Invenergy has officially commenced construction on a 240MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Franklin County, Ohio, known as the Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Centre. This project is expected to create approximately 300 jobs during its development phase, with construction anticipated to continue until early 2027, followed by the beginning of commercial operations.
The Illinois-based renewable energy developer has appointed Blattner to oversee the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the Pleasant Prairie project. Throughout its lifespan, the initiative is projected to bring around $230 million in total investment to Franklin County. The solar plant will utilize domestically manufactured solar panels produced by Invenergy’s subsidiary, Illuminate USA. These panels are also being deployed in other Invenergy projects across Ohio, including the recently completed 250MW Hardin III Solar project and the ongoing 240MW Cadence Solar project, which is expected to be operational by 2026.
Mick Baird, Invenergy’s chief development officer, emphasized that the project represents a collaboration between the company, local landowners, Franklin County, the Pleasant and Prairie Townships, Illuminate USA, and Blattner, all aiming to meet the increasing energy demand with locally produced power. The Pleasant Prairie Solar project is part of Invenergy’s growing solar portfolio in Ohio, which currently includes 1GW of capacity from three operational solar plants and one additional plant under construction.
Recently, the company commissioned the 250MW Hardin III Solar Energy Centre in Ohio, where the electricity generated, along with associated renewable energy credits (RECs), is being sold to Microsoft through a power purchase agreement (PPA). This follows the earlier commissioning of the 150MW Hardin I and II projects, which started operating earlier this year and supply power to Meta under a separate PPA.
In 2023, Invenergy partnered with the solar module manufacturer LONGi to establish a 5GW solar module assembly plant in Pataskala, Ohio, through a new joint venture, Illuminate USA. Invenergy has committed over $600 million to this project, which includes $220 million for a 1.1 million square-foot facility. This initiative marked LONGi’s first manufacturing investment in the United States.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Ohio’s total installed solar capacity currently stands at 5.6GW, with 2.4GW added in 2024 alone. The state is projected to see an additional growth of 8.9GW over the next five years, which positions Ohio 9th nationally for solar growth potential among all states.
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