Tuesday, January 30
Click on the image at left to view the slides from this popular webinar.
Utility-scale solar development has become increasingly controversial and adversarial in Ohio.
In testimony before the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) opponents of utility-scale solar projects raise a variety of objections. Unfortunately, the internet is filled with misinformation that gains traction the more frequently it is repeated. False narratives are perpetuated by well-organized national interest groups. If accurate, these concerns would warrant closer examination in the approval process; however, many of the most serious assertions are not supported by evidence or experience.
We have chosen three categories of concerns that can be found in testimony, online postings, and opposition literature: The potential for fire at solar farms, the likelihood of leaching toxins, and the impact on land use and value. Our expert panelists will address each item based on research and professional experience.
Meet our Panel of Experts
Michael Benson
Retired Chief Michael Benson has served as a volunteer and career firefighter, paramedic and fire officer, with his last eleven years as a Fire Chief for Copley Township in Summit County, Ohio. Chief Benson has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati; a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Anna Maria College; and a professional certificate in Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies from Stanford University. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. In 2018, Michael co-founded a consulting company focused on electrification for local governments, developing microgrids for municipalities to support mission-critical electric vehicle fleets.
Nick Bundren
A Blacksburg, Virginia native, Nick began working for the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition in the summer of 2023, after working for a year with the Virginia Land and Liberty Coalition. The Coalition consists of farmers, landowners, and key stakeholders who are concerned about protecting their private property rights, developing their communities, and being good stewards of the land. Prior to joining Land and Liberty, Nick spent time
in local and state politics, including work on Virginia House of Delegates races and as a Political Director for the Kirk Cox for Governor Campaign in 2021. He received a degree in political science from Virginia Tech.
Randy Ellingson
Dr. Randy Ellingson is currently a Professor of Physics at the University of Toledo, and a faculty member of the University’s Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC). He received his bachelor degree from Carleton College in 1987, and completed his Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics in 1994 at Cornell University. He spent the next 14 years at NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab). In 2008, Randy joined the faculty at the University of Toledo’s Department of Physics and Astronomy where he teaches and oversees research on a wide variety of thin film photovoltaic (PV) materials, devices, and systems. He also serves as a faculty member of the Un He is also a member of Glass City Community Solar, Inc. a local charitable nonprofit focused on bringing the benefits of solar energy to Toledo’s low-income community.