Dayton greenlights 50 MW solar farm

By Nadia Ramlagan

The city of Dayton recently approved what is expected to be one of the largest community solar projects in the nation.

The Gem City Solar Project is a nearly 50 megawatt solar farm on 250 acres previously zoned for manufacturing. It will power around 1,400 homes and cover about 30% of the city’s electricity demand.

Meg Maloney, sustainability manager for the city of Dayton, said it is projected to save residents up to $42 million over the next two decades.

"A lot of residents have been complaining to our office about power prices rising," Maloney pointed out. "This was a really smart decision for the city, because now locking in this energy over a 25-year period is providing some stability in market pricing."

According to the city, the project will include planting native vegetation and pollinator-friendly plants beneath and around the solar panels and will also employ local workers, as well as serve as a renewable energy education tool for local schools.

Luke Sulfridge, executive director of the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council, said the project will be a game changer for reducing pressure on an increasingly strained regional energy grid.

"The grid is already very stressed," Sulfridge explained. "We have a lot of new load coming on with the data centers, so we're in a constrained environment for supply."

The city of Dayton approved the renewable energy purchase agreement with AEP Energy Partners, and construction will likely begin in 2027. The project is scheduled to begin operating in 2028.