ohio.gov. Copies of today’s opinions and orders will be available in case numbers 20-1679-EL-BGN (Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy), 21‑0164-EL-BGN (Harvey Solar), 21‑1061‑EL‑BGN(Flint Grid), 20-1605-EL-BGA (Birch Solar), and 22‑0826-EL-BGA (Clean Energy Future-Oregon). A recorded webcast of today’s OPSB meeting is available on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/PUCOhio.

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