UPDATED: The City of Hilliard filed a notice of appeal with the Environmental Review Appeals Commission in relation to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s air permit to install/operate (PTIO) the natural gas-powered fuel cell facility at the Amazon data center on Scioto Darby Road.
The notice was filed Nov. 7 by Kravitz, Brown, & Dortch LLC. on behalf of the City. View the document here.
Hilliard City Council unanimously approved a motion Oct. 27 seeking to appeal a decision by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a permit to install fuel cells at the site.
The motion also directed City administration to seek legal counsel that specializes in environmental law.
On Sept. 22 the Ohio Power Siting Board approved an application from American Electric Power (AEP) to install 228 fuel cells on the Amazon site. AEP, which will own the natural gas-powered fuel cells, delivered a letter to City leaders Oct. 20 withdrawing its application to the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission citing OPSB’s approval of the project and State law exempting the project from local review.
Per Ohio law — Section 4906.13(B) of the Revised Code —the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), a division of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, has sole authority to approve such a project.
This proposed fuel cell project would be the largest of its kind in North America. Available data indicates the project’s 228 fuel cells could emit up to 1.45 million pounds of CO₂ daily, which is comparable to the output of 66,000 gasoline vehicles. However, CO₂ emissions are not a component of Ohio EPA review for air permits to install and operate.
The City is urging Amazon, AEP, and Bloom Energy to implement carbon capture and other advanced environmental safeguards as part of this project. The carbon capture technology on Bloom Energy’s website could reduce the project’s greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate environmental leadership consistent with Amazon’s goals for net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Read the full OPSB staff report and certificate here.
See our fuel cells FAQ page here.
