Council reviews draft letter on Amazon fuel-cell project; asks staff to notify nearby residents

HILLIARD, Ohio — City staff briefed the Hilliard City Council Aug. 25 on a proposed fuel-cell project at Amazon's Arby Road campus and the city's opportunity to comment to the Ohio Power Siting Board. Staff said the project is on an expedited review timeline with an evidentiary hearing set for Sept. 15 and an automatic approval possible as soon as Sept. 22 if no objections are filed. The company installing the units is Bloom Energy, and city staff said local reviews will likely be limited to a site-plan modification before the Planning and Zoning Commission focused on screening and site layout. Staff identified the principal local concerns as noise from the equipment and the impact of extending natural gas infrastructure to serve a large number of fuel-cell units. "The question the questions that we've had with regard to the fuel cells...what is the noise impact going to be for over 200 of these units on the campus, and then what ultimately is gonna be the impact of the natural gas that needs to be extended to that campus," staff told council. Council members signaled informal approval for staff to submit the draft letter and requested that the city notify residents near the site about the Power Siting Board hearing and how they can file comments. No formal motion or roll-call vote was recorded; council members gave a "thumbs up" or nod to proceed. City staff said there is no indication that fuel cells were being proposed for other Amazon facilities in the city at this time. Staff will finalize the letter and proceed with community notification and any additional technical questions requested by council.