Ohio’s largest solar project back in business after permit approval
It was approved. And then it was revoked. But now it’s approved again. After facing a long legal and regulatory battle, Ohio’s biggest solar and battery project can finally proceed.
The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has granted a permit for Oak Run Solar, an 800 MW solar + 300 MW battery storage project in Madison County. The project will also include an agrivoltaics component, with approximately 1,000 sheep grazing amid the project site.
Oak Run developer Savion began the permitting process for the project in 2022 and earned a permit from the OPSB in March 2024. However, the Madison County government and three of its townships appealed the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court later that year.
That placed Oak Run in a legal limbo before judges finally ruled on project this spring, after Savion requested the court to expedite its decision to give the developer time to start construction and be able to meet contract obligations to grid operator PJM Interconnection. The court’s split decision required Savion to provide renderings of the expected visual impacts of the project and sent the case back to the OPSB for reconsideration.
Savion submitted a new report with images and testimony to convince the OPSB to recommend permit approval, while the nonprofit Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) and a local resident filed briefs in support of Oak Run. However, Madison County and the three townships still objected.
New vote supports project
The board voted 7–2 to approve the project’s permit, with the nays coming from a county representative and a representative of the townships. Those two individuals were allowed to vote as ad hoc board members thanks to Senate Bill 52, a 2021 state law that gave local governments more say in blocking or siting renewables even though they do not have that authority over fossil fuel development.
The OPSB rejected the local governments’ argument that the board should have made Oak Run go through extra procedural steps for meetings and notices, as if the company were filing a new permit application instead of additional evidence.
Clean energy advocates celebrated the approval, citing Oak Run’s ability to help meet rapidly rising energy demand in Ohio while making power more affordable for households. The OEC also highlighted how the project demonstrates how energy production and agriculture can coexist.
An OEC statement described the OPSB decision as “[underscoring] the importance of an evidence-based siting process,” noting the importance of equally considering community concerns and the project’s benefits to Ohioans.
“At a moment when Ohio needs more electricity generation to lower costs, projects like Oak Run can help meet growing demand while bringing substantial investment and economic opportunity to local communities,” says Nolan Rutschilling, managing director of energy policy for the OEC. “Oak Run is a great example of where solar, agriculture, and battery storage can not only cross over, but thrive while doing so.”
