Residents and public officials living in and around the proposed project area of a pending OPSB case are often interested in receiving information about the case and participating in the power siting process.
There are a variety of ways to stay informed and make your voice heard. Please contact us with your questions and concerns. The Board and its staff are interested in hearing from you.
Standard Application Process
Attend the Public Informational Meeting
Before filing an application to build a new facility, the developer is required to hold a public informational meeting. The purpose of this meeting is for company representatives to inform stakeholders about plans to file an application with the OPSB. The meeting also serves as an opportunity to gather input and hear the public's concerns, which the company considers in developing its application. OPSB representatives attend the meeting to listen and observe. When invited by the developer to directly participate in the meeting, OPSB representatives are available to discuss the siting process and public participation.
Submit Informal Comments
Interested persons are encouraged to submit informal written comments to the OPSB. In order to be filed in the public comments section of the case record, submissions must include the case number. These comments inform the Board, as well as the staff during its investigation, but do not carry the same weight as the sworn testimony presented at the local public hearing.
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Email: contactOPSB@puco.ohio.gov
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Mail: Ohio Power Siting Board, 180 E. Broad Street, Columbus Ohio 43215
Testify at the Local Public Hearing
Once the company submits its application, the OPSB staff scrutinizes the plan, makes a formal request for comments from other agencies and parties, and then makes a recommendation to the Board members. After the OPSB staff makes its recommendation, a formal public hearing is held. At this hearing, hosted by the OPSB, members of the public provide sworn testimony that becomes part of the case record considered by the Board. Written statements may also be submitted. Upon request, the OPSB staff will provide a paper copy of the Staff Report of Investigation free of charge.
Formally Intervene in the Case
Intervention grants individuals, organizations, and governments the right to participate as a party of record in the case proceedings. Interveners are served with all documents in the case, participate in the adjudicatory hearing, and may file for rehearing or appeal a Board decision to Ohio Supreme Court. The requirements for intervention are outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 4906-2-12.
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Local governments in the project area have automatic right to intervention, but must notify the Board of their intention to intervene. Legal counsel is required.
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Local businesses and organizations must request intervention before the deadline set in each case. Legal counsel is required. Please contact us for more information specific to each case
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Individuals must request intervention before the deadline set in each case. Legal counsel is not required. Please contact us for more information specific to each case
Accelerated Application Process
Ohio Revised Code establishes an accelerated process for certain facilities subject to OPSB review. Public participation is encouraged. Upon request, the OPSB staff will provide a paper copy of the Staff Report of Investigation free of charge.
Submit Comments
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Email: contactOPSB@puc.state.oh.us
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Mail: Ohio Power Siting Board, 180 E. Broad Street, Columbus Ohio 43215
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All correspondence must include the official case number to be docketed in the case.
Formally Intervene in the Case
Intervention grants individuals, organizations, and governments the right to participate as a party of record in the case proceedings. Interveners are served with all documents in the case, participate in the any hearings, and may file for rehearing or appeal a Board decision to Ohio Supreme Court. The requirements for intervention are outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 4906-2-12.
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Local governments in the project area have automatic right to intervention, but must notify the Board of their intention to intervene. Legal counsel is required.
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Local businesses and organizations must request intervention. Legal counsel is required. Please contact us for more information specific to each case.
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Individuals must request intervention. Legal counsel is not required. Please contact us for more information specific to each case.
What is the difference between the local public hearing and the adjudicatory hearing?
The purpose of the local public hearing is to gather sworn statements concerning the application from members of the public. This hearing provides the Board with information about the reaction of the local community to the proposed application, and the hearing transcript becomes part of the case documents in the official record that the Board considers before making its decision.
The purpose of the adjudicatory hearing is to allow parties to the case to provide sworn pre-filed testimony and cross examine witnesses. This hearing forms the evidentiary record that the Board will consider in arriving at its formal decision on the case.
What happens once the hearings are complete?
Once the hearings are complete, the parties may be allowed to file briefs. Once that process is completed, the OPSB administrative law judge will draft a proposed decision for consideration by the Board. This process can take up to 90 days after completion of the record depending on the case.
Once the draft proposal is ready, the administrative law judge will provide it to the Board for consideration at one of its scheduled agenda meetings. Once the Board issues its decision, parties have 30 days to seek an appeal of the decision with the OPSB. If an appeal is filed, the Board then has 30 days from the date the appeal is filed to rule on the request for appeal. Ultimately, Board decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio.