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WARREN -- City council voted unanimously to support legislation in the Ohio House that would encourage the development of certain solar projects.
The legislation council voted to support was Ohio House Bill 197, the goal of which is "to create a small-scale solar program that seeks to be a part of the solution to Ohio's energy generation and aging infrastructure needs," according to sponsor, state Rep. James M. Hoops, R-Napoleon.
In addition, the bill prioritizes the development of community solar projects on brownfield and distressed land," Hoops stated in an email.
The resolution adopted Wednesday states Warren is interested in redeveloping certain landfills within the city.
Mayor Doug Franklin said all cities have environmental obligations they must follow after landfills are closed. If approved, Franklin said the legislation would help the city work with solar companies to maintain the post-closure responsibilities at the sites.
"It sort of deregulates some of the obstacles that the state legislature has put in place regarding solar farms and solar arrays," Franklin said. "It makes it more cumbersome for solar companies to do business in communities. Our support for this house bill will help navigate through that and take out some of those regulatory hurdles."
Councilman Greg Greathouse, D-3rd Ward, said the property that could see private development in the realm of solar infrastructure is the site of an old landfill on about 40 acres between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Leavitt Road.
"It's on private land, it's a private company," Greathouse said. "They're handling all of the requirements and the licenses. They're going to tap into the Ohio Edison grid. We don't have anything to do with it."
Greathouse said the plan is for the private developers to produce the energy for Ohio Edison that will then be sold to the general public.
Throughout Trumbull County, several townships have recently taken action to prohibit the construction of large wind and solar farms in their communities.
Greathouse said the city is taking the opposite approach.
"They're going to build a fence around it and now, because four-wheelers run in and out of that thing and because it's a hill and they go up and down it, we occasionally have to go in and clean debris from off the road," he said. "It's just less stuff to worry about."
Greathouse also believes solar projects could benefit city business in the future. He said he has proposed building a solar farm on the corner of Main Street and South Street, across from the city's main fire station.
"They're cleaning that up because it's a brownfield," Greathouse said. "Once they get that cleaned, I have a proposal to put a solar farm there. It wouldn't tie into the Ohio Edison grid, it would go right into the fire station and then from the fire station to (the municipal building)."
Greathouse said such a proposal would supply 70% of the city's energy needs during the daytime.
According to the Ohio Legislature's website, the House Bill 197 was referred to the public utilities committee in June.