Plans for a 565-acre solar farm in Clermont County recently got the go-ahead from the state. The Ohio Power Siting Board approved the Clear Mountain Energy Center, which will be built in Batavia, Jackson, and Williamsburg townships.
Public Information Officer Matt Butler says the solar arrays will generate 100 megawatts of electricity.
“That's a substantial amount of power, certainly enough to power thousands of homes or businesses. It's definitely something that's going to contribute to strengthening the grid for the state of Ohio,” Butler said.
The Clear Mountain development also will include a battery energy storage system and an electric generation tie line that will connect the facility to the transmission system.
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“It gives them the ability to store power — maybe when there's peak sunlight, they can hang on to that power in the battery and then use that at other times; put that onto the grid when maybe the sunlight is not as strong,” Butler said.
Clermont County residents expressed both support and criticism of the project during earlier public comment sessions.
Some worried about the effects on “prime farmland.”
The solar facility will occupy approximately 565 acres of a 1,226-acre project area. Much of that land is used for agricultural production, according to records from the Ohio Power Siting Board.
The developer, Savion, says it intends to start an agrivoltaics program, planting crops in the rows between solar panels.
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Of the 830 public comments filed with the Board, 696 expressed support for the project.
Butler says the Board considered the public interest, convenience, and necessity of the project, and determined the criteria had been met.
There are no other solar projects pending in Clermont County, Butler says.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2025 and be completed by September 2026.