The Ohio Power Siting Board set a date and time of the first public hearing for the Richwood Solar project.
Residents and property owners can provide sworn testimony to the board on June 25 at 5 p.m. at North Union High School.
Information was posted on the OPSB website detailing how the hearing will be conducted.
“The purpose of the local public hearing is to allow individuals to provide sworn testimony regarding the proposed facility,” according to the OPSB. “Testimony will be limited to three minutes per witness and the hearing transcript will become part of the case record considered by the OPSB. Witnesses will register when they arrive at the hearing and will testify in the order in which they register. If a witness wishes to supplement their testimony with an exhibit, a copy of the document should be provided to the administrative law judge during the hearing.”
Those involved in the project, including the county commissioners and other officials, have encouraged residents to get involved, either to show support or opposition to the project.
Samsung, the company behind the Richwood Solar project, is looking to install a facility of up to 250 megawatts with a 50-megawatt battery energy storage system.
The project would go across 1,569 acres in Claibourne, Leesburg and Taylor townships.
Over 40 years, the project with infuse $93 million into the area schools, townships and county coffers.
Samsung filed with the OPSB in January, which kicked off the investigation portion of the process.
While this is the first public hearing for this case, aimed at providing the OPSB with information about the reaction of the local community, it’s not the only hearing the board will conduct.
There will also be an adjudicatory hearing to allow “parties to the case to provide sworn pre-filed testimony and cross examine witnesses. This hearing forms the evidentiary record that the board will consider in arriving at its formal decision on the case,” according to the OPSB.
Residents interested in the formal intervention process have to file a notice to do so with the OPSB within thirty days of being served a copy of the application.
While officials, businesses and organization planning to intervene are required to have legal counsel, individuals looking to do so are not.