**The information provided is a paid article and reflects the views of Wombat Solar and not those of North Central Ohio Media Group**
BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—When the Crawford County commissioners passed a ban on solar, they did something other counties in Ohio have not done: ignore the will of the affected townships.
Since June 6, Crawford County has been under a countywide ban on utility-scale solar. Before the hearing, township trustees submitted written requests asking to be excluded from the ban and even passed their own internal resolutions. The commissioners did not grant them their request. Crawford County is one of the only counties in Ohio to pass a solar ban without consideration for its townships.
In comparison, just this summer, the Richland County commissioners wrote a letter to their 18 townships asking for feedback and opinions on a potential Solar ban. Now, several of the townships have opted out. This issue will be up for a vote in Richland County in 2026.
Counties and townships in Ohio have no legal right to ban oil or gas projects. But for solar, Ohio Senators Rob McColley of Napoleon and Bill Reineke of Tiffin wrote Senate Bill 52. This law describes strict regulations for building solar. The law also encourages county commissioners and township trustees to require specific setbacks based on the needs of their area.
Senator Reineke said when the bill was introduced that “Senate Bill 52 is really about local control.” As the people who live in the county, township trustees can and should decide where solar belongs.
Several counties in Ohio have passed similar solar bans. All of those counties have allowed townships to opt “in” or “out” of the ban. The township trustees of each township in Mahoning County had a public hearing and passed their own resolution on the matter. The commissioners said that if the trustees want to reverse a ban, they should have the authority to do so.
In Marion County, each township that wanted a ban submitted its own resolution. In Erie County, every township’s opinion was heard before the ban was passed.
Solar projects bring major benefits to an area. The PILOT program ensures schools and public services receive major financial support for the life of the project. Solar works with farmers, ensuring that the families who have managed the land for generations can continue to do so. Solar projects like Wombat sign agreements with unions to bring jobs to workers in the area.
And, Solar meets Ohio’s rising demand for electricity, helping to keep electric bills low and preventing future blackouts and brownouts.
Across the board, local jurisdictions have left the decision on solar to the most local level. In Hancock County, 15 out of 17 townships passed resolutions asking for a ban, but the two that did not, were exempt. The Licking County Commissioners passed solar bans as they were requested by township trustees. In Ottawa County, the commissioners put aside their opinion and accepted the mixed decisions of the townships.
Senator Reineke has explained, “As our state’s economy grows and evolves, the desire for renewable energy will not go away. This bill does not prevent these projects from taking place, it simply allows local communities to decide if they want these projects in their area.”
The intention of Senate Bill 52 was to give local governments more control and allow them to take advantage of the benefits. Township trustees reside in the townships they manage and are elected by their own neighbors. Hearing the opinion of the township trustees for the project area is a common-sense decision. In Crawford County, the people at the most local level of government were not given the chance to have their opinions heard.