A ballot initiative in Ohio that kept restrictions on most large solar and wind projects may not reflect what the residents actually wanted.
According to Canary Media, Richland County voters headed to the polls on May 5 to decide whether to keep or overturn a county ban on most large solar and wind projects across 11 of the county's 18 townships.
With 53% voting "yes," and 47% voting "no," the ban remained in place. But the ballot language appears to have caused so much confusion that it potentially undermined the will of the voters.
According to an analysis of 1,193 exit surveys, collected from voters at a dozen polling places, roughly one in five voters may have misunderstood what they were voting for, enough to swing the vote in the opposite direction.
Graham Diedrich, the University of Michigan Ph.D. candidate who oversaw the exit polling, said that when the vote was modeled based on people's stated preferences, the outcome likely would have reversed: 54% for overturning the ban and 46% for keeping it.
The language in question was: "Shall the resolution enacting declaring portions of unincorporated areas of Richland County, OH to be restricted areas prohibiting construction of economically significant wind farms, large wind farms, and large solar facilities be approved?"
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Essentially, a "yes" vote supported the county commissioners' ban, while a "no" vote supported overturning it. But even one county commissioner who supported the ban acknowledged that the wording was not clear, telling Canary Media that it was "confusing."
Local restrictions on solar and wind projects have been spreading across the country just as electricity demand is rising quickly. With energy prices soaring and fuel giants raking in massive profits, it's critical for Americans to have access to cheaper, cleaner energy.
Solar, wind, and battery storage can often be built faster than new gas plants, and they are not exposed to the same fuel-price swings. They are also responsible for much less harmful air pollution.
Meanwhile, greater competition in electricity markets can also help keep prices in check for households already dealing with rising energy costs.
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