Photo courtesy of Yellow Wood Solar website
CLINTON COUNTY, Ohio — Full construction is underway on Yellow Wood Solar, a 300-megawatt solar energy facility in Clinton County developed by Invenergy to supply power to tech giant Meta.
In June 2023, the Ohio Public Utilities Commission approved the construction. The project, located in Clark and Jefferson townships in southern Clinton County (just south of Jonesboro), spans approximately 2,460 acres of solar panels within a larger 4,400-acre project leased area.
According to the project timeline, construction will take place until September 2027. Testing and commissioning are expected to occur into the second and third quarters of 2027, with commercial operation being achieved by the end of 2027. Site restoration would then begin in the first quarter of 2028.
The utility-scale project will be built using regional union labor through partnerships with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 82, the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 265, and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18. Once operational, the facility is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 59,000 homes.
Invenergy estimates the project will deliver more than $320 million in lifetime economic impact to the area through local tax revenues, landowner lease payments, wages and benefits, according to a news release.
The Yellow Wood Solar project will feature extensive arrays of photovoltaic modules, also known as solar panels, which will be mounted on a ground-mounted tracking rack system. In addition, the facility will encompass various infrastructure components including access roads, an operations and maintenance building, underground and overhead electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters and transformers, a collection substation, and a 345 kilovolt generation interconnect electric transmission line.
To address potential environmental impacts, the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) has incorporated 34 conditions into the approval. These conditions were agreed upon by Yellow Wood Solar, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and the OPSB staff.
Measures such as the installation of agricultural-style fencing, setbacks of 150 feet to roadways and adjoining non-participating property boundaries, and a 300-foot setback to non-participating homes will be enforced. Additionally, Yellow Wood Solar is required to post a decommissioning bond, estimated at $14,115,364, to ensure the proper dismantling of the facility when it reaches the end of its lifespan.
Project partners emphasized that relying on southwestern Ohio union labor will keep economic returns in the community while expanding local workforce training.
“Projects like this create pathways for our communities,” said Tom Anderson, business manager of IBEW Local 82. “Pathways for local workers to stay close to home, pathways for new talent to become skilled electricians through our apprenticeship program, and pathways to millions of dollars in tax income that support the county where we work and live.”
Representatives from operating engineers and laborers echoed that sentiment. Troy Adamson, business representative for IUOE Local 18, called the start of construction a win that provides steady, high-paying jobs for members and their families. LiUNA Local 265 Business Manager Justin Phillips added that the agreement ensures Clinton County workers are on the front lines as Ohio’s demand for power accelerates.
Invenergy Project Manager Mary Vorderer said partnering with organized labor aligns with the company’s goal of keeping development benefits close to the site.
“Working with talented, local laborers helps keep jobs in our communities and supports workforce development across the state,” Vorderer said. “Yellow Wood Solar will be built for and by Ohioans, keeping construction and economic benefits local and adding reliable, Ohio-produced energy to the regional grid.”
Under the long-term corporate power purchase agreement, Meta will exclusively purchase and retire all renewable energy certificates and environmental attributes generated by Yellow Wood Solar to offset its operational footprint.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Ohio ranks 12th nationally in installed solar capacity—producing enough electricity to power nearly 777,000 homes. The trade group ranks the state eighth for long-term growth potential and seventh for solar capacity additions in 2025.

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