Liberty Township Trustees, Congressman Dave Taylor oppose more solar projects
(Special thanks to Ron Ward, Liberty Township Trustee)
The Liberty Township Trustees held a special meeting on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Highland County Administration building for purposes of the 2026 Organizational and Public Forum concerning solar projects.
There were approximately 70 citizens along with a few elected officials in attendance.
The response from landowners and township residents was overwhelmingly in opposition to large and small solar projects being started in the unincorporated Liberty Township.
At the conclusion of the public comment time, all three trustees voted if favor of the resolution to oppose solar projects coming to Liberty Township.
In addition to the trustees' resolution, Congressman David Taylor provided a letter in opposition to more solar projects.
There was also a citizen-organized petition presented that had 600 signatures in opposition of solar projects in the township.
The resolution and Congressman Taylor's letter follow.
RESOLUTION 8-2026
The Board of Trustees of Liberty Township, Highland County, met in special session Jan. 17, 2026 with the following members present: Ronald Ward, Tyler Kelch and Joseph Middleton.
At said meeting, the following Resolution was adopted:
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees are opposed to both large and small solar facilities through-out Liberty Township; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees have concerns for the environment, including the adverse impact solar facilities would have on the multiple watersheds through-out Liberty Township; and
WHEREAS, solar fields would adversely impact the integrity of the natural landscape and habitats for wildlife in Liberty Township; and
WHEREAS, small and large solar fields will negatively impact emergency services through-out Liberty Township; and
WHEREAS, small and large solar fields are a misuse of valuable agricultural land which adds community value to Liberty Township; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees are concerned about future long-term health impacts on the citizens of Liberty Township as related to small and large solar fields; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees oppose the violation of the quiet use and enjoyment of the neighboring property owners involuntarily subjected to large and small solar fields; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees are concerned that large and small solar fields in close proximity to the City of Hillsboro will limit the needed expansion and growth of the industry of Hillsboro; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Liberty Township Trustees are concerned about the adverse impact solar fields may have on neighboring property values; and
WHEREAS, the Highland County Commissioners elected to limit large solar facilities in Highland County per Resolution 21-218; and
WHEREAS, the Highland County Commissioners took the position that it will be the policy of the Board of County Commissioners to oppose development of small solar facilities pursuant to Resolution 21-218(F); and
WHEREAS, based on a public forum held January 17, 2026, there was widespread opposition to solar projects among Liberty Township residents and landowners.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Liberty Township Board of Trustees are OPPOSED to the development of any small or large solar facilities in Liberty Township.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Liberty Township Board of Trustees request the Highland County Board of Commissioners to oppose the development of any such large and small solar facilities in the unincorporated areas of Liberty Township, pursuant to the prior passed resolution.
– Board of Township Trustees of Liberty Township, Highland County, Ohio.
I, Jeffrey Beery, Fiscal Officer of Liberty Township Trustees, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was taken and copies from the record of the proceedings of said Board of Trustees of Liberty Township, that the same has been compared by me with the Resolution of said record and that it is a true and correct copy thereof. Witness by hand this 17th day of January 2026.
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Congressman Taylor's letter
As the congressman for Ohio's Second Congressional District – a major agricultural district – I have seen firsthand the hard work and care our farmers, ranchers and producers put in every day. Our farmers continue to be the best stewards of their land and caretakers of their animals. Rural communities across southern Ohio rely upon a stable agricultural economy that is not hindered by federal regulations and requirements. I take my job as an advocate for our farmers in Congress seriously, and I am committed to protecting our domestic agriculture industry.
However, this industry is under threat. High input costs, market challenges and labor availability already contribute to a difficult environment to live off the land. But what is most concerning is a threat entirely self-imposed by policymakers and environmentalists that support them.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service estimates that, over the past two decades, nearly half of solar development has occurred on productive farmland, while 21% has occurred on working pastureland. Recent modeling by the American Farmland Trust projects that 83% of new solar energy development will occur on farmland, 49% of which will occur on land of "national significance", meaning high-producing and highly resilient acreage.
This solar "boom," – seemingly deliberately targeting productive farmland – has numerous disastrous consequences. It drives up the cost of land, making the barrier to entry for the next generation of farmers and ranchers nearly impossible. The installation of this technology often renders the land unavailable to be used to grow crops again due to harm to the topsoil and erosion. And more broadly, the use of solar panels is inefficient and often relies on sourcing from countries of concern for components when more efficient methods of production exist domestically.
The federal government should be addressing this problem and should certainly not be a party to its expansion. I am committed to ending taxpayer-funded solar farms and ensuring that prime American farmland is not being taken out of production for solar farms. To that end, I am proud to lead on the Protecting American Farmland Act, which ends all funding for solar farms that seek to, or already have, been put on prime farmland. I am also a proud cosponsor of H.R. 1592, the SOLAR Act, which limits Department of Agriculture funding for Solar farm projects.
As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I will continue to work to pass legislation that promotes long-term economic growth in our communities.
Sincerely
Dave Taylor
Member of Congress