Ohio Greenlights Massive Solar Project, Creating Thousands of Union Jobs
The Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has given the go-ahead to what will be one of the largest solar farms in the United States, despite opposition from some local governments and citizens.
The gigantic $1 billion endeavor, the largest solar project in the state by far, will spread over 6,000 acres of farmland in Madison County. When completed, it will be the nation’s largest demonstration to combine farming and solar generation on the same plot of land.
The proposed project, dubbed Oak Run, also includes a massive array of batteries that will allow the plant to keep dispatching firm power even when the sun isn’t shining. It’s being developed by Savion, a unit of Shell, and boasts 800 megawatts of solar panels and 300 megawatts of energy storage.
The project will create thousands of jobs in the yearslong construction phase, along with over 60 long-term positions in operations and maintenance — a point not lost on labor union members.
Patrick Hook, business manager and financial secretary of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 683, submitted this public comment to the OPSB Board: “Members of IBEW 683 are excited to have opportunities to work close to home, allowing them to return to their families for dinner after a hard day’s work.”