Ashland County committee urges outreach to utility as solar‑farm offers arrive
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Summary
Supervisors discussed an $800/acre lease offer, proximity to high‑voltage lines/substations, and the county’s limited zoning authority for utility‑scale solar; they agreed to invite the local utility (contact Lynn Hall) to explain interconnection, grid capacity and permitting.
Supervisors on the Ashland County Zoning and Land Committee flagged a growing interest in utility‑scale solar and agreed to invite a utility representative to a future meeting to explain technical and permitting requirements.
Pat Kenny said he received a mail offer proposing $800 per acre per year for 210 acres and described why farmland near substations and high‑voltage lines is attractive to developers. "$800 an acre at first, I'm like, wow," Kenny said, noting that such offers would tempt landowners.
Committee members and attendees discussed tradeoffs: potential long‑term tax‑base benefits, low incremental service costs compared with residential development, and local concerns about removing farmland from production and visual impacts. George Poussey (assigned to the comprehensive plan utilities task) urged the county to “get ahead of the curve,” observe that local zoning authority is limited for power‑related facilities, and recommended drafting local preferences that could be presented to utilities and developers.
Staff explained some counties treat solar sites under local rules based on size (for example, small solar fields under 10–20 acres vs. large fields — several counties require a conditional‑use permit for sites of 20 acres or more). Members emphasized interconnection with the local electric provider (referred to in the transcript as "Excel" or "Accel") is central; Dan (staff) said he is arranging utility outreach and that Lynn Hall is the public‑relations contact.
The committee also discussed related topics—battery storage and potential data centers—and noted AB 840 (state legislation cited in the meeting) requires data centers to pay for utility upgrades if passed, reducing ratepayer exposure. Members asked staff to invite a utility representative to outline interconnection steps and to report back on local grid capacity and permitting implications.
No formal policy was adopted; the committee set a follow‑up action to invite a utility rep and to begin drafting guidance the county could offer to ensure solar projects are sited to minimize local harms while capturing potential local benefits.
