Eastern Cottontail Solar Wins Approval, Unlocking Economic Opportunity for Central Ohio
In a significant win for clean energy development in Ohio, the Eastern Cottontail Solar project officially received approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) on August 21, 2025. The 220 MW solar facility in Fairfield County is expected to generate up to 500 local jobs during construction, provide $2 million in annual tax revenue, and deliver long-term economic prosperity alongside clean energy generation. This is the third utility-scale solar project OPSB has approved in 2025, adding a combined 492 MW of clean energy generation to the grid. In the face of increasing energy demand, the approval of Eastern Cottontail represents not only a win for Fairfield County, but for the state of Ohio as a whole.
The project’s benefits extend beyond clean energy and revenue generation. Eastern Cottontail will integrate on-site sheep grazing, also known as agrivoltaics, which balances solar generation with agricultural use and provides additional economic opportunity for local farmers.
However, the road to OPSB approval was not without challenges, reflecting a recent trend in solar development across the country. In fact, as of June 2025, at least 498 counties and municipalities across 49 states have enacted restrictions on utility-scale solar development. When local restrictions limit clean energy, they also block economic potential. Across the country, one lesson has become clear: the business voice has never been more crucial.
That was evident in the case of Eastern Cottontail. Given the economic opportunity at hand, voices from the business community played a critical role in the proceedings. Amanda Everitt, Executive Director of Destination Downtown Lancaster, testified in support of the project, emphasizing how it will make Lancaster and its surrounding communities more attractive to businesses seeking clean energy options. “We know that we need more energy, and there is no better place to do this than locally,” she noted. Everitt also pointed out the importance of clean energy projects in fostering economic development and ensuring long-term prosperity for the region. “Lancaster should welcome clean energy options so our state, region, and local businesses can continue to prosper.”
Representing the statewide economic perspective, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce intervened in support of the project, with Tony Long, General Counsel and Director of Energy Policy, weighing in on the benefits of solar energy. Long highlighted the importance of projects like Eastern Cottontail for Ohio’s overall economic output. He encouraged those skeptical of solar development to look at successful operational facilities across Ohio, such as in Ross and Madison counties, where similar projects have proven to both generate power while also delivering on economic promises made during their permitting processes.
Additionally, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) delivered economic impact testimony underscoring the project’s transformative economic potential. The jobs and revenue figures stand on their own, but are even more striking considering they will be generated on less than 0.5% of total land in Fairfield County.
The economic promise of these projects is not hypothetical—it is already being realized across Ohio. Take Paulding County, for instance, where annual clean energy development payments have been the county’s top source of tax revenue since 2013. These projects are powering more than houses. They are powering schools, services, and the businesses that make communities feel like home.
The approval of Eastern Cottontail is a win for the people of Fairfield County, its local businesses, and the state of Ohio.