Scioto County may be laying the groundwork for a future that looks straight out of science fiction. At Thursday’s meeting, county commissioners unanimously approved a non-binding letter of intent with Sky Solar Energy, a company proposing to install solar panels on new hangars at the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport in Minford — and possibly much more.
While the proposal includes solar panels, hangars, and even a potential data center, it was the concept of flying cars that sparked the most interest from Commissioner Bryan Davis.
“What really intrigues me is when we talk about air mobility — and air mobility is coming,” Davis said. “It will come. It’s basically flying cars.”
Davis, clearly energized by the possibilities, said the conversation around Sky Solar’s interest in rural airports like Portsmouth goes beyond solar panels and into the realm of futuristic transportation.
“We’re going to get to a place in our society where roads are so congested, and they’re building these things now — in the Dayton area even,” he said. “I can’t even fathom what that’s going to look like, but they are looking at regional airports to be those hubs.”
Davis envisioned a future where residents could fly from Cincinnati to Portsmouth in small, electric aircraft. “These things are coming,” he said. “And projects like this are setting the stage for that — making it economically feasible.”
Still, Davis expressed caution over giving up valuable airport greenspace, preferring that any solar development be limited to building rooftops rather than open land that could support aviation-related industry.
“My concern is we’ll be giving up land that could be used for aircraft maintenance or manufacturing parts for planes,” he said. “I totally support the idea, but I want to be careful with the land parcels. I want to see manufacturing jobs. Data centers employ a few, solar fields employ hardly any.”
Commissioner Scottie Powell, who introduced the proposal, said the organization had already spoken with commissioners twice and met with the airport board. “Their goal is to build some hangars, put solar on the hangars, and potentially develop a data center,” Powell explained. “They’ve asked us for a non-binding letter of intent and will return with a formal plan and financials.”
Powell noted that Sky Solar already has agreements in place with Delaware County Airport and is targeting smaller, rural airports as part of its strategy to secure grant funding.
“If you want to put solar panels on top of a building, that’s one thing. If you want to put them on the land, that’s another,” Powell added, echoing Davis’s concerns about land use.
Despite the reservations, all three commissioners voted in favor of authorizing the letter of intent, opening the door to further discussions and a future that may well include solar-powered hangars — and flying cars.
