Juliet Solar | 62MW in Ohio
62MWac
/77MWdc of home-grown renewable energy
84,000 metric tons
carbon emissions abated each year for healthier air
120
jobs created during construction, filled at least 70% by locals
$18+ million
revenue benefitting local schools & public services
11,000
equivalent homes powered with solar energy
Site Selection & Preliminary Design
Stakeholder outreach
Permitting & environmental studies
Land management & biodiversity planning
Final engineering, financing & construction
Operation & maintenance
Decommissioning & recycling
About the Juliet solar project
Lightsource bp will build the Juliet solar farm in Weston Township, Milton Township and the Village of Weston in Wood County, Ohio. The privately funded energy project will produce locally generated, solar-powered electricity into the Ohio bulk power transmission system, furthering Ohio’s energy security and reducing carbon emissions.
Juliet Solar will provide a stable, long-term economic benefit to the Wood County area. The project is expected to pay approximately $18M into the local tax base over its lifetime, benefiting Otsego School District, Weston Township, Milton Township, and the Village of Weston. The project is expected to create 100-150 construction jobs (during peak construction).
Construction will begin in late January 2025. The project is expected to finish construction at the end of 2025.
We will update this page with further information and updates and construction ramps up. With questions, comments or concerns, please reach out to USCommunityRelations@lightsourcebp.com.
Solar farm basics: What, why and how?
Solar farms generate enough home-grown electricity to power thousands of homes, with no carbon emissions, for healthier air. Solar helps diversify our country’s energy mix, adding resilience and security to America’s energy infrastructure, reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources while driving down electricity costs.
In solar farms, rows of solar panels produce electricity, which flows into the local electric grid, like any other kind of electric plant– powering places like homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.
Solar panels are mounted on racking that sits on posts – those posts take up less than 5% of the land. This leaves significant open space under the panels, in the rows and in buffer areas to plant site-specific grasses and other vegetation with a goal of increasing biodiversity in the first 5 years of operation. We also integrate agriculture where practical.
The racking is equipped with smart solar trackers that slowly and quietly rotate throughout the day, following the sun to maximize solar energy production. These smart trackers serve other important purposes, too – they help protect solar panels from hailstorms, high winds, and buildup of snow on solar panels.
Community dialogue – we want to be a good neighbor
Lightsource bp is dedicated to supporting communities that are home to our solar projects across America. We have a Community Relations team that works closely with our neighbors to maximize the positive social impacts of our projects.
To connect with a Community Relations Manager please email USCommunityRelations@lightsourcebp.com.
If you are a member of the media, please visit our Press Center.
It’s so much more than a solar farm
A solar farm is so much more than you think. It can boost biodiversity on the land. It can provide new tax revenue to your community. It’s a new year-round type of harvest for your neighbor farmers that helps them keep their land for future generations.
Long-term benefits
In addition to generating affordable and renewable energy for Ohio’s electrical grid, development of the land with home-grown solar energy has several additional long-term benefits, including:
- Rest and regeneration of the land during the project’s life, improving soil health and preserving it for future use.
- Healthy groundcover under and around the panels that boosts local biodiversity, creating a stable, long-term home for plants, pollinators, birds and other wildlife.
- Opportunity for integrated agriculture such as sheep grazing or bee keeping.
- Rural resilience through continued local ownership of the land.
- Energy security and independence from foreign sources of fuel.
- Healthier air quality by generating electricity with no polluting carbon dioxide emissions.
Economic growth for the community
The Juliet Solar project represents a significant capital investment into home-grown, affordable energy for Ohio, using private funding. This opens many doors for economic growth, including:
- Throughout the life of the project, $18+ million in new tax revenue will be generated, benefitting local school systems and many other community public services – without an increase in taxes to local residents.
- 100+ jobs will be created during peak construction of the project, prioritizing the hiring of local subcontractors and local labor. At least 70% of the construction force will be hired locally, utilizing the local electrical, carpenter, labor and operator unions.
- Lightsource bp is committed to supporting philanthropic activities and charitable donations to local organizations.
Our Responsible Solar approach
Lightsource bp has a deep commitment to delivering safe and affordable renewable energy, as well as maximizing the environmental sustainability and positive social impacts of each of our projects. We call this approach Responsible Solar. We pay attention to every detail, from the fencing we choose to the vegetation we plant. We want our Juliet Solar farm to be a great project for the local community. In developing the project, we are implementing our best practices for solar farm development, including the below:
Environment and aesthetics
- Planting new trees and other vegetation between the solar panels and public view where needed for screening and to provide habitat for local wildlife.
- Designing setbacks from nearby property lines and public roads. Buffer zones will include a setback of not less than 50 feet from the center of any adjacent public roadway, along with a setback of at least 100 feet from adjacent properties.
- Installing an agricultural game style fence, consistent with the local aesthetic of the area, around the project as opposed to industry-standard chain link fencing.
- Planting vegetation under and around the solar panels, with a seed mix customized for the local area in order to increase biodiversity and improve soil health. Juliet was pre-seeded with a pollinator-supportive mix ahead of construction and will feature 35 acres of enhanced monarch butterfly habitat on the site perimeter as well.
Upkeep and decommissioning
- Making sure appropriate drainage and traffic mitigation are provided during construction.
- Budgeting for consistent maintenance and upkeep of the facility.
- Committing to recycling all solar panels: Lightsource bp has a zero landfill policy for solar panels.
- Preparing a decommissioning plan to ensure that the project will be removed at the end of its life.
Responsible Solar Stories
Find out more about our Responsible Solar approach in action.
Researching the benefits of pollinator conservation at Bellflower Solar
Habitat enhancement and agrivoltaics in Indiana
Information and resources
We’ve put together a collection of resources for anyone who’d like to know more about utility-scale solar energy.
Solar farm FAQs
We’ve put together a list of the most commonly asked questions, and their answers.
Solar energy basics
National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)
Lightsource bp educational materials
Solar panel safety and recycling