Solar Denied in NY, Data Center Revolts in OH & PA, Wind Fights — Oct 16, 2026

New York state dealt a rare outright rejection to a major solar project this week, denying a permit for the 42-megawatt Shepherd's Run solar farm in the Hudson Valley — a decision that handed a significant victory to rural opponents and underscored the growing power of grassroots resistance to energy infrastructure siting. The denial came during a week that saw opposition activity spanning solar, wind, battery storage, and data center projects across at least nine states, with local control emerging as the dominant rallying cry from the Midwest to New England.

Solar Siting Battles

The week's most consequential solar decision came from New York's Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which on Oct. 14 denied Chicago-based Hecate Energy a permit for its Shepherd's Run project in the town of Copake, Columbia County. The 42-megawatt project, which would have generated power for an estimated 9,500 homes on 215 acres of farmland, had drawn opposition from local residents for nearly a decade. ORES interim executive director Jason Zehr found that Hecate's application failed to fully address adverse environmental impacts on wetlands and state-mandated floodplain protections. The Trump administration had also weighed in against the project, adding an unusual federal dimension to what had been a state and local fight.

Elsewhere in New York, residents in the towns of Watertown and Hounsfield in Jefferson County are organizing opposition after a state agency approved a solar project in their communities. A public hearing on the project is upcoming, and residents are mobilizing ahead of it.

In Illinois, the Will County Board delivered a split verdict on solar development, rejecting a solar farm proposed in Green Garden Township near Monee while approving another project nearby. Board members used the occasion to lament what they described as a lack of local control over renewable energy siting decisions — a theme that echoed across the week's headlines.

That sentiment found its most direct political expression in Madison County, Indiana, where voters will face an advisory referendum on November 3 asking whether local authorities should have greater say over solar and wind farm development. While advisory referendums carry no binding legal force, the measure reflects the intensity of community concern about energy infrastructure siting in rural areas.

In Colorado, the proposed Valley Range solar project east of Cortez is drawing both opposition and support at public meetings. Neighbors have raised concerns about impacts on views, local businesses, and safety, though supporters have also spoken at hearings in favor of the development.

Meanwhile, Darlington County, South Carolina voted to amend its ordinance regulating solar and wind facilities amid community concerns about a proposed 417-acre solar farm near Hartsville. The revised rules include new screening provisions intended to address visual impact complaints from neighboring property owners.

Wind Energy Pushback

Wind energy opposition intensified on two fronts this week, with organized campaigns gaining momentum in both New York and Maine.

In Cortland County, New York, a grassroots group called Turbine Free Cortland County reported collecting 581 signatures on letters asking developer RWE not to contact property owners about leasing land for a proposed wind turbine project, according to reports from both the Cortland Standard and WXHC. The petition drive represents a notable tactical shift — rather than fighting a project through the permitting process, the group is attempting to cut off developer access to the land itself by discouraging landowners from signing lease agreements.

In northern Maine, state and county lawmakers warned Haynesville residents that the proposed County Line wind farm would do more harm than good, citing both financial and environmental concerns. The involvement of elected officials on the opposition side adds political weight to the community resistance and could complicate the project's path through the permitting process.

Battery Storage Concerns

Utility-scale battery energy storage systems faced pushback in two Midwestern states this week, as communities grapple with a technology that is newer and less familiar to many residents than solar or wind.

In Kenosha County, Wisconsin, residents and local officials in the town of Wheatland are pushing back against a proposed standalone battery storage project. Opponents have raised concerns about potential safety risks, while proponents argue that standalone batteries improve grid reliability. The opposition is notable for spanning both community members and government officials.

In Blendon Township, Michigan, the Planning Commission again delayed a decision on Key Capture Energy's proposed Battery Energy Storage System at 8284 88th Ave. following extensive discussion on Oct. 15. The 12-acre development has been under review since Key Capture filed a special land use application in August 2025, and the repeated tabling reflects the depth of local resistance. The pattern of delay — now stretching over a year — has become a common feature in battery storage siting disputes nationwide.

These local struggles are part of a broader trend documented by Energy Storage News, which reported this week that local and state governments across the country, from the Midwest to New York, are introducing new zoning rules and moratoriums specifically targeting battery energy storage systems and data center projects.

Data Center Disputes

Opposition to data centers — increasingly linked to the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure — showed signs of becoming a full-blown national movement this week, with organized campaigns gaining traction in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In Ohio, activists have now spurred moratorium votes in 10 communities and are pushing for a statewide ban on data center development, according to Inside Climate News. The grassroots revolt reflects widespread concerns about water usage, energy consumption, noise, and the industrialization of rural and suburban landscapes.

In Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, the fight over a $165 million data center proposed by NorthPoint Development — reportedly linked to Amazon — has become a symbol of the national backlash against AI infrastructure, according to Fortune. A reported $10,000 offer to individual residents in exchange for project approval became a flashpoint, drawing bipartisan opposition in a community where energy and technology policy rarely generate such unified resistance.

In Cass County, North Dakota, residents gathered to learn about the proposed Harmony Energy Park data center with a vote on a building moratorium imminent. Community concern about the project's potential impacts is driving the push for the moratorium, which would temporarily halt development while local officials study the issue.

What to Watch

Jefferson County, NY public hearing: Residents in the towns of Watertown and Hounsfield will have their say at an upcoming public hearing on the state-approved solar project. The hearing could shape whether the project moves forward or faces additional review. (WWNY)
Madison County, IN advisory referendum (Nov. 3): Voters will weigh in on whether local authorities should have more control over solar and wind farm siting. While non-binding, a strong result could influence state lawmakers considering preemption legislation. (Times Tribune)
Cass County, ND moratorium vote: County officials are expected to vote soon on a building moratorium targeting data center development, a decision that could determine the fate of the proposed Harmony Energy Park. (Valley News Live)

This week's stories reveal several converging patterns in the opposition landscape. The demand for local control has become the connective thread linking solar fights in Illinois and Indiana, wind resistance in New York and Maine, and data center revolts in Ohio and North Dakota — a cross-technology, bipartisan concern that transcends any single energy source. Tactically, opponents are diversifying their approaches: from petition drives aimed at discouraging landowner participation in Cortland County, to ballot measures in Madison County, to the moratorium campaigns sweeping Ohio's data center corridor. The denial of Shepherd's Run in New York demonstrates that sustained, organized local opposition can prevail even against well-resourced developers, while the spreading of data center moratoriums to at least 10 Ohio communities suggests that infrastructure opposition is scaling up faster than many developers and policymakers anticipated.