Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish Announces Innovative Wind and Solar Project

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Contacts:
Jeane’ Holley: (216) 698-2544, (216) 640-0821 or jholley@cuyahogacounty.us


Cleveland, Ohio – County Executive Armond Budish has submitted a proposal to Cuyahoga County Council for the development of offshore wind-power and large scale solar.

As part of this innovative wind/solar development project, Cuyahoga County plans to enter into an Electric Service Agreement with Cleveland Public Power (CPP). The Solar project itself will develop two solar farms on brownfield sites comprising of about 30 acres of land. Cuyahoga County will become one of the 1st in Ohio to repurpose landfills in urban communities for solar farms.

“This project will create hundreds of new jobs for local residents, investing in a promising new industry, while saving $2.5 million on our energy bills”, said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish.

In 2018, Cuyahoga County plans to become a CPP customer, and purchase from CPP 8.6% of the electricity generated from LEEDco’s Project Icebreaker. That guarantee is a catalyst for the project. LEEDco’s Project Icebreaker is a 6-turbine, 21-megawatt demonstration wind farm that will produce enough electricity to power 6-10,000 homes.

The LEEDco and Solar Projects are estimated to save the county $2.5 million over 25 years and expected to create over 500 new jobs over the next 10 years.

“We are creatively combining clean power from large scale solar and off-shore wind into the local electric grid, while working with a municipal utility (CPP) that wants to be at the forefront of renewable energy development”, said Mike Foley, Director, Department of Sustainability.

“Cleveland Public Power is excited about working with the County on this virtual solar project,” said Ivan Henderson, Commissioner, Cleveland Public Power. “The City of Cleveland accomplished its renewable energy portfolio standard goal target for 2016 and welcomed the opportunity to support the County’s efforts to achieve its renewable energy goals as well.”

  
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