Board approves above‑ground utility variance to connect Amgen solar array to AEP grid

The New Albany Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to allow above-ground utility lines to connect a proposed 1.5-megawatt solar array at Amgen’s facility on Ganton Parkway to the existing AEP distribution network.

Staff told the board the site’s existing electrical architecture and AEP’s interconnection requirements made a direct underground feed to the facility infeasible. The staff report explained that the original design called for an underground duct bank but that AEP’s review found the facility’s transformer arrangement and system architecture incompatible with that approach. Staff characterized the variance as a unique circumstance and said overhead lines would tie into existing AEP lines along Worthington Road; staff concluded the overhead lines would not materially alter neighborhood character and would advance the city’s strategic plan goals for alternative energy.

BJ Wolfgang, the applicant’s representative from Casosian Solar, described the technical constraints identified during interconnection and said the array would feed power back to the AEP grid rather than directly into the facility’s existing energized transformers. "All of this power that is now produced from the solar array is fed directly back into the AEP grid and all residents of New Albany," Wolfgang said.

Turner Construction’s Stacey Goins said the solar installation was added after the main campus was built, and that key transformers and underground duct banks were already energized and in place, limiting options to modify on-site equipment. Goins said directional drilling under a wetland/stream and tying into the underground duct bank would require lengthy shutdowns that could disrupt the facility’s delivery and testing operations.

Board members asked questions about whether the proposal would rely on temporary construction poles or new permanent poles; the applicant said some existing meter poles would be used initially but additional permanent poles would be required for the full connection. Staff noted nearby public overhead lines and said the proposed route would likely blend into existing lines.

After hearing from staff and the applicants, a board member moved to approve the variance to permit overhead utilities for the solar array; the board voted 3–0 in favor. Staff said the solar system was sized to offset roughly 20% of the facility’s usage but that the project would contribute to the city’s clean-energy goals.

The variance allows the developer to install overhead lines as shown in the submitted exhibits; further details of final pole locations and permitting will proceed through the city’s standard utility permit process and AEP’s interconnection approvals.