National Grid Renewables hosts ‘Solar Harvest Festival’ in celebration of expanded Ohio portfolio
Last week, National Grid Renewables hosted an event to celebrate the construction of two additional projects in their Ohio portfolio.
Ross County Solar (Ross) is a 120 megawatt (MW) solar project located in Ross County, Ohio, and the Fayette Solar Project (Fayette) is a 47.5 MW solar project located in nearby Fayette and Highland counties.
The fall-themed event provided an opportunity for project partners, landowners and community members to take a short tour of the Ross solar project to learn more about the inner workings of a solar farm.
“It’s really exciting to see our footprint in Ohio expanding to include the Ross County and Fayette Solar Projects,” said Lindsay Smith, Vice President of External Affairs and Communications. “In addition to the new tax revenue, landowner income and charitable giving that will result from these projects, all of the panels were manufactured right here in the state of Ohio, furthering our commitment to boosting sustainable economic growth in communities across America. We’re proud to be contributing to that impact in the Buckeye State.”
Combined, the Ross and Fayette projects are anticipated to contribute approximately $73 million in direct impact over the first 20 years of operation, which includes $29.5 million in new tax revenue to be distributed to the local counties, emergency services, school districts and additional funding for the Ohio PILOT Program.
“We at Ohio University Chillicothe have benefited from our partnership with National Grid Renewables,” said Roberta Milliken, Dean of Campus and Community Relations. “The support we have received has allowed us to enhance instruction in certain key areas related to renewable energies like science and education. These opportunities have a positive impact on both our students as well as many of our local teachers in that they help to keep them engaged, competitive and current.”
Also present at the event were representatives from Kiewit Power Constructors, the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) partner on both projects. The construction of these projects employed approximately 300 workers, the majority of which were local Ohio residents.
“As the EPC partner in the Ross and Fayette Solar projects, Kiewit is proud to collaborate with skilled union tradespeople from Ohio,” Kiewit Power Constructors Vice President Brian Koller said. “These projects have created not only jobs but long-term opportunities for career growth within the local union workforce. We believe that by supporting union labor, we’re investing in high-quality work that will have a lasting impact on the region’s economic and renewable energy future.”
National Grid Renewables’ commitment to community was evident at the Solar Harvest Festival, as the organizers used several local businesses to source the event, including a tasty barbecue lunch catered by Old Canal Smokehouse and live music from Ohio native Ken Scwartz.
Prior to the event, National Grid Renewables announced its pledge to donate $670,000 in charitable funding through the Ross and Fayette Projects over the first 20 years of operation. Donations from the Ross charitable fund will be managed through The Chillicothe-Ross Community Foundation, while donations from the Fayette charitable fund will be distributed by The Greenfield Foundation. Representatives from both organizations were present at the event and provided commemorative checks to signify the upcoming charitable donations.
National Grid Renewables develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States, including solar, wind and energy storage. As a farmer-founded and community-focused business, National Grid Renewables repowers America’s electricity grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid Renewables supports National Grid’s vision of being at the heart of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more about National Grid Renewables, visit www.nationalgridrenewables.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.
Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.