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! 

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.

We all know how stressful election season is - the constant ads, the uncertainty of what comes next, and the fear that things will not go how we want them to. But we also know that election season is a time of hope for the future and a time to reflect on the year to come.

Ohio Citizen Action has also taken this time for a season of appreciation. Our canvass staff is the lifeblood of the organization, the work we do is impossible without their relentless positivity and perseverance. We took a day to go to Dave & Busters together to celebrate the hard work that has been done this year and take some time to decompress together. 

Our day of fun at Dave & Buster’s was such a great experience! We enjoyed delicious food, drinks, and cake, and even held a raffle where DJ won a plasma screen TV, which turned out to be extra special since it was his birthday! The scavenger hunt game brought out everyone’s fun and competitive side, and it was a wonderful way to connect with my coworkers outside of work. It truly felt like a great team-building experience, and I hope we make it an annual tradition. - Bella Bogin, Director of Programs

Only a couple weeks later, we held our inaugural Staff & Board Retreat at Great Wolf Lodge Mason, near Cincinnati. Our staff came from all corners of the state to take some time to relax, have fun, reflect on 2025, and get excited for what is to come in 2026. 

With presentations like “What to Expect When You’re Electing,” “Voter Courtship, Going Steady, or Engaged?” “Please Don’t Let Me Die in Committee,” and “Here Comes the Sun and Solar Policy,” we definitely tackled serious issues while honoring the personality of the organization and our staff. 

 I loved getting to know everyone as real people instead of just faces on Zoom. The retreat pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way and helped me feel like I could just be myself. Between games, laughter, and learning about everyone’s talents, we went from coworkers to friends—and in this type of work, you need to feel like you have each other’s backs, making events like this so important. - Linda Ozello, Volunteer Coordinator

Whether you have been on staff for 30 years or for 3 days, everybody had an opportunity to spend time together in one space, both doing some work but also being people together. Again, thank you to every staff member, both past and present. Ohio Citizen Action is only as strong as the people who make it possible.