A former landfill in Cincinnati is being recycled into a major renewable energy project.
City leaders broke ground Friday, April 17, at the Center Hill Landfill, at the corner of Este Avenue and Center Hill Road. The future 10-megawatt solar development is expected to help stabilize municipal energy costs and reduce emissions. All electricity produced will serve Cincinnati facilities through the power grid, helping protect taxpayers from future rate volatility.
The $24 million Center Hill Solar Array project will be built on a city-owned landfill site in Winton Hills, converting a long-dormant brownfield into what officials describe as one of the largest renewable energy investments in the city’s history. The project will generate about 18.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power roughly 1,700 homes, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 16,000 metric tons each year, according to Ollie Kroner, director of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment & Sustainability. The goal is to have the array operational by 2027.
“We’re trying to take control of our energy’s future,” Kroner said. “We see climate change. … If we can take ownership of renewable energy generation, we can begin to solve for this.”
Kroner added that this project not only saves money for the city and its taxpayers but also helps the city move toward its clean energy goals.
Mayor Aftab Pureval said the project reinforces the city’s leadership in environmental action while addressing rising energy costs.
“We’ve long been proud to lead in environmental action and climate investment,” Pureval said. “It helps put us on the map and will protect us from rising energy costs.”
The development will include two 4.9-megawatt solar arrays across 64 acres of capped landfill. The site, dormant for nearly 30 years, was identified as a top candidate in the city’s Brownfields-to-Brightfields evaluation due to its energy potential, minimal grading requirements and proximity to existing electrical infrastructure.
Kroner said that finding a new project for the Winton Hills landfill was a challenge, but he is excited that his team found a model that can turn the land into a clean-energy power plant.
“It doesn’t utilize green space. It takes a contaminated site and brings it to value,” he said.
Last summer, the city had been awarded nearly $10 million in federal grant funding tied to the “Solar for All” program, but the Environmental Protection Agency eliminated that funding.
“Throughout my career, the political wind has shifted multiple times, and it’s our job to figure out a way to keep moving towards our North Star in the green plan, and I’m proud of the creativity and the innovation and the model that we’ve developed here,” Kroner said.
The project will be developed and maintained by UPower Energy, an Austin, Texas-based company, and is expected to leverage the federal Investment Tax Credit to offset about half of its costs.
“This project turns yesterday’s landfill into tomorrow’s power plant,” said Kroner. “This is our next big leap to bring the Green Cincinnati Plan to life and take control of our energy’s future.”
The Green Cincinnati Plan, first introduced in 2008 and updated every five years, aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Kroner said thus far, the city is on target to meet its carbon reduction goals.
“We still think the 50% reduction is within sight, but a lot of work to get there,” Kroner said. He added that the city has seen a 39% reduction thus far.
City Manager Sheryl Long called the groundbreaking a significant milestone in the city’s clean energy efforts.
“I am so proud to lead an administration that centers the Green Cincinnati Plan and drives its mission forward,” Long said.
City officials said the development supports multiple priorities, including affordability, sustainability, resilience and neighborhood revitalization. The site has long been impacted by blight and illegal dumping, and leaders say the project will convert it into productive infrastructure with lasting community benefits.
“This is how cities lead with limited resources: turning a landfill into clean energy and cleaner air,” Councilmember Mark Jeffreys said. “It’s a model for repurposing brownfields to address the climate crisis.”
Construction will use a low-impact mounting system designed to reduce material use and speed installation. Disturbed areas will be reseeded with pollinator-friendly plants near Mill Creek, and the project will prioritize local electrical contractors to support the region’s clean energy workforce, according to a press release.
Councilwoman Meeka Owens said the investment reflects the city’s broader commitment to managing energy costs through sustainable initiatives.
“The Green Cincinnati Plan, and projects like the one we celebrate today, represent our commitment to lowering those costs through smart, forward-looking green investments,” Owens said.