Mayor Ginther, along with city, energy, and community partners, announced the Columbus Solar Park last week.
The Columbus Solar Park will power Clean Energy Columbus, the city’s 100% clean energy aggregation initiative. The park is a collaboration between the city’s Division of Power, AEP Energy, BQ Energy, and Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).
“Last November, residents overwhelmingly said ‘yes’ to clean energy and this initiative,” said Mayor Ginther. “Now the program has started, and we’re delivering on the promise to provide local, Ohio-based clean energy to power our homes and small businesses. This project will serve as a beacon in our community, signaling our steadfast commitment to a healthy and prosperous future for all residents.”
The Columbus Solar Park is being developed on a 173-acre SWACO-owned property that formerly served as Franklin County’s sanitary landfill between Jackson Pike and I-71 in Grove City. The project will not only repurpose the property but also provide Columbus residents with cleaner energy and healthier air.
“The project will pull from the local labor force to employ electricians, equipment operators, laborers and linemen to get the site operational,” said Michael McNulty, BQ Energy’s project manager. “We will do some earthmoving to upgrade site drainage and stormwater measures to start, then begin assembling the solar array and associated infrastructure. We plan for the construction process to take about seven to nine months.”
The solar park is expected to be completed in December 2022 and will connect to the grid through the city’s Division of Power. It will benefit Clean Energy Columbus participants for the first five years. After that, the project will split clean energy between Clean Energy Columbus and customers served by the Columbus Division of Power.
Most Columbus residents can participate in Clean Energy Columbus due to their electricity being delivered by an investor-owned utility. Due to state regulations, Columbus Division of Power customers are unable to participate in Clean Energy Columbus.
The Columbus Solar Park is expected to generate almost 50 MW of renewable energy each year. For more information about The Columbus Solar Park, please click here. To learn more about Clean Energy Columbus, please click here.
