In the Trenches: Ohio Kills Seventh Solar Project as Moratoriums Sweep New York, Kentucky, and Alabama
Ohio's Power Siting Board delivered another blow to the state's solar industry this week, rejecting a 94-megawatt project in Morrow County — the seventh large-scale solar farm killed in the state since 2020 — even as questions swirled about whether fake public comments influenced the process. The decision prompted at least one developer to declare that Ohio is no longer a viable market for renewable energy, a striking assessment for a state that once courted clean energy investment.
But Ohio was far from alone. From the Adirondacks to the Alabama coast, communities across at least eight states moved to block, delay, or impose new restrictions on solar farms, wind turbines, and battery storage facilities during the week of March 20–27, underscoring the widening gap between ambitious state and federal clean energy targets and the willingness of local governments to host the infrastructure those targets require.
Solar Siting Battles: Ohio at the Epicenter
The Ohio Power Siting Board voted to deny the Crossroads Solar farm in Morrow County, a 94-MW project that had drawn substantial opposition from local residents and officials. The decision followed what the Ohio Capital Journal described as "apparently fake public comments" submitted during the review process — a detail that added an unusual wrinkle to an already contentious proceeding. Regulators ultimately deferred to local government opposition in blocking the project, continuing what has become a reliable pattern at the board.
As Signal Ohio reported, the Crossroads denial marks the seventh solar project killed in the state since 2020. One developer quoted in the report said the decision signals that Ohio is no longer a viable state for renewable energy development, a sentiment that clean energy advocates echoed. A climate advocacy group told PV Tech that the rejection "raises serious questions" about the fairness of Ohio's siting process, arguing that the board has consistently sided with local opposition regardless of whether projects meet technical and environmental standards.
The Ohio disputes arrive at a moment when the broader fight over solar siting is intensifying across the country. In Michigan, the debate has escalated from local planning meetings to the state legislature and courts. As the state pursues a target of 100% renewable energy by 2040, communities are clashing over who has the final say on where solar projects are built. The Center Square reported that tensions between state energy mandates and local control have reached a boiling point, with the conflict now playing out in multiple legal and legislative venues simultaneously.
In Illinois, McHenry County now faces four lawsuits from solar developers whose applications were rejected by county officials. Two additional developers filed suit during the past week, joining two earlier cases, according to the Northwest Herald. The legal challenges could test the limits of local authority to deny solar projects and may establish precedent for how counties across the state handle future applications.
Moratoriums Multiply: New York, Alabama, and Wyoming
Several communities took the more sweeping step of imposing moratoriums — temporary bans designed to give local officials time to study or rewrite their zoning rules before any new projects advance.
In New York, the Town of Hartwick in Otsego County unanimously passed a six-month moratorium on solar energy projects at a special board meeting, according to AllOTSEGO. Separately, the Town of Lewis in Lewis County unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on certain renewable energy projects, as reported by the Rome Daily Sentinel. Both actions reflect a growing trend in upstate New York communities of pausing renewable development to update local regulations.
In Alabama, lawmakers are racing against the clock to pass legislation before the end of the legislative session that would impose a one-year moratorium on new solar farm construction. The effort is directly aimed at the Stockton solar farm, a large-scale project proposed by Silicon Ranch in coastal Baldwin County. As AL.com reported, Rep. Matt Simpson of Daphne and other legislators are pushing the moratorium on behalf of Stockton-area residents who want to "slow it down" while communities assess the project's potential impacts. Legislation is moving through both the Alabama House and Senate with only six days left in the session.
In Wyoming, the 2,000-acre Haystack Solar Project in Natrona County has resurfaced after facing strong opposition last year and being shelved. Opponents told Cowboy State Daily that they are prepared to fight the project again, with one declaring, "There's going to be a battle." The project's return suggests that developers are continuing to pursue sites even in communities that have previously signaled resistance.
Wind Energy Pushback in Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky has emerged as a new front in the national debate over wind energy. In Henderson County, the proposed Rock Bluff Energy Park — a combined wind, solar, and battery storage project developed by Cordelio Power — has divided the community and prompted local officials to impose a moratorium on additional wind projects while planners draft new regulations. Spectrum News 1 reported that the first of several public meetings on the project drew residents who raised concerns about a perceived lack of transparency, even as Cordelio Vice President of Development Tim Vought said the company has publicly shared its plans for four years.
The tensions in Henderson are rippling across the region. In neighboring McLean County, officials announced plans to form their own moratorium on windmill development. McLean County Judge Executive Curtis Dame told WATE that the moratorium would allow the county to take a "data-driven, numbers-based approach" to evaluating wind energy. Dame said he is personally opposed to wind turbines but wants to ensure the county gathers comprehensive input from residents. He added that he is watching how Henderson County navigates the issue before charting his own county's course.
Battery Storage Faces Growing Resistance in the Adirondacks
In New York's Adirondack region, battery energy storage systems — a technology increasingly viewed as essential to grid reliability — are encountering the kind of organized community opposition that has long plagued solar and wind projects. Two communities passed moratoriums on battery storage facilities during the week, as the Adirondack Explorer reported. In the village of Northville and the town of St. Armand (Bloomingdale), residents turned out to speak against planned installations, prompting local boards to act.
The St. Armand town council passed a one-year moratorium on battery energy storage system installations, according to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Residents raised concerns about safety, fire risk, and the appropriateness of industrial-scale energy infrastructure in a park region known for its natural character.
The pattern extends well beyond the Adirondacks. As Latitude Media reported in a broader industry analysis this week, battery moratoriums are proliferating nationwide as communities push back on storage projects. The publication noted that the growing resistance is signaling a market need for safer technologies and better community engagement — a challenge that the storage industry will need to address as battery deployments accelerate to meet grid demands.
What to Watch
- Alabama legislative deadline: With only days remaining in the session, Alabama lawmakers are expected to vote on moratorium legislation targeting the Stockton solar farm in coastal Baldwin County. Whether the bills clear both chambers before adjournment could determine the project's near-term fate. (AL.com)
- Henderson County wind hearings: Additional public meetings on Cordelio Power's Rock Bluff Energy Park are scheduled in Henderson County, Kentucky, where the outcome could influence how McLean County and other western Kentucky communities approach their own wind energy moratoriums. (Spectrum News 1)
- McHenry County solar litigation: With four lawsuits now pending against McHenry County, Illinois, over rejected solar farm applications, court proceedings could set significant precedent on the scope of local government authority to deny renewable energy projects. (Northwest Herald)
Patterns and Trends
This week's developments illustrate a broadening of community opposition that now spans not just solar and wind but also battery storage — a technology that until recently attracted relatively little public attention. The moratorium has become the tool of choice for local governments seeking to slow the pace of development, with at least five communities across three states enacting temporary bans in a single week. Ohio's repeated rejection of solar projects is beginning to reshape developer calculations about where to invest, while the lawsuits piling up in Illinois signal that the legal system may increasingly be called upon to referee disputes that local planning processes cannot resolve. Across all of these stories, the central tension remains the same: state and federal clean energy goals require infrastructure to be built somewhere, but the communities being asked to host it are demanding a greater voice in the process — and, in many cases, saying no.