To the editor: Legislators risk leaving rural communities behind

The Ohio legislature’s recent passage of H.B. 15 is a step in the right direction for energy policy, but it leaves rural communities exposed to a looming crisis. While lawmakers celebrate progress, they have failed to fix one of the most pressing issues facing northwest Ohio: the fate of wind turbines built more than a decade ago, long before state leaders decided to make renewable energy development nearly impossible.

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The story begins with promise. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, communities like Paulding County opened their doors to wind developers. Farmers signed leases, construction crews got to work, and the landscape began to include modern wind turbines. These projects were certified under Ohio’s then-reasonable setback requirements, which measured