Case File · Knox County, OH
120 MW, 62 conditions, 8-1 twice.
On June 26, 2025 the Ohio Power Siting Board approved Open Road Renewables’ 120 MW Frasier Solar project 8-1 across Clinton and Miller Townships plus the City of Mount Vernon. Preserve Knox County Ohio filed appeal July 25. OPSB denied rehearing 8-1 on August 21. The appeal is now before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Cited approval-posture read: 74/100 with Supreme Court risk on watch.
120 MW
Capacity
8-1
OPSB Vote
62
Conditions
Denied 8-1
Rehearing
$42.8M
Projected Revenue
74/100
RealClear Score
Knox County · 2023 — 2026
Application, Certificate, appeal.
How a Texas developer steered a 120 MW Ohio solar project through OPSB in the post-SB 52 era.
October 2023
Open Road Renewables files Frasier Solar application with OPSB
Open Road Renewables submits an application to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) for the Frasier Solar project — a 120 MW utility-scale solar generation facility to be located in Clinton and Miller Townships and the City of Mount Vernon in Knox County, Ohio.
2024 — Early 2025
OPSB hearings; local opposition organizes as Preserve Knox County Ohio (PKCO)
OPSB proceeds through its hearing and evidentiary process on the Frasier Solar application. Local opponents organize as Preserve Knox County Ohio (PKCO). The Mount Vernon News reports on hearing developments leading into the Board's 2025 decision.
June 26, 2025
OPSB approves Frasier Solar 8-1
The Ohio Power Siting Board grants the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to Open Road Renewables' Frasier Solar by an 8-1 vote, with Galen Smith — the representative from Clinton and Miller Townships on the OPSB ad-hoc board — casting the no vote. Approval comes with 62 conditions designed to mitigate construction and operational impacts.
June 26, 2025
Conditions: agricultural-style fencing, 50-ft and 300-ft setbacks
Key OPSB conditions include installation of agricultural-style perimeter fencing and setbacks of 50 feet from non-participating property boundaries and 300 feet from non-participating residences. Projected community benefit includes up to $42.8M in lifetime revenue, with up to $19.4M flowing to the Mount Vernon City School District.
July 25, 2025
Preserve Knox County Ohio files appeal; 17 property owners join
Preserve Knox County Ohio (PKCO) files an appeal of the OPSB approval. Seventeen property owners join PKCO in the appeal, challenging the Board's issuance of the Certificate and the adequacy of conditions tied to the project.
August 21, 2025
OPSB denies rehearing 8-1
The Ohio Power Siting Board denies the requested rehearing of the Frasier Solar approval by an 8-1 vote on August 21, 2025. Knox Smart Development responds publicly that the denial showed 'interests of out-of-state developers are prioritized,' per Mount Vernon News coverage.
Late 2025 — 2026
Appeal at the Ohio Supreme Court
The Frasier Solar approval moves into appeal before the Ohio Supreme Court. The Ohio Environmental Council files an amicus brief supporting the Board's approval, emphasizing the project's compliance with Ohio's siting standards and its broader public benefits — framing the case as a bellwether for utility-scale solar under SB 52.
The Record on File
A state siting board, a lone dissent, and an amicus coalition.
Five actors anchor this Ohio utility-scale solar case file.
Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB)
State siting authority
Columbus, OH
Documented Record
Approved Frasier Solar 8-1 on June 26, 2025 with 62 conditions; denied rehearing 8-1 on August 21, 2025. The OPSB's Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need is the controlling approval document.
An 8-1 approval followed by an 8-1 rehearing denial is as decisive an OPSB posture as the record permits. Future Ohio utility-scale solar filings can cite this pattern as the benchmark for a well-presented record.
Galen Smith
OPSB ad-hoc representative, Clinton + Miller Townships
Knox County, OH
Documented Record
Cast the single no vote at the June 26, 2025 OPSB decision on Frasier Solar as the representative of Clinton and Miller Townships on the OPSB ad-hoc board.
Ad-hoc local representation builds a dissent record onto the Certificate. The no vote doesn't change the outcome but sharpens the factual basis for any judicial review on the appeal.
Open Road Renewables
Developer
Austin, TX
Documented Record
Applicant on the Frasier Solar project; obtained the OPSB Certificate June 26, 2025 with 62 conditions; prevailed on rehearing August 21, 2025.
A Texas developer landing an Ohio utility-scale solar approval in the post-SB 52 era is a non-trivial result. The Ohio Supreme Court appeal is the next test of whether the approval holds.
Preserve Knox County Ohio (PKCO)
Opposition coalition
Knox County, OH
Documented Record
Filed the appeal of the OPSB approval on July 25, 2025, with 17 property owners joining. Continued opposition through the August 21, 2025 rehearing denial and the ongoing Ohio Supreme Court review.
PKCO represents the organized township-and-landowner opposition template that Ohio solar developers face in every jurisdiction that did not opt out under SB 52. Their tactics and messaging transfer across projects.
Ohio Environmental Council
Amicus / project ally
Columbus, OH
Documented Record
Filed an amicus brief supporting the OPSB's Frasier Solar approval, emphasizing the project's compliance with Ohio's siting standards and its broader public benefits (per OEC reporting on Ohio solar trends 2025).
OEC's amicus posture is the model for how statewide environmental coalitions back OPSB approvals into appellate review. Expect similar amicus filings in future Ohio solar appeals.
What The Record Teaches
Ohio solar still works. Where counties haven’t opted out.
Six structural reasons Frasier Solar is a counter-case to the Richland County SB 52 blanket ban.
Certificate Path Over County Ban
SB 52 gave Ohio counties opt-out authority; Knox didn't use it. OPSB's Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need remains the dominant state-level pathway where counties stay in.
Setbacks That Hold Up
50 feet to non-participating property boundaries; 300 feet to non-participating residences. These are tight, legible, and build defensibility into the conditions package.
Local Revenue Narrative
Up to $42.8M lifetime revenue, including up to $19.4M to Mount Vernon City Schools. Concrete local fiscal numbers are the counterweight that opposition rhetoric struggles to move.
62 Conditions as Insulation
Agricultural-style fencing, detailed setbacks, construction controls — a long conditions package is how OPSB gives opposition a win on technical standards without losing the project.
Rehearing Denied = Record Locked
An 8-1 rehearing denial is what appellate courts look for. It shows the Board considered opposition arguments on the merits and held its position, which raises the bar for reversal.
Richland is the Counter-Case
Richland County's SB 52-based ban in 11 of 18 townships is the counter-case. For operators, the state of the county opt-out decision is the single most important pre-filing input.
The Pre-Filing Research
What RealClear finds in a non-opt-out Ohio county.
Before the application is filed. Before the amicus brief is drafted. Before the appeal letter arrives.
Site Analysis
Frasier Solar — Knox County, OH
Clinton + Miller Townships + City of Mount Vernon — 120 MW utility-scale
Approval Source Records
- OPSB issued Certificate of Environmental Compatibility & Public Need June 26, 2025
- 8-1 approval vote; 8-1 denial of rehearing on August 21, 2025
- 62 conditions attached — 50-ft non-participating property setback; 300-ft non-participating residence setback
- Up to $42.8M in lifetime community revenue projected, including up to $19.4M to Mount Vernon City Schools
- Counter-example to Richland County SB 52 township opt-out — Knox did not opt out
Recommendation
APPROVED POSTURE. Frasier Solar shows that Ohio utility-scale solar is still viable through OPSB where counties have not opt-ed out under SB 52 (ORC §§ 303.58–303.59). Preserve Knox County’s July 25 appeal and the 8-1 rehearing denial confirm that organized opposition did not change the siting outcome.
This Is Entitlement Research
Find the next Frasier before the Richland headwind.
This cited case review examines the cited SB 52 opt-outs, OPSB docket, and township-level solar restrictions relevant to the screened site so the team can assess current jurisdiction posture.
Cited research summary · Not legal advice · Verify independently before making investment decisions