Hi!
I'm trying to place lightning rods but even though I have tried to set the surface options to Fulgora, it keeps telling me that I can't place it on a surface that doesn't have lightning.
Thanks!

Yes, this is likely and unfortunately to be how it works, with no way around it, indefinitely. I will continue thinking on it, but I am limited by the way that Factorio's engine was designed to handle this.

Couldn't you set the lightning properties to use some custom lightning prototypes that deal no damage and basically never strike (or is invisible and doesn't make a sound)? Sure, it won't simulate needing to use it for power (assuming it never strikes), but it would allow for placing lightning attractor entities in blueprints.