Avangrid, a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced that its Powell Creek solar project in Putnam County, Ohio has begun to export energy onto the local electric grid, representing new energy generation to support growing demand in Ohio and the rest of the region. Avangrid continues with commissioning activities and other related work ahead of commercial operation which is expected later this year.
“Powell Creek is an important, utility-scale solar project that will contribute to Northwest Ohio’s economy and energy independence,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “This project is coming online as energy demand continues to rise across the country, partly due to the growth of manufacturing, electrification, and data centers. When we add new sources of energy onto the grid, like Powell Creek, we’re creating a more robust and reliable electricity infrastructure to benefit the local community, region, and state.”
Powell Creek has a capacity of 150 MWac (202 MWdc) and its 300,000 solar panels will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of about 30,000 homes each year. The project has supported about 500 jobs during construction, most of them being local union workers from the region. Powell Creek sits on land leased directly from landowners
The project will directly support the community through property tax and landowner payments. The project is estimated to contribute over $31 million to local taxing jurisdictions over its life, which supports a variety of public services, including education.
This is Avangrid’s second project in Ohio. Avangrid built its Blue Creek project in 2012, which has a capacity of 304 MW and generates enough power for about 76,000 homes each year.
