Wind and Solar Leasing in Jackson County, Ohio: The Dixon Run Solar Project

A years-long project, now under new ownership

SunEnergy1, a North Carolina-based solar developer, first proposed the Dixon Run Solar project in Bloomfield Township, Jackson County, holding a public information meeting for the community as early as 2021. The project would place a utility-scale solar facility on more than 2,000 acres of privately owned land, with reported generating capacity varying by source -- some reporting puts it at 140 megawatts, while Brookfield's own 2026 announcement described it at closer to 210 megawatts, a discrepancy worth resolving directly with current project documents rather than assuming either figure. After a multi-year review process that drew both supportive comments (citing local tax revenue and lease income) and opposition (citing changes to rural character and agricultural land use), the Ohio Power Siting Board approved the project in September 2023.

In June 2026, Brookfield -- a major global infrastructure investor -- announced it had acquired the project from SunEnergy1, its fourth such acquisition from the developer as part of a portfolio exceeding 800 megawatts nationally. That ownership change is a meaningful signal for a Jackson County land buyer: it suggests the project has moved past the development and permitting risk stage into active construction and long-term institutional ownership, rather than remaining a proposal that could still be abandoned.

What OPSB approval means for land use authority nearby

Because Dixon Run Solar exceeds the 50-megawatt threshold that triggers Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) jurisdiction, its approval process ran through the state rather than Jackson County or Bloomfield Township zoning -- neither could independently block or substantially reshape the project once it was under OPSB review. What Jackson County retains going forward, under 2021's Senate Bill 52, is the ability for the Board of County Commissioners to designate part of the county's unincorporated area as a "restricted area" closed to future large-scale wind or solar projects, but only through a public resolution process completed before a new project's application is filed -- it has no retroactive effect on Dixon Run Solar itself.

This pass did not confirm whether Jackson County has adopted its own SB 52 restricted-area resolution covering any part of the county, which is worth checking directly if you're specifically concerned about a future project (rather than Dixon Run Solar itself) being sited near a parcel you're considering.

What to check before buying near the project, or signing a lease yourself

If you're evaluating land near the Dixon Run Solar site in Bloomfield Township, confirm the project's current construction status and final footprint directly with the OPSB or Jackson County, since exact boundaries and timelines can shift between an approved certificate and a completed build. If you're a landowner in the area being approached for your own solar lease, treat it as a long-term commitment -- these leases typically run decades once construction begins -- and have an attorney review the decommissioning-bond language, payment escalation terms, and any restrictions the lease places on your remaining acreage before signing. And regardless of whether your land borders the project, ask the Jackson County Auditor whether Dixon Run Solar has triggered, or could trigger, any PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) arrangement affecting local tax rates, since Ohio counties commonly negotiate these for utility-scale renewable projects.