Richland County voters uphold ban on large wind and solar projects in 11 townships

Richland County residents voted to uphold a ban on large wind and solar projects in 11 townships on Tuesday.

County residents voted to uphold the ban with 52.9% voting for it, according to unofficial totals from the Richland County Board of Elections. The ban was passed last year at the request of township trustees in 11 of the county’s 18 townships.

Supporters of the ban have said that it would preserve farmland while still allowing townships that did not request the ban to permit large wind and solar projects. Commissioner Darrell Banks told Richland Source that township residents were heard from in the election.

“We were outspent 40 or 50 to 1, including a lot of outside money.” Banks told Richland Source. “This is an affirmation by the voters that township trustees and county commissioners are aligned with the best interests of their community. We appreciate the support of Richland County residents.”

Opponents, including the Mansfield chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the No Ban on Property Rights Campaign, have said that the ban prevents large projects from creating jobs and prevents residents from leasing their land for wind and solar energy.

“It didn’t go our way,” Brian McPeek, business manager for IBEW 688, said. “But the community had its say and that’s what is important.”

The ban applies to the townships of Bloominggrove, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Mifflin, Monroe, Perry, Plymouth, Sharon, Troy, and Weller.

Cass, Butler, Sandusky, Springfield, Madison, Washington, and Worthington townships are not subject to the ban.

Unincorporated areas, including Plymouth, Shiloh, Shelby, Crestline, Galion, Ontario, Mansfield, Lucas, Lexington, and Bellville, are also unaffected by the ban.

The Board of Commissioners originally voted to ban “economically significant wind farms, large wind farms, and large solar facilities” during a July 2025 committee meeting.

The commissioners said that township trustees from the 11 areas affected by the ban requested that the commission pass it on behalf of their constituents.

The commissioners also said the ban would not be “an outright prohibition” on wind and solar energy and would not restrict their use for private homes. Large renewable energy projects could still be pursued in townships that did not request the ban.

Some residents attending the meeting objected to the ban and said wind and solar projects could create jobs.

The Board of Elections approved the referendum language in February. The referendum was supported by the Richland County Citizens for Property Rights and Job Development, a coalition of residents and organizations that oppose the ban.

Senate Bill 52, passed in 2021 and codified as Ohio Revised Code Section 303.58, allows the board of county commissioners to adopt resolutions designating all or part of a county’s unincorporated areas as a restricted area for the construction of large wind or solar projects. House Bill 497 amended state law to make the requirement for commissioners to announce the date of meetings where resolutions to restrict wind and solar projects would be voted on more specific in 2025.

Banks told Richland Source that the law allowing county government to regulate wind and solar zoning needs to be changed because of a section that allows non-township residents to cast votes that impact township residents.

“Absolutely,” Banks said. “Why should people in the city of Mansfield decide zoning issues in the townships?”

As Ohio.news previously reported, the Ohio Power Siting Board unanimously denied Crossroads Solar I, LLC’s proposal to build a 726-acre solar power facility in Morrow County in March after residents expressed concerns about the project’s impact on farmland and township boards adopted resolutions against the facility.