Area Development
Turning Point Solar, a nearly 50 megawatt solar array, has received Ohio state approval to move forward. American Electric Power, New Harvest Ventures, and Agile Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding as part of a 20-year purchase agreement for the facility's energy. The project will be built on strip-mined land near The Wilds nature conservancy in Cumberland, Ohio.

Spanish solar power product manufacturers Prius Energy S.L. and Isofoton will establish new facilities in Ohio to build the 239,400 panel solar project. The project is the largest photovoltaic solar array in the country to date, and will create 300 jobs.

"This project is compelling on several fronts," said David Wilhelm, New Harvest Ventures partner. "Turning Point Solar will bring renewable energy to Ohioans at a reasonable rate, utilize reclaimed mine land in an innovative way, and bring new construction and manufacturing jobs to Appalachian Ohio."

"This is not your typical fixed solar array," said Jose Carlos Sanchez-Muliterno, partner and board member of Prius. "To maximize output, Turning Point expects to deploy high-efficiency photovoltaic panels controlled by Prius Energy's state of the art solar tracking equipment."

"The [Isofoton] factory will be built with local suppliers for local end-users, and with a mandate to create good and green local jobs in close partnership with Ohio's public sector energy leaders and private sector utilities," said Isofoton CEO Angel Luis Serrano. "We understand that 'Made in USA' is an attribute to be proud of. We are honored to join Ohio's corporate community, renewable energy sector, and growing solar cluster together with Turning Point Solar."