Ohio communities receive $129M for landfill, brownfield solar installations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected recipients of over $4.3 billion in Climate Reduction Grants (CPRG) to implement community-driven solutions to tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.

In Ohio, $30 million will go to Cuyahoga County, $20 million to the city of Cleveland and $80 million to the city of Painesville.

Applications were submitted from entities in all states and Puerto Rico, plus the District of Columbia, requesting nearly $33 billion in funding. The EPA selected 25 applications to fund a diverse range of projects in 30 states.

When estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed projects will reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years, according to EPA.

The EPA CPRG funding will enable brownfield and landfill solar to be developed in Northeast Ohio within a timeframe that will put the region on a pathway toward achieving its 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction goals. Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Painesville are uniquely positioned to implement utility-scale solar projects as each local government operates its municipal utility. 

Cuyahoga County and Cleveland will collaborate to deploy 28 megawatts of renewable energy through five brownfield and landfill solar projects. Two projects will provide clean, behind-the-meter electricity to critical city and county facilities, the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and the future Cuyahoga County Central Services complex. Three of these projects will directly supply the customers of Cleveland Public Power and Cuyahoga Green Energy. Cleveland also plans to utilize funding to support a community park and public art project. 

“This $130 million Climate Pollution Reduction grant from the U.S. EPA will be transformative for Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio,” says Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. “With these resources, we will be able to expand our solar infrastructure, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.”

Painesville Municipal Electric plans to replace its coal-fired power plant, which has been operational since 1888 and currently functions as a peaking plant, with a 35-megawatt (MW) solar installation and a 10 MW battery backup system.

The solar installation will be located on a multi-acre brownfield site in Painesville. The new solar array, supported by CPRG funding, will help Painesville Municipal Electric reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, stabilize operating costs and decrease peak electric loads, potentially eliminating the need for the coal plant.

West Creek Conservancy’s cross-jurisdictional role will be critical to coordinating real estate, conservation, natural resource restoration, public access improvements and general site development, including adaptive reuse of over 1,000 acres and nearly two miles of coastal access. 

“This grant, which epitomizes collaborative partnerships, forwards West Creek’s vision to adaptively reuse a former industrial site, while restoring ecological value, creating unprecedented lakefront access, and supporting the transition to a clean energy economy,” says Derek Schafer, Executive Director of the West Creek Conservancy.

Local workforce development organization, Manufacturing Works, will receive $2 million in funding to develop a renewable energy-related preapprenticeship program. Working with coalition members, Manufacturing Works will offer multiple on-ramps for industry certifications, academic credits, and micro-credentials for high school and college students, underemployed and existing employees in construction, renewable energy and manufacturing.