Ohio’s rural communities are at a crossroads. Farming costs have soared, commodity prices are stuck in the past, and unpredictable weather has added new layers of risk. For many landowners, renewable energy development — particularly wind and solar — offers a practical way to stabilize their finances and preserve their farms for future generations. But instead of encouraging this opportunity, Ohio lawmakers have built a legal maze to keep it from happening.

Across Northwest Ohio, farmers have embraced renewable energy as a way to generate steady income. Leasing farmland for wind or solar is voluntary — it’s a business decision, no different than renting land for crops or mineral rights. In Paulding County, for example, wind development has brought millions in tax revenue to schools and to

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