There's no doubt that community advocacy gets results. But what happens when local opposition is inflated or overwhelmingly made up? A solar project in Ohio may fall victim to this type of "fabricated" pushback, according to an investigation from Canary Media.
Open Road Renewables intends to invest $98 million for a 94-megawatt solar grazing center, a dual-use space in Morrow County that would support sheep and solar production. While it may seem counterintuitive, studies have found that agrivoltaic projects are mutually beneficial for farmers and animals, while also reducing electricity costs and improving local air quality.
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However, solar projects do have their detractors. In part, misinformation about their merits makes some people hesitant to back projects like Morrow County's Crossroads Solar Grazing Center.
Still, support for solar remains robust across political lines despite the current administration's unfavorable view of such projects, with nearly 70% of Republicans agreeing in a national poll that solar needs to be part of the energy mix to lower energy costs, per Ink World Magazine.
In Morrow County, a perplexing amount of backlash apparently wasn't what it seemed. Canary Media examined 34 instances in which opponents of the solar grazing center were suspected of providing false names or lying about being locals during the public comment period.
The independent, nonprofit news organization was only able to verify the existence of one of the commenters, and when it emailed them, the message was returned as undeliverable.
The power sitting board is expected to decide on whether to greenlight the project on March 19. Now, the allegedly false outcry appears to have jeopardized the endeavor.
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"When comments are submitted under false identities, false addresses, or with misrepresented affiliations, it undermines the credibility of the process and is unfair to residents who participated honestly and in [good] faith," said Bella Bogin, director of programs at the nonprofit Ohio Citizen Action, a grassroots organizing group.
While it's frustrating when inaccurate information undermines public trust and processes, you can still take control of your energy journey.
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