Grange Solar Grazing Center prioritizes preserving farmland, agriculture
A unique agrivoltaic solar project proposed for Northwestern Logan County in the Indian Lake region is taking shape in recent years through new partnerships cultivated by Open Road Renewables and local residents.
The Grange Solar Grazing Center would provide not only for clean, domestic energy, but also well over $100 million economic investment in Logan County and an avenue for farmers and landowners to diversify their incomes. Grange Solar also plans to announce millions of dollars in donations towards various community priorities as part of the project proposal.
The proposed 500 MW agrivoltaic project covers approximately 2,600 acres in Richland, Stokes, Washington, Bloomfield and McArthur Townships through lease agreements signed with landowners.
One aspect that makes this project particularly unique is that sheep grazing will also be incorporated into the project area, a practice that has emerged across the United States as a cost-competitive alternative to mechanical and chemical control of vegetation under solar panels. This solar grazing keeps farmland in agricultural production, balancing energy, farmland preservation and food production. This dual-use practice is referred to as “agrivoltaics.”
Grange Solar has been working and involved in the local community since late 2019, and the company plans to submit its project application to the Ohio Power Siting Board in October of 2024, which will kick off an approximately nine-month long permitting/review process.
“These projects take a long time,” said Samantha Sawmiller, Open Road Renewables’ Director of Development. “There are about 20 different types of studies that will have to be completed, relating to environmental and cultural impacts and other aspects of the project.”
Throughout this year, Grange Solar has offered numerous opportunities to engage the community about the project, including coffee chats, a listening tour, a booth at the Logan County Fair and other public events to provide residents with details about the project and the chance for them to provide input and ask questions.
In addition, ahead of the formal project application, a public information meeting is slated for 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, at Indian Lake High School. Neighbors to the project area will receive letters regarding this meeting.
The Open Road Renewables team has successfully permitted seven utility-scale solar projects in Ohio and has also developed dozens more throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the U.S. Across Ohio, the company built the following: the 200 MW Hillcrest Solar Project, the 150 MW Willowbrook Solar Project and the 144 MW Clearview Solar Project.
“Open Road Renewables has been a leader in trying to make sure projects like Grange area win-win for the community. We try hard to set a high bar for ourselves and for Ohio’s solar industry,” Sawmiller said, noting the company’s commitment to community engagement.
Grange Solar opened an office in Lakeview in 2022, and recently moved into its current office space at 315 E. Main St., Russells Point, after relinquishing their office space for the Village of Lakeview after the municipal building was destroyed by the tornado in March of 2024. Grange Solar’s staff have also been involved in community initiatives, including volunteering with tornado relief efforts and donating supplies, and supporting area tourism with efforts to improve the water quality and eradicate the vegetation at Indian Lake.
Sawmiller also noted that the Grange Solar Grazing Center would incorporate all of the new OPSB regulations that take into account national best practices in the industry.
“The OPSB has been responsive to questions, concerns and best practices across a number of projects over the last several years. Solar regulations are now more rigorous than when the first Ohio projects were permitted, solar panels are now more efficient, and we’re integrating agriculture into this project, which is a local priority,” said Sawmiller, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who grew up on a small farm in Southwestern Ohio, where her parents still reside.
Grange Solar’s listening tour, conducted this spring, provided the Grange team local feedback that is being incorporated into the project design and permit application, including setbacks, landscaping to address visual impacts, fencing design, and numerous community initiatives.
The National Electric Code mandates that solar facilities have a minimum 7-foot tall fence. In response to community feedback, Grange Solar will use a wildlife friendly, agricultural-style fence on the perimeter of the solar arrays, representatives said during presentations this spring. The fence will not have barbed wire or visually obvious anti-climbing or security measures.
The company will also work with an Ohio-licensed landscape architect to create site-specific landscaping designs of varying density and species – containing a mix of native or beneficial-adapted trees, shrubs, grasses and pollinator species.
Landscaping will be located along the perimeter of the project fence, along roads, or anywhere that nearby residential properties have a direct view of the project.
Sawmiller explained why the Indian Lake region is being selected for this project.
“In Ohio and particularly at Indian Lake, there is vast transmission infrastructure with available capacity. Ohio is already importing about 20 percent of its electricity from out of state. As we bring more manufacturing and data centers to Ohio, providing good local jobs, the demand for more energy will only grow.
“Projects like Grange can help keep more of Logan County’s energy dollars in the county working for the community, instead of sending those dollars out of state.”
AEP Ohio is projecting that energy demand in central Ohio will more than double by 2030.
“We need to utilize every type of energy possible, and solar is one important piece of that puzzle,” Sawmiller said.
Utility-scale solar projects require well-drained, flat land with previously disturbed soil (like that used for farmland), and importantly, willing landowners.
The decision to lease land for a utility-scale solar project is not one that the property owners take lightly, the Director of Development noted.
“It typically takes about six months to a year to complete the negotiation process, as they will spend time talking with their families and also retaining legal counsel.
“People join a project like Grange for different reasons. Some sign up because it’s the right decision for their families to diversify their income or help to put their children through college. Many are small farmers and they’re struggling, and for them, this is a way that they can maintain their land and keep it farmable for the next generation.”
At the end of the project’s 40-year life, the solar project will be re-powered or decommissioned and can be returned to its previous use.
To ensure funds are available for decommissioning and restoration, Ohio law requires that the project maintains a decommissioning bond covering the full cost of decommissioning and restoration of the site to its pre-solar condition, and that cost estimate is updated regularly to make sure it stays current.
The completed application, expected to be released this October, will have more robust and detailed information about the project and its benefits for the Indian Lake community. The application will be available for review at Grange Solar’s office or the OPSB’s website.
In the meantime, the Grange Solar team is available to meet with residents to discuss the project.
“We’re here to respond to all questions and concerns. We want to share information and will do house calls, meet for coffee, or any venue that’s convenient for community members, and our website also has a wealth of information that can answer most questions,” Sawmiller said.
“Solar isn’t new, but it is pretty new in Logan County. Our team has deep experience in the solar industry and we’re familiar with the research, experts, resources, and best practices to better understand all aspects of a solar facility.”
For more information about the Grange Solar Grazing Center, visit https://www.grange.solar/, e-mail [email protected], call (937) 633-0224 or stop by the office.