Ohio's largest solar and battery project has cleared a final regulatory hurdle. On Thursday, the Ohio Power Siting Board voted 7-2 to approve a permit for Oak Run Solar in Madison County, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The development pairs 800 megawatts of solar generation with 300 megawatts of battery storage, plus an agrivoltaics element involving roughly 1,000 sheep that graze between panel rows.
The path to approval was lengthy. Developer Savion applied in 2022 and received board approval in March 2024. Madison County and three townships then appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, which issued a split ruling this spring that rejected every objection except one: the need for renderings showing visual effects from the project's substations. The court directed the board to weigh that evidence more fully before deciding. Savion filed photos and testimony; board staff then recommended approval. The Ohio Environmental Council and local intervenor John Boeckl supported the project, while the county and townships maintained their opposition.
The board declined the localities' request to impose extra meeting and notice requirements, treating the matter as supplemental evidence rather than a fresh application. Under Senate Bill 52, a 2021 law, local representatives serve as ad hoc board members; the two dissenting votes came from a county representative and a township representative. Opponents could ask the board to reconsider or return to the Supreme Court. Separately, the court has yet to rule on Kingwood Solar, a 175-megawatt Greene County project the board rejected in late 2022 after unanimous local opposition; oral argument was held in early 2025.