Invenergy, North America’s largest privately held clean energy developer, has started construction on the 240-megawatt Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Center in Franklin County, Ohio.
Located in Galloway near Columbus, the project represents a $230 million investment in the local economy through new tax revenue and lease payments. Construction is expected to continue through early 2027, with the facility creating up to 300 jobs during peak building activity and employing three permanent staff once operational. Invenergy has teamed up with Blattner, a leading renewable energy construction firm, to deliver the project.
“We are excited to break ground on the Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Center,” said Mick Baird, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy. “Pleasant Prairie represents our commitment, along with project landowners and our partners in Franklin County, the Pleasant and Prairie Townships, Illuminate USA, and Blattner, to meet growing demand with domestic energy and strengthen U.S. energy independence.”
“High-quality solar manufacturing is thriving in Ohio, thanks to our team in Pataskala and projects like Pleasant Prairie which put our panels to work across the region,” added Brittany Rogers, Chief Human Resources Office at Illuminate USA. “We’re proud that panels made by our associates will help power local communities and support our state’s energy future.”
Pleasant Prairie Solar will use American-made solar panels manufactured by Illuminate USA, an advanced panel maker majority-owned by Invenergy and based in Pataskala, Ohio. These panels are already powering other Invenergy projects in the state, such as the operational Hardin III Solar and the under-construction Cadence Solar facilities. The Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Center adds to Invenergy’s expanding solar portfolio in Ohio, where the company invests over $17.5 million annually. To date, Invenergy has developed over 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity in Ohio, enough to power nearly 200,000 homes through its existing and ongoing projects.
