Faked public comments threaten to derail Ohio solar farm

Open Road Renewables' $98 million Crossroads Solar Grazing Center project faces opposition despite evidence of fabricated comments

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Ohio is poised to block a major $98 million, 94-megawatt solar farm project called the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center in Morrow County due to local pushback, even though a substantial number of public comments opposing the installation appear to be fabricated. Developer Open Road Renewables found at least 34 instances of people providing false names or lying about their residence in Morrow County to submit negative comments, undermining the credibility of the public input process.

Why it matters

This case highlights the serious hurdles that renewable energy projects face in Ohio, where the state's power siting board has blocked multiple solar farm applications in the past citing local opposition - even when projects have met all legal criteria. The fabricated public comments raise concerns about the integrity of the public input process and how a small number of anti-solar activists can manipulate local sentiment to derail projects that could serve broader statewide interests around climate change mitigation and meeting growing energy demands.

The details

Open Road Renewables plans to invest roughly $98 million for the 94-megawatt Crossroads Solar Grazing Center, which would use land in three townships in Morrow County. The project has yet to obtain approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board. In reviewing the public comments filed, Open Road's vice president Doug Herling found at least 34 instances of people providing false names or lying about their residence to submit negative comments. Canary Media verified that only one of these commenters could be confirmed as a real person living in the area. Herling also argued that when discarding the apparently false, anonymous, and duplicate comments, more than 78% of those who filed remarks actually favored the Crossroads Solar project, with support within Morrow County running above 58%. However, the power siting board's staff initially deemed the project in the public interest but later changed their mind, citing a township's resolution and a lawyer's claim of overwhelming local opposition.

  • The evidentiary hearing for the Crossroads Solar project took place over seven days last month before the Ohio Power Siting Board.
  • The Ohio Power Siting Board is expected to rule on the Crossroads Solar project by March 19, 2026.

The players

Open Road Renewables

The developer planning to invest $98 million in the 94-megawatt Crossroads Solar Grazing Center project in Morrow County, Ohio.

Ohio Power Siting Board

The state's central authority for energy permitting that is expected to rule on the Crossroads Solar project by March 19, 2026.

Doug Herling

The vice president of Open Road Renewables who reviewed the public comments filed with the Ohio Power Siting Board and found evidence of fabricated opposition to the Crossroads Solar project.

Bella Bogin

The director of programs at the nonprofit grassroots organizing group Ohio Citizen Action, who stated that fabricated public comments undermine the credibility of the process.

Tony Long

The general counsel and director of energy policy for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, which is a party to the case and in favor of the Crossroads Solar project.

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What they’re saying

“When comments are submitted under false identities, false addresses, or with misrepresented affiliations, it undermines the credibility of the process and is unfair to residents who participated honestly and in food faith.”

— Bella Bogin, Director of Programs, Ohio Citizen Action

“Staff has allowed it to become reduced to local popularity contests, which is highly vulnerable to misinformation [and] manipulation by, in this case, a very small number of anti-solar activists.”

— Craig Adair, Vice President of Development, Open Road Renewables

“Deference to a handful of township resolutions as definitive statements of the 'public interest' is not only inappropriate but misleading.”

— Bella Bogin, Director of Programs, Ohio Citizen Action

“You can't really do state energy policy township by township, county by county. It's really got to be a state policy.”

— Tony Long, General Counsel and Director of Energy Policy, Ohio Chamber of Commerce (Canary Media)

What’s next

The Ohio Power Siting Board is expected to rule on the Crossroads Solar project by March 19, 2026.

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges renewable energy projects face in Ohio, where a small number of anti-solar activists can manipulate the public input process and sway local governments to block projects that could serve broader statewide interests around climate change mitigation and meeting growing energy demands. It raises questions about the integrity of the regulatory process and whether state energy policy should be determined at the local level or through a more holistic, statewide approach.