Amazon on Monday announced nine new renewable projects in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
The other new project in Ohio is the Birch Solar Farm near Lima. The two projects will be able to produce 400 megawatts of electricity, the company says.
The Union Ridge Solar Farm is a 108-megawatt project planned on 512 acres for Harrison Township that could be up and running in 2022. Amazon has data centers located nearby in New Albany.
The investments are part of the company s pledge to rely exclusively on renewable energy to run its operations by 2025, five years ahead of its original target.
Amazon says it has 206 renewable energy projects globally, including 71 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 135 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide that will generate 8.5 gigawatts of electricity.
New year brings new questions for new officials
By Josh Ellerbrock - jellerbrock@limanews.com
Ehora
Winegardner, right
LIMA The coronavirus pandemic forced everyone to adapt in 2020. But what will 2021 look like? And are local leaders prepared for the next round of challenges?
The Lima News reached out to the newest of the county’s elected officials to get their views on what next year will bring.
City of Lima
Two candidates for Lima City Council ended up replacing incumbents in 2020. After tight races in 2019, Peggy Ehora and Tony Wilkerson jumped into their new roles last January, and while their desks in city council chambers have been ready for them, they haven’t spent much time there. Instead, governing in 2020 has consisted primarily of online appearances.
Auglaize County Commissioners organized a meeting on Thursday with residents to hear concerns on the upcoming solar farm.
Representatives from the Against Birch Solar group came to the meeting in order to make sure their concerns are heard on the Birch Solar Farm project.
Lightsource BP previously announced a $316 million solar farm project that would occupy approximately 2,600 acres of land in Shawnee Township and beyond.
The farm will be named the Birch Solar Farm and is privately funded. The plan is to put the farm around South Kemp Road, south of Fort Amanda Road.
During the meeting, residents state that representatives from Lightsource BP have not been transparent with their requests. They also brought up environmental concerns on wildlife that the solar farm would bring.