Southeast Ohio, a region whose economy is heavily dependent upon coal mining, will soon be home to an enormous solar energy installation. Slated for construction at the site of an old coal mine, the project offers a timely juxtaposition, placing a clean energy facility atop the former source of a conventional, dirty fuel.
The new solar power plant — appropriately named “Turning Point” — will feature a 239,400-solar panel array with a total generating capacity of 49.9 megawatts (MW). According to CNN, the plant will be adjacent to a 10,000-acre conservation area known as The Wild, which is home to several animals that are on the endangered species list.
New Harvest Ventures and Agile Energy will build the plant, while American Electric Power (AEP) will purchase the electricity through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The project is expected to create 300 new jobs and, it is hoped, will generate interest in clean-energy-related education and manufacturing activities throughout the region.
When announcing the new plant, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland took care to note that two Spanish manufacturing companies will soon open facilities in Ohio to help construct the Turning Point array. Zane University and Hocking College, both in southeastern Ohio, have clean-energy course offerings.
In his comments, Strickland emphasized the unique, homegrown nature of the Turning Point project:
“One of the largest solar farms in the nation is going to be built here in Ohio, with solar panels and solar trackers made in Ohio, built by Ohioans with the know-how taught in Ohio colleges.”
To get the Spanish companies to open shop in Ohio, Gov. Strickland took a page out of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s playbook. Last week, for instance, he signed an executive order doing away with the state’s personal property tax and real property tax for renewable energy facilities.
In 2008, Strickland signed SB 211, a bill requiring that 25 percent of all energy consumed in Ohio to come from renewable sources by 2025. One-half percent of that figure must come from solar power. If all goes according to plan, the Turning Point solar project should go a ways toward meeting that goal.
