Solar energy development in Ohio has faced significant challenges in recent months as Senate Bill 52 and other factors have come to a head. Enacted in 2021, Senate Bill 52 established standards for approving new solar projects, including taxation and other requirements for companies commissioning them. The bill grants county commissioners primary authority to establish restrictions and approve projects prior to final review by the Ohio Power Siting Board and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The Ohio Laborers support projects that create quality jobs for our members. Skilled, highly trained union workers should construct solar projects. At the Ohio Laborers’ Training Center (OLTC), we have prepared hundreds of members, both on-site and remotely, for careers in solar farm construction, enabling them to benefit from projects in their communities.

Recent local developments highlight both challenges and successes. Laborers’ Local 1216 successfully turned the Blossom Solar Project into a signatory job after weeks of on-site demonstrations. The project’s general contractor, QCells, initially rejected a three-trade agreement and communication with the Local. After sustained community pressure and repeated job site violations reported to the Ohio Power Siting Board, prompting a temporary shutdown, QCells agreed to use Ohio Laborers under the three-trade agreement for Blossom and its remaining Ohio projects—a significant win for Local 1216 and all Ohio Laborers.

In Clark County, Local 1410 recently spoke at a county commissioner hearing on a proposed permanent countywide ban on industrial solar. Members of the Local and District Council opposed an outright ban, instead supporting the county’s existing case-by-case approval strategy. Ultimately, the commissioners voted for a two-year moratorium rather than a lifetime ban. Meanwhile, the Sloopy Solar Project, grandfathered in before Senate Bill 52, will move forward as planned.

Ohio’s solar industry is at a crossroads. While legislation and local restrictions pose challenges, the Ohio Laborers continue to demonstrate that union-trained workers are essential to building safe, high-quality solar projects. Through training, advocacy, and persistence on the ground, we remain committed to ensuring that the state’s clean energy future creates lasting, family-sustaining careers for our members.

Mansfield-based labor union seeks halt to Blossom Solar project in Morrow County