“Cities need to take action – and that’s exactly what Cincinnati is doing. We are spending money we would already spend on power to buy lower-cost renewable energy that also benefits the community,” said Mayor John Cranley.
Cincinnati has signed a 20-year PPA for 100 MW of solar. The agreement was facilitated by the World Resources Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute’s Renewables Accelerator, through support from the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge.
“Cincinnati was selected as a winner in the American Cities Climate Challenge because of Mayor Cranley’s commitment to ambitious and impactful climate solutions — solutions which not only reduce carbon emissions, but also protect public health and create jobs. This offsite renewable deal is the latest example of Cincinnati’s ambition turned into achievement,” said Antha Williams, head of environmental programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Cincinnati is showing how cities are leading the way to our clean energy future and paving the way for others in the region to follow suit.”
The 100-MW solar farm will be installed in two phases roughly 40 miles east of downtown Cincinnati in Highland County, Ohio.
“Cincinnati is a bright spot for clean energy not only in Ohio but among cities across the country that are leading the way to a more sustainable future,” said Daniel Sawmiller, Natural Resources Defense Council’s Ohio energy policy director. “Today’s announcement of a significant city-led solar energy development creates a crucial economic opportunity for the Ohio and sets a new bar for cities that have committed to 100 percent renewable energy across the country.”
In conjunction with Cincinnati State and IBEW Local 212 this solar development will implement a workforce skill and hiring program that will put Cincinnati residents to work on the project.
The 35-MW array to serve the City of Cincinnati facilities is scheduled to go into service in December 2020. The additional 65-MW service to benefit residents through the aggregation program has a tentative online date of December 2021.
