Crowd gathers to question wind company officials

LENOX TOWNSHIP — More than 60 people attended a meeting Monday evening to have questions answered regarding a proposed wind project in the area.

APEX Clean Energy has been signing leases with property owners in the eastern side of Ashtabula County for a proposed large-scale wind project.

Company officials attended the meeting to provide information regarding their efforts and what it would mean for the community.

The company has held several public meetings regarding the proposed project, which takes years of planning and lease acquisition.

John Maylish III, chair of the Lenox Township Trustees, said the trustees are opposed to the project because of concerns over infrastructure and the safety of residents, and are working on a resolution to not allow the wind farm in the township.

"None of us [trustees] are for this," he said.

Apex Project Developer Liam Keough said sometimes townships are willing to change their minds, and that is why company staff were at the meeting. He made it clear if the township and commissioners reject the idea, it won't happen.

He said there is no connection with any potential data center projects.

The Ashtabula County Commissioners have opened discussion on the projects through a meeting with trustees from throughout the county.

Commissioner Casey Kozlowski attended the Monday evening meeting and told the residents that the trustees from all 27 townships in the county have been asked to weigh in on whether they want to allow wind projects in their townships.

The commissioners have set a September deadline for trustees to have a resolution completed regarding the projects. A state law allows the commissioners to make the decision on their own for wind and solar projects, but Kozlowski said they want local government officials to have input.

The meeting lasted more than two hours, with residents raising questions regarding electricity cost, infrastructure, and what cleanup of the project might look like.

Robert Gee, senior development manager for Apex Clean Energy, Keough led the discussion and question and answer period after making an overall presentation on the project.

Brian Hall, an area resident, said residents will not see a reduction in their electric bills because the power would go to the national grid.

"Unless you give us free electricity it [the bill] is not going down," he said.

The APEX representatives said they are just power creators that eventually sell to those representing the national electric grid.

A wide variety of questions came up during the meeting, including what the budget is for the project, the potential damage to area roads, how a wind farm would be decommissioned, and how far would a turbine have to be from a property that did not sign a lease.

Keough said that a payment in lieu of taxes to the county would be in the $1.8-2.7 million range if the project were to become active years from now.

"There has been no talk of tax abatement," Kozlowski said.

Keough said the permit phase would not be completed until at least 2028. Gee said the budget for 2026 is $1.8 million, but the full project budget is unclear and will be constructed as time goes on.

The major guiding factor from the wind farm side is the amount of leases that can be secured and whether enough townships approve the potential use.