This article comes from Bricker & Ecker and is authored by Robert McCarthy.
Robert McCarthy
A legislative proposal to give more control over wind farm sites to local officials has support from several officials in northwestern Ohio, according to a recent TimesReporter.com article. In a response to House Bill 483 passed last year tightening setback requirements for wind turbines, House Bill 190 (HB 190) would allow county commissioners to “vote to use the old rules on a project-by-project basis, which would allow for more turbines.” Susan Munroe, president and CEO of the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce, supports HB 190, saying, “it’s all about the pursuit of economic development and economic prosperity.” State Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati), “a leading critic of wind energy” according to the article, said he could support some version of the proposal in HB 190, but would prefer township or village governments closest to the project to have the local authority. Munroe said that could lead to an impractical “complex local approval process,” as many wind farms “are located within several townships.” For more, read the full article.
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