Ohio Energy Push Sparks Property Rights Concerns for Iowa

While the science of atmospheric gases has been studied since the 1890s by physicists like Svante Arrhenius and Eunice Foote, today's energy battles are less about laboratory experiments and more about government power and private property rights. As Ohio pushes forward with aggressive fossil fuel development and carbon capture initiatives, Iowa landowners should pay close attention to the impacts on local control and energy independence.

Fracking on Public Lands Raises Transparency Questions

For over three years, Ohio citizens have fought the leasing of state parks and wildlife areas to out-of-state oil and gas companies. In December 2022, Ohio passed H.B. 507 during a lame duck session with no public input, opening public lands to fracking.

The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC), a five-member board appointed by Governor Mike DeWine, oversees these leases. The commission primarily consists of lawyers, with no significant background in health or science. On March 31, 2026, the OGLMC approved leases for over 8,000 acres at Egypt Valley Wildlife Area and more than 500 acres at Salt Fork State Park in a meeting that lasted less than twenty minutes.

While unlocking domestic energy is critical for American energy independence, the lack of transparency raises serious accountability questions. The commission is guided by Ohio statute ORC 155.33, which requires them to consider economic benefit, environmental impact, geological impact, visitor impact, and public comments. However, during a January meeting, commission head Theresa White stated that nothing legally requires the commission to explain its decisions. When government bypasses public input, trust erodes.

Renewable Energy and Private Property Rights

Since the passage of S.B. 52, many Ohio counties have moved to veto utility-scale renewable projects. Often, these vetoes are driven by anonymously funded groups spreading misinformation, groups with reported ties to fossil fuel proponents. This blocks free-market energy solutions and infringes on private property rights.

Wind and solar projects offer significant economic benefits to rural communities and farmers. According to the Department of Energy, land-based wind power costs often fall under $30/MWh, making it one of the lowest-priced energy sources available. Wind power occupies very little land, as the base footprint is negligible, allowing farmers to continue agricultural operations alongside energy production.

The Nottingham Solar project in Athens Township, Harrison County, illustrates the economic potential. The 120-megawatt solar farm will pay the county approximately $800,000 yearly in tax revenue. Over its 35-year lifespan, it is expected to generate over $29 million, replacing property that previously generated only about $400 a year. Solar installation leases are typically three to five times greater than the income earned from traditional crops, providing rural families with the financial stability to retain ownership for generations.

A 2022 study by the Ohio Department of Health found no public health burdens from solar materials, heat, glare, noise, or electromagnetic fields. Furthermore, the Great Plains Institute notes that existing and potential solar development never surpasses 0.5% of a county's total land. Local officials who ban these projects are denying landowners the right to profit from their own property.

Data Centers Drain Local Resources

Communities across Ohio are also raising alarms over the rapid expansion of data centers. These facilities consume massive amounts of water, up to 5 million gallons per day for cooling, and bring concerns about noise, air pollution, high voltage transmission lines, and increased utility bills for residents.

Despite these burdens, Ohio provided $2.5 billion in tax incentives to attract data centers between 2017 and 2024, according to a report for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation. In return, most data centers employ only a handful of people. Government picking winners and losers in the tech industry places the financial burden squarely on taxpayers.

Carbon Capture Threatens Farmland

Ohio legislators are considering H.B. 170, a bill that would shift regulation of carbon capture wells (Class VI wells) from the United States EPA to the state. This move would allow the injection of CO2 gas at 1000 psi into the bedrock under farms and communities.

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is heavily subsidized, paying polluting industries $85 per ton for captured emissions. It is an energy and water intensive process. To date, all global CCS projects capture only 0.17 percent of industry emissions. Transporting the captured pollutant will require pipelines that cross private lands, and state legislators may use eminent domain to secure the routes.

The proposed well sites sit in areas with ongoing fracking and an abundance of old mines and orphan wells. These activities risk fracturing the caprock, creating pathways for CO2, a known asphyxiant, to escape. Local fire departments currently lack the training and equipment to handle pipeline accidents, similar to the one that occurred in Satartia, Mississippi. Iowa landowners currently fighting similar eminent domain threats from carbon pipelines understand these risks all too well.

Brine Waste Oversight Fails Public Safety

Finally, elected officials continue to allow the oil and gas industry to spread oilfield brine waste across roads and inject it into communities via Class II wells. This waste contains radioactive materials and toxic components like carcinogenic hydrocarbon liquids and bromine salts. Protecting public safety requires rigorous oversight, not rubber-stamping industry practices.

From Ohio to Iowa, citizens must demand government accountability. True energy independence requires balancing economic growth with the protection of private property rights, local control, and public safety, without relying on massive corporate subsidies or eminent domain.