2020 Leasing your Land for Shale and Solar Webinars

By:  Erika Lyon, Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator, Ohio State University Extension Jefferson & Harrison Counties and Dan Lima, Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator, Ohio State University Extension Belmont County

Across the state of Ohio, landowners are receiving offers to lease their property for the development of oil and natural gas wells, pipelines or utility-scale solar projects. While the state is regionally divided between the two, with shale development primarily occurring on the eastern side of the state and solar development being concentrated in southwestern Ohio (with some exceptions), the questions about legal agreements, construction and oversight of both are similar.

Join OSU Extension June 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th for a webinar series that addresses some of these questions landowners and local governments may have on shale and solar projects. These sessions will be focused on surface and subsurface rights, and participants may choose which webinars they are most interested in learning about. The first webinar will be focused on utility-scale solar projects while the other two sessions will cover oil and natural gas production, pipelines and mineral rights.

The schedule for the webinars is as follows:

Tuesday, June 23^rd – Utility-Scale Solar Construction and Leases for Land Use – Join OSU Extension for a discussion of what to expect for construction of utility-scale solar, regulations and questions to consider for leasing land for solar development. Speakers include Eric Romich, OSU Extension Field Specialist for Energy Development, and Peggy Kirk Hall, Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Agricultural & Resource Law. Q&A with the energy experts from OSU and Ohio Farm Bureau will be held at the conclusion of the webinar.

Wednesday, June 24^th – Negotiating Leases for Oil & Natural Gas Development – OSU Extension Educators Clif Little, Dan Lima, and Erika Lyon will cover considerations for leasing property for oil and natural gas. Topics include understanding leasing agreements, an overview of water rights, and what to know about pipelines, including land use expectations and reseeding right-of-ways. A representative from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resources will also be present to answer questions.

Thursday, June 25^th – Mineral Rights and the Dormant Mineral Act – Learn about what to know when considering leasing or selling mineral rights for oil & natural gas development from Extension Educator Dan Lima. Peggy Kirk Hall, Associate Professor and Field Specialist, Agricultural & Resource Law will discuss the Dormant Mineral Act and implications for land/mineral owners. A representative from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas Resources will also be present to answer questions.

There is no cost to join in on each session. To register, visit https://go.osu.edu/2020shaleandsolar. Zoom links to each webinar will be distributed to participants one week prior to the event. Contact Erika Lyon at 740-461-6136 / lyon.194@osu.edu or Dan Lima at 740-695-1455 / lima.19@osu.edu with questions regarding these webinars.

OSU Extension will provide reasonable accommodations to handicapped persons needing assistance to participate in Extension programs. If you require accommodations to attend programs or to access information, contact the event coordinators in advance.