Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition asks Hocking County commissioners about utility‑scale renewable projects

Representatives of the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition visited the Hocking County commissioners during the Feb. 6 meeting to ask the panel about local experience and community reaction to utility‑scale renewable energy projects.

Brian Santamaria, who said he represents the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition, told commissioners the group is meeting county boards across the state to learn local views and to discuss renewables, particularly “utility scale” projects such as solar farms and wind turbines. He asked commissioners to rate their knowledge of the topic and whether any large projects had been proposed locally.

Commissioners said they were not aware of any utility‑scale projects in Hocking County and noted they do not receive notice of every private proposal. One commissioner said, “I would say wind, probably not very favorable,” citing aesthetics; another said opinion of solar would be “a little more favorable” but that land‑use impacts were likely to raise concerns. Santamaria asked whether redevelopment of brownfields for solar would be viewed more positively; a commissioner said brownfield reuse could be more acceptable but “there’s just a lot of variables that would go into a decision like that.”

Santamaria also asked whether party politics shapes local positions on energy development. One commissioner said political influence “goes both ways” and added that “not enough people have looked at it based on the facts.” When asked what might change public opinion, commissioners and the visitors said education and factual information would help.

The discussion remained informational: the coalition solicited the county’s perspectives and contact information for follow up. The visitors closed by offering to answer questions if proposals arise in the future.