Painesville considers $80 million grant request to build solar power plant - News-Herald

Painesville considers $80 million grant request to build solar power plant

Painesville City Council is considering an agreement for a regional grant request that could provide the city with more than $80 million to build a solar power facility and shut down its coal-burning power plant.

The agreement would partner the city with the governments of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to request $129 million in funding for solar energy and conservation projects from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. Painesville City Manager Doug Lewis said that the city expects to learn if it will receive the grant in October.

Painesville’s administration has looked into placing its proposed facility on the the part of the former Diamond Shamrock property within city limits, according to its June 3 city manager report. If awarded, the grant would result in a “significantly reduced expenditure” and fully fund costs for the solar plant and battery storage.

The report added that job retraining would be offered for workers at the coal-burning plant.

It stated that the project would also include a partnership with West Creek Conservancy to build a conservation area on the Diamond Shamrock property. The group would build trails to connect the city to Lake Metroparks’ Lakefront Trail, a proposed 2.5-mile path connecting Painesville Township Park with Fairport Harbor.

The report did not specify where on the property the solar facility would be located. The part of the Diamond Shamrock property in Painesville City includes nearly 500 acres of land located north of Elm Street and state Route 2 and south of the Grand River, while a small segment is located in city limits on the other side of the river, according to county and state records.

Most of the property is owned by Mariana Properties Inc., according to the county’s property map.

The proposed grant request agreement stated that Painesville would work to complete preliminary engineering and a site plan for the solar facility in the first quarter of 2025. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the facility is expected to be energized and commissioned in the first quarter of 2027.

The agreement stated that the solar field would generate 35 megawatts of electricity, while the battery would hold 10 MW. City Councilman Paul Hach said that would be similar to the current coal-burning plant’s output of about 30 MW.

Former city Electric Superintendent Jeff McHugh said in August 2022 that the coal plant was growing “older and less reliable.” American Municipal Power recommended around that time that the city consider building a solar power facility.

Hach also discussed the city’s future energy needs at a March council meeting, after attending the American Public Power Association’s Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C. One of the topics was climate change, and he said that city officials “understand that there’s definitely an issue” with the coal plant.

“Right now, there’s a lot of different electric facilities that are being decommissioned, so we’re kind of getting into a weird situation where we could start getting into blackouts, so we need to get our plant offline, but we’ve got to do it smartly, and we’ve got to have other, renewable power to replace it,” he added at the March meeting.

The city website says that while the coal plant previously operated as a full-capacity plant, it currently uses coal production “a few days a year during peak usage times.” It also purchases energy from other sources to serve its customer base, which includes all of Painesville City and portions of Concord, Painesville and Perry townships and North Perry Village.

The agreement stated that the grant application has already been submitted. According to the EPA, partner communities need to submit signed memorandums of agreement by Aug. 1.

City Council held readings on the agreement on May 20 and June 3 but did not take a vote, and the administration said that it could go for three readings. Council’s next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 17, and it will take place at Courtroom 1, Painesville City Hall, 7 Richmond St.