Fossil fuel groups accused of trying to covertly derail Ohio solar project

[Jack Aylmer]

FOSSIL FUEL EXECUTIVES ARE ATTEMPTING TO COVERTLY KILL A SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT IN OHIO-

USING LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS AND INTEREST GROUPS TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION AMONG THE STATE’S RESIDENTS.

HITTING THEM WITH CLAIMS THAT SOLAR PANELS ARE TOXIC, DEPRESS HOME VALUES, AND THAT CHINA IS USING THEM TO INVADE THE U.S.

THESE ARE THE ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT TO LIGHT IN A PRO-PUBLICA INVESTIGATION RELEASED THIS MONTH.

THE NONPROFIT SAYS THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY TRIED DISGUISING THEIR ATTEMPTS TO TURN PUBLIC OPINION AGAINST KNOX COUNTY’S FRASIER SOLAR DEVELOPMENT.

THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD BE ABLE TO POWER ROUGHLY 19,000 HOMES-

COVERING ABOUT 635 FOOTBALL FIELDS WORTH OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS WITH SOLAR PANELS.

ALTHOUGH OFFICIALS SAY THE AREA COULD BE RETURNED TO FARMING IN 40 YEARS-

THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY’S ECONOMY IS HEAVILY RELIANT ON AGRICULTURE, WITH ALMOST 60 PERCENT OF THE COUNTY CONSISTING OF FARMLAND.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SIMILARLY DOESN’T ALIGN WITH HOW ANOTHER MAJOR PORTION OF THE REGION MAKES ITS LIVELIHOOD-

AS THE ARIEL CORPORATION, A GAS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER, STANDS AS THE COUNTY’S LARGEST SINGLE EMPLOYER.

ACCORDING TO PROPUBLICA BIG OIL INTERESTS WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO EXACERBATE THESE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS-

THE REGION’S ONLY NEWSPAPER WAS ACQUIRED BY METRIC MEDIA-

A COMPANY WHICH IS SAID TO CHAMPION CONSERVATIVE CAUSES THROUGH AI-GENERATED JOURNALISM.

METRIC MEDIA HAS ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING FROM A DARK-MONEY GROUP WITH TIES TO THE KOCH BROTHERS AND THEIR FORTUNE MADE IN FOSSIL FUELS.

AFTER THE PURCHASE, THE MOUNT VERNON NEWS WAS TRANSFORMED FROM A DAILY LOCAL PAPER-

TO A ONCE-A-WEEK DELIVERY OF WHAT SOME RESIDENTS SAY IS JUST ANTI-SOLAR RHETORIC.

THE OUTLET HAS ATTACKED ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE AREA WHO DIDN’T DENOUNCE THE FRAISER PROJECT.

AND BEGAN PUBLISHING A WEEKLY OPINION COLUMN CALLED “AFTERNOON TEA” — TEA BEING AN ACRONYM FOR THE EMPOWERMENT ALLIANCE, A DARK-MONEY GAS ADVOCACY GROUP.

METRIC MEDIA ALSO CREATED A NEW PAPER CALLED THE OHIO ENERGY REPORTER-

DISTRIBUTED JUST BEFORE THE COUNTY’S ELECTION SEASON.

THE PUBLICATION REPRINTED SEVERAL MOUNT VERNON NEWS STORIES ON SOLAR-

AND FEATURING OTHER ARTICLES WITH HEADLINES INCLUDING “OHIO’S COMING ‘SOLAR TRASH WAVE’” AND “COULD THE TEXAS POWER CRISIS HAPPEN IN OHIO?”

BUT BEYOND THE MEDIA COVERAGE, OIL GROUPS HAVE ALSO BEEN ACCUSED OF MORE DIRECTLY INSERTING THEMSELVES IN THE REGION’S LOCAL POLITICS.

PROPUBLICA SAYS THESE GROUPS WOULD SUPPORT COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATES WHO RAN ON ANTI-SOLAR PLATFORMS-

USING A CONSERVATIVE OHIO POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE WITH CONNECTIONS TO A PRO GAS CAMPAIGN TO HELP AMPLIFY THEIR CAMPAIGN MESSAGES.

MEANWHILE, A FORMER EXECUTIVE AT THE ARIEL CORPORATION-

WHO HAS MAINTAINED TIES TO THE COMPANY-

CREATED AN ORGANIZATION WHICH REFERS TO ITSELF AS A GRASSROOTS DEFENDER OF KNOX COUNTY.

ITS MAIN FUNCTION THOUGH HAS BEEN TO RALLY THE PUBLIC AGAINST FRASIER SOLAR-

CANVASSING THE AREA WITH MASS TEXTS AGAINST THIS PROJECT AND HOSTING A TOWN HALL WITH SPEAKERS WHO OPPOSED THE RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT.

DOING SO WITH THE HELP AND FUNDS OF CURRENT AND FORMER ARIEL EMPLOYEES.

ALL OF THIS LED UP TO AN AUGUST FINAL HEARING BY THE OHIO POWER SITING BOARD-

WHICH WILL RULE ON WHETHER THE FRAISER PROJECT CAN MOVE FORWARD.

DURING THIS MEETING, EVIDENCE WAS ACCEPTED FROM ADVOCATES ON BOTH SIDES-

AND MANY OF THE BIG OIL CONNECTIONS TO THE OPPONENTS OF THE PROJECT CAME TO LIGHT.

NOW THE BOARD MUST MAKE A FINAL CALL –

A DECISION THAT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE MONTHS.

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