Republic Wind project public hearing to take place Thursday at Tiffin University

A public hearing regarding Republic Wind, LLC's application to create a 200 megawatt wind farm in Seneca and Sandusky Counties is to take place from 3-8 p.m. Thursday at the Marion Center at Tiffin University, 235 Miami St. The Ohio Power Siting Board is hosting the hearing and representatives from both sides of the issue are to be present Thursday afternoon. The purpose of the public hearing is for the OPSB to gather sworn public testimony about the 47 wind turbines Republic Wind, LLC is proposing to build in Adams, Reed, Scipio and Thompson townships in Seneca County and in York Township in Sandusky County. According to the OPSB's website, the public hearing represents an opportunity for the Board to collect sworn statements from members of the affected public who are not actual parties to the case. The public hearing provides the Board with information about the local community's reaction to the proposed application and a transcript of the hearing becomes part of the case documents in the official record that the Board considers before making its final decision, the website states. The OPSB will also accept written testimony and written notes that go along with testimony at the public hearing, it states. A court reporter will be on hand to transcribe the proceedings and accept written notes and testimony, it states. After the public hearing, OPSB will host an adjudicatory hearing Wednesday, Oct. 2, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Offices of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 180 East Broad St., Columbus. At the adjudicatory hearing in October, each side will provide sworn, pre-filed testimony and cross-examine witnesses, the website states. Designated intervenors in the case will be able to testify at the adjudicatory hearing but not the public hearing, according to the Board's website. According to Republic Wind, LLC's website, the proposed Republic Wind farm will be located on approximately 15,000 acres of open farmland in Seneca and Sandusky counties. Though Republic Wind, LLC has not yet secured a buyer for the power that would be produced by the project, they state on their website that the power will be injected into the regional grid system. Apex Clean Energy, parent company of Republic Wind, LLC, is a clean energy corporation based in Charlottesville, Virginia that develops, constructs, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America, according to the company's website. Apex Clean Energy is also the parent company of Firelands Wind, LLC, who has filed an application to develop Emerson Creek Wind Farm, a 300 megawatt wind turbine farm that would stand in Erie and Huron counties, according to Emerson Creek Wind's website.