The Hancock County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public meeting to be held before it decides on whether to approve exclusion zones for wind and solar projects.

The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19th at 2:30 at the commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting in the first floor conference room at 514 South Main Street in Findlay.

A law passed last year gives county commissioners in Ohio more oversight when it comes to approving wind and solar projects.

Most townships in Hancock County have asked the Hancock County Board of Commissioners to approve exclusion zones in their townships to prohibit such projects.

Tim Mayle, Director of Findlay – Hancock County Economic Development, addressed the commissioners earlier in the month, telling them that banning wind and solar projects outright would hurt the county’s economic growth.

Mayle points out that two solar projects planned for the Arcadia area would not be subject to action by the commissioners because the projects were proposed before the new law giving commissioners more oversight took effect, but he’s concerned about the effect on future projects.

“Let’s not limit the possibility of large capital investments that would be coming in for data centers and advanced manufacturing that may want a renewable energy source tied to it.”

Mayle says more companies are using renewable energy because it’s becoming more cost effective and if that option is eliminated in Hancock County those companies won’t invest here.