CARROLLTON – Six people testified in support and four spoke in opposition to a new power plant that would produce 1,300 megawatts of electricity northeast of the village.
The Ohio Power Siting Board, a state agency that oversees energy infrastructure, hosted the May 21 hearing to gather sworn testimony from the public. About 50 people attended at Carrollton Elementary School.
An evidentiary hearing, which allows the involved parties to submit testimony, will be held at 10 a.m. June 3 in Columbus.
Natural gas-fired power plant proposed in Carroll County
Chestnut Run Energy, a subsidiary of the Boston-based ArcLight Capital Partners, has proposed a natural gas-fired electric plant that would be built on 30 acres of a 240-acre property. It would be southeast of Mobile Road NE and Cobbler Road NE.
The new power plant would be northeast of Carroll County Energy, which is a 700-megawatt facility on 77 acres along state Route 9.
According to the Ohio Power Siting Board’s staff report, Chestnut Run Energy would be capable of operating up to 8,760 hours per year to supply power to the regional electric grid. A dry air-cooling system would reduce emissions and minimize water use.
Construction could begin as early as the fourth quarter of this year, provided the state approves the project, and begin producing electricity in 2030.
Public presents pros, cons
Residents of Carroll County and the people who are employed there made their case for or against the project.
Randy Moore said he was a lifelong resident and opposed the new power plant.
“I don’t believe it will directly benefit the residents of this county,” he said.
Others in opposition also questioned whether the facility would lower local electric costs or would detract from property values and disturb the rural environment. Multiple speakers questioned if the additional acres at the project site would be used for a data center.
Company representatives at the hearing did not immediately comment on the public testimony.
State documents indicate that 43 acres would be used during construction for workspace, access roads and stormwater drainage. The remaining land would not be developed.
Among those who testified in support was Dave Davis, superintendent of Carrollton Exempted Village Schools. He said the existing power plant, through tax abatement payments, helped the district pay for the construction of the middle and high schools with no bond or tax increase.
Davis said there have been early discussions about a potential tax abatement for the new facility as well, but no specifics have been proposed.
Several trade workers, including electricians and pipefitters, also spoke in support of Chestnut Run Energy.
Erik Hann, of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 540 and the East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, said the state of Ohio consumes more electricity than it generates because power facilities have been retired and demand has grown. He expressed his “full and enthusiastic support” for the power plant on behalf of trade workers, hundreds of whom would be employed for years at the facility.
“For Carroll County, specifically, this project is a tremendous opportunity,” Hann said. “A facility of this scale brings substantial long-term tax revenue to the community, funding the schools, infrastructure, public services. This kind of investment is not something that comes along every day, and this community deserves to benefit from that.”
Rebecca Abel, who said she lives within two miles of the site, said she understands the desire to create jobs but doesn’t want it to be at the expense of existing residents. She said those who want the power plant should put it in their backyard.
“We deserve to be treated better than this,” Abel said. “It’s not all about money.”
Still time to comment
Bill Newell, who did not testify during the hearing, said he intends to submit written comments regarding his concern about the loss of agricultural land. He’s a member of the Carroll County Farm Bureau and said farms like the one in Carroll County have been increasingly lost to power plants or data centers.
“I would wonder if there aren’t better sites,” Newell said.
Written comments for case number 25-1065-EL-BGN can be mailed to the Ohio Power Siting Board at 180 E. Broad St. in Columbus, OH 43215. Comments can also be submitted to publiccomments@opsb.ohio.gov or through an online form at www.opsb.ohio.gov.
Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Chestnut Run Energy receives mixed response from Carroll County
Reporting by Kelly Byer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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