National Grid Renewables breaks ground on 117 MW solar project in Ohio

National Grid Renewables broke ground on the upcoming 117 MW Sycamore Creek Solar Project in Crawford County, Ohio.

The facility, which will connect to the PJM grid, is National Grid Renewables’ fifth solar project in Ohio. For all five projects, National Grid Renewables partnered with Kiewit Power for the projects’ engineering, procurement and construction.

According to National Grid Renewables, Sycamore Creek Solar Project will

• generate an estimated $27 million in direct economic benefit for the local community over the first 20 years of operation;
• produce $16 million new tax revenue over the first 20 years of operation;
• generate about 160 construction and service-related jobs; and
• provide $585,000 in charitable giving during the first 20 years of operation through a community fund.

According to National Grid Renewables, the solar facility will avoid approximately 148,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year of its operations, which the company estimated is the equivalent of taking 33,000 cars off the road every year.

(See also: “Ohio’s largest solar project goes online”)

Sycamore Creek was proposed in 2021 during Ohio’s solar boom. The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) held public hearings for the project beginning in 2021. A consultation meeting between National Grid Renewables and local residents held in January 2024 addressed concerns, which were mostly centered around buried tile and the mowing of a ditch that goes through the site, which National Grid Renewables agreed to take over from the area’s neighbors.

Ohio continues to navigate development challenges due to “general opposition by local citizens and governmental bodies.” Large-scale wind and solar farms are banned in several counties across Ohio. Earlier this month, Lightsource BP abandoned its plans for a 300 MW solar project due to opposition by state’s local residents.

In August 2023, OPSB revised its guidelines for solar facilities that exceed 50 MW ac. These updates include sound regulations that extend to a mile away, modified setbacks that allow for a 350-foot setback for non-participating neighbors and a contingency plan in the event of a horizontal directional drilling inadvertent release of drilling fluid.

Ohio state law has eight criteria for approving electric generation, including environmental impact studies, water conservation, agricultural impact studies, and whether the project serves electric system “economy and reliability” as well as the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.”

During the project’s construction, National Grid Renewables will be required to have an environmental specialist (who is mutually agreed upon by both National Grid Renewables and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio) on site during the periods the project’s construction may affect sensitive areas. The environmental specialist has the authority to stop the project’s construction should there be any unforeseen environmental impacts in the sensitive areas identified on the project map.

Further rules related to the land habitat and other construction activities that OPSB stipulated for National Grid Renewables to follow can be found here.

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