At least 34 public comments opposing the Crossroads Solar project in Morrow County appear to be completely fabricated.

A new Canary Media investigation revealed the extent of the fraud. The developer reviewed comments submitted to the Ohio Power Siting Board and found dozens that don't check out. When Canary Media tried to verify these names through VoterRecords.com and Whitepages.com, only one could be confirmed - and that person's email bounced back as undeliverable.

Comments like the one from "Roger Willard of Cardington" calling solar "a crime against local property owners." Or "Mike Mercer," also supposedly from Cardington, claiming "REAL PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE DO NOT WANT THE SOLAR SCAM!"

When you strip out the fake, anonymous, and duplicate comments, more than 78% of legitimate commenters actually support Crossroads Solar. 

Between these fabricated comments and Cardington Township reversing its neutral stance on the project, the Ohio Power Siting Board reversed its own staff's recommendation and now appears poised to kill a $98 million project that would bring:

☀️ Hundreds of construction jobs
☀️ Millions in local tax revenue
☀️ Clean energy for Ohio families
☀️ Income opportunities for family farmers

This is the same playbook we've seen before. When powerful interests want to break the rules, they rig the entire game, just like FirstEnergy's $60 million bribery scheme to pass HB6.

Fake comments can be generated in minutes, but real organizing takes months. Canvassing neighborhoods. Building relationships with community members. Training residents to testify at hearings. Having hundreds of one-on-one conversations to cut through misinformation. Supporting real people who show up, meeting after meeting, because they believe in their community's future. 

The Crossroads Solar decision is expected by March 18. But this fight is bigger than one project. It's about whether Ohio's energy policy will be decided by real community voices and facts or by whoever can manufacture the most opposition.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to spend the past year working in Morrow County to support the development of the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center. I’ve been fortunate to be on the ground alongside our supporters throughout this process. It’s been amazing to help to build community engagement and advocate for clean energy.

Back in December, we felt some of the pressure and uncertainty lift off our shoulders - the OPSB Staff recommended approving the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center. Unfortunately, for the first time in its history, the OPSB ultimately reversed its decision. While this outcome was deeply disappointing, it does not erase the work that was done or the support that was built in Morrow County. Hundreds of residents spoke up, many for the first time, to advocate for clean energy and a more sustainable future for their community.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was securing support from local officials. I have been regularly attending Cardington Town Trustee meetings to assist our advocates. The more meetings I went to, the more I could see how much people care about their community. Even our opposition has a deep love for their homes. Despite being on opposite sides of the issue , the one thing that they had in common was their passion to help their county.

After seeing that, the most important thing to me was that I showed up for Morrow County. I wanted to care for Morrow County in the same way their citizens did. We employed deep canvassing to talk with residents about why solar would benefit their community. If we show up for them, we can inspire change in hearts and minds. In total, we gathered 156 letters from community members explaining how the project would benefit their county.

Those voices became the cornerstone of our campaign. Together with local supporters, we hosted solar events, webinars, and showed up consistently at public meetings. The supporters didn’t just become people I worked alongside, they became a part of my life. I was enveloped into a small part of their community. The people of Morrow County were the driving force when the OPSB staff issued a positive report on the project. 

Even though reversing the staff report’s decision was a surprise to everyone, we continue to advocate for clean energy in Morrow county. This campaign showed the power of local organizing and the importance of continuing to fight for community voices to be heard in energy decisions. Ohio Citizen Action remains committed to standing with residents in Morrow County and across the state as we push for a cleaner, more just energy future. Setbacks do not define a movement, the people behind it do.

If you’re interested in learning more about the people behind a movement, Ohio Citizen Action is hosting a panel of local organizers and how organizing works in their own communities. Sign up here!