COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An effort to create solar energy is stalled at the Ohio Statehouse after more than a year of hearings.   House Bill 197  would create a community solar program; for example, a solar array could go on top of a public school, part of a farm, or some brownfields so people who can’t independently install solar can subscribe to the panels in their neighborhoods.  “Community solar would open up solar to the masses,” Roger Sikes from Solar United Neighbors said. “They would open it up to working families to the scale of tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of families in Ohio. How about that?”   The program would be driven by private companies putting up their capital for these projects.   Watch: Community solar power bill stalls One of the sponsors of the legislation estimates that ratepayers who opt in will save 10% to 15% on their utility bill, and farmers like Mark Clay said community solar can help him once he retires. “If the solar company was allowed to come in and put a solar array out, that at least it would produce something more for my family to be able to hold on to the farm long after I'm gone,” he said.   But after seven hearings and bi-partisan support, not everyone is on board.   Chair of the Public Utilities Committee Rep. Dick Stein (R-Norwalk) said there’s not one reason why.   “Multiple reasons,” he said. “There's been a lot of confusion. I believe the utilities have some concern about costs being transferred to other ratepayers as a result of the current legislation, current language, other issues. I know with the [agriculture] community about the idea of continuing to use large amounts of our farmland for solar development. There were some changes made in the language in one of the later amendments to try to address that.”   State Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) said whether this bill, which he is supportive of, passes or not, something will need to give.   “Demand is going up and we're either going to bring it -- community solar -- to the state of Ohio or we're going to wish we had done so sooner,” he said. “Either we're going to build really long transmission lines to bring power in from out of state, or we're going to build really short transmission lines to community solar projects across the state.”   AEP, for example, is against this bill. In a statement, a spokesperson said, “AEP Ohio, and several groups representing Ohio consumers, oppose the legislation because it shifts costs to customers who don't sign up for the program. At a time when consumers have options to support renewable energy projects through Ohio's deregulated energy marketplace, there is no reason to create a new program that would lead to customers paying more for something they are not benefitting from.”  "Ohioans should decide on Ohio’s energy future, not AEP," Solon High School senior Luke Kim said.   Stein said AEP in particular has been vocal about its opposition.   “Certainly, the utilities and I would have to say seemingly AEP, maybe more so than some of the other ones, have really kind of had a mindset that they want to not see this bill move forward,” Stein said. “And quite honestly, I don't know why.”   Stein said conversations on the legislation are ongoing but said that he primary reason it is held up is because there are not enough Republicans who are supportive on the Public Utilities Committee.