Solar & Data Center Opposition: Ohio 6,000-Acre Approval, Idaho Ban Regret — Sep 25, 2026

Solar Siting Battles

The clean energy siting wars showed no signs of cooling this week, as a 6,000-acre solar project in Ohio won state approval for the second time over fierce local resistance, a Michigan township appealed directly to President Trump for help blocking a solar farm, and data center opposition emerged as a rare bipartisan cause in at least three states.

From the Mid-Atlantic to the Mountain West, community groups, local officials, and state legislators spent the week drawing lines around the energy and infrastructure projects they don't want — even as some communities that already enacted bans are having second thoughts.

Solar Siting Battles

Ohio's largest proposed solar installation cleared a major regulatory hurdle this week when the Oak Run Solar project in Madison County received state approval for the second time, following years of legal and regulatory challenges. The project, which would span roughly 6,000 acres and generate enough electricity to power an estimated 170,000 homes, had previously been the target of local government efforts to block its construction. The renewed approval sets up another potential round of legal challenges from Ohio Capital Journal opponents who argue the state is overriding local land-use authority.

That tension between state-level permitting and local control was on vivid display in Michigan, where Zeeland Township officials took the unusual step of writing directly to President Trump to seek federal backing in their fight against a proposed solar farm. Township leaders framed the issue as one of local sovereignty, arguing that the community should have the final say over whether a solar installation is built in their jurisdiction. The appeal to the White House reflects a growing MLive trend of local opponents seeking allies at higher levels of government.

In Delaware, solar development faced resistance on two fronts. In Clayton, Kent County Levy Court approved a solar farm over strong objections from neighboring residents, who argued the project was incompatible with the rural character of the area. The approval came despite organized community opposition at public hearings, according to Delaware State News. Just miles away in Port Penn, a newly proposed solar project prompted residents to circulate petitions asking officials to Delaware Public Media intervene before the project advances further.

In Quincy, Illinois, a solar farm proposal at 36th and Payson that was previously rejected is back before the plan commission for reconsideration. The project's return to the agenda signals that the developer has not abandoned the effort despite the earlier denial. Local officials are expected to Herald-Whig scrutinize the revised proposal closely.

Meanwhile, a cautionary tale emerged from Idaho, where a county that enacted an outright ban on wind and solar projects is now grappling with buyer's remorse. According to Grist, some local residents — including the Republican commissioner who instigated the moratorium — now express regret over the sweeping prohibition, which has shut the door on potential tax revenue and economic development opportunities in a rural area that could use both.

Wind Energy Pushback

Wind energy opponents pushed for organized municipal resistance in western New York this week, as community members urged Olean's mayor and Common Council to formally join surrounding towns in opposing the Hemlock Hollow Wind Farm. Several speakers at a Tuesday council meeting raised concerns about the project's potential impacts and called on city officials to present a united front with neighboring municipalities that have already passed resolutions against the installation, according to the Olean Times Herald.

On the coast, Ocean City, Maryland, officials continued their vocal opposition to offshore wind development, citing a suite of safety concerns. City leaders argued that offshore wind turbines could complicate ocean rescues, distort radar systems relied upon by the Coast Guard and commercial vessels, expose underwater power cables to damage, and scatter hazardous debris during storms. The safety-focused framing represents a shift from the more common aesthetic and property-value arguments that have dominated Maryland Coast Dispatch offshore wind debates in resort communities.

Data Center Disputes

Data center opposition continued its rapid emergence as a potent political force this week, with resistance spreading across at least three states and crossing traditional partisan boundaries.

In Nebraska, residents are organizing across party lines to protest proposed data center facilities, a dynamic that mirrors a broader national trend. The opposition draws on concerns about water consumption, energy demand, noise, and the relatively few permanent jobs data centers create relative to their footprint. Organizers pointed to the example of Peculiar, Missouri, where a six-person town board successfully blocked a proposed data center in late 2024 after sustained community pushback, according to Heatmap News.

In Ohio, the data center backlash has reached the campaign trail. Political candidates from both major parties are running on opposition to data center development, reflecting the depth of voter frustration. But the electoral energy has yet to translate into legislative action: a bill redefining coal and gas as "clean" energy is moving quietly through the Statehouse even as candidates promise to rein in the facilities that would consume that power, Ohio Capital Journal reported.

In Rangely, Colorado, data center resistance produced a concrete result when the Town Council voted 4-1 against advancing Stage 2 of a geothermal study that was connected to a data center proposal. Residents had voiced opposition at the meeting, and the council's lopsided vote effectively stalls the project's path forward in the small western Colorado Rio Blanco Herald Times community.

What to Watch

Quincy, Illinois: The plan commission is set to reconsider the previously rejected 36th and Payson solar farm proposal. The outcome could signal whether developers can successfully revise and resubmit projects that fail on the first attempt. Herald-Whig
Olean, New York: Watch whether the Olean Common Council votes to formally join surrounding municipalities in opposing the Hemlock Hollow Wind Farm, which would represent a significant expansion of the organized resistance coalition. Olean Times Herald
Ohio Statehouse: The legislative bill redefining coal and gas as "clean" energy continues moving through committees, even as bipartisan data center opposition intensifies on the campaign trail. The disconnect between electoral rhetoric and legislative action will be tested as the session progresses. Ohio Capital Journal

Patterns and Trends

This week's stories reveal several threads running through the national energy siting debate. Local control remains the dominant rhetorical framework for opposition across all project types — from solar farms in Michigan and Ohio to data centers in Colorado and Nebraska — even as communities pursue that goal through dramatically different channels, from petitions and council votes to direct appeals to the White House. Data center opposition, in particular, appears to be maturing rapidly into a bipartisan political movement, with candidates in both parties discovering voter appetite for skepticism toward the industry. And the Idaho moratorium story offers a rare look at the long-term consequences of outright bans, suggesting that communities may find blanket prohibitions carry economic costs that outlast the initial wave of opposition sentiment.