At the request of the community, Columbiana County Commissioners held a public hearing for residents to voice their concerns over a future solar and wind farms in the area. 

The meeting allowed for residents and farmers of Franklin, Fairfield, Perry and West Townships to express their concerns over Kensington Solar's plan to build a solar farm on more than 2,000 acres in Franklin Township. 

The Kensington Solar project would install more than 300,000 solar panels later in 2023 on 2,264 acres of land that is being leased from private landowners. 

Franklin Against Kensington Solar, FAKS, a concerned citizen group made up of over 400 Columbiana County residents were represented at the meeting to express the groups concerns with the Kensington project. The group has circulated petitions against the project. 

Opponents of the Kensington Project claim the solar farm would hurt property values, potentially bring hazardous materials to the area, and possibly worsen inflation if farmers are forced to put solar panels on their land. 

Under an Ohio law that went into effect on October 11, 2021, the board of county commissioners may adopt a resolution designating all or part of the unincorporated area of a county as a restricted area, prohibiting the construction of an economically significant wind farm, a large wind farm and a large solar facility. 

Residents are also concerned over visual pollution that the solar panels could bring, as well as possible leaking from the solar panels.