Last Wednesday was a true community event; neighbors standing shoulder to shoulder in the name of property rights, job development, and clean, affordable energy. I was so proud to see our supporters step up, brave their fears, and speak in front of a packed church in the heart of Cardington, Ohio.

The Ohio Power Siting Board's process for approving new utility scale solar projects in Ohio gives the local community the chance to share their opinions, fears, or support of the project before a final decision is made. While we have attended many of these hearings for other projects, this was the first time that support and opposition sat in the same space and heard each other speak from the heart. It is clear that there are a lot of thoughts on whether the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center is right for Morrow County.

Our voices, and those of Morrow Solar Supporters may have quivered (many of us haven’t spoken publicly in years) but our message did not. Ohioans need clean, reliable energy. We stand firmly with the farming community and the rights of landowners to choose what’s best for their family, their future, and their property.

And while solar may be a new way to use our land, it is still very much farming, especially in the case of the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center. This project will use agrivoltaics, a dual-use system where solar panels and agriculture work together. In this case, it means partnering with local sheep farmers so they can grow their flocks while the solar farmer keeps vegetation naturally trimmed. It’s a win–win for our land, our farmers, and our future.

Projects like this also bring meaningful tax revenue to our schools, helping strengthen the very institutions that support our children and keep our communities thriving.

I’m so thankful to be a part of moments like these. This is what real community looks like. This is the real America.