Cleveland officials said the city has moved two solar projects into design: one on the W. 11th Street/Spring Road Landfill and another on the Kolthoff Drive Landfill. The design-build team is to be led by Enerlogics Networks, with Energy Independent Solutions and Prairie Wind Group assisting through design and construction, according to the announcement.
The city described the combined project as costing about $20 million and installing 7 to 9 megawatts across two arrays. A 5-7 MW array at Kolthoff is intended to help power Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, while a 2 MW array at W. 11th would feed Cleveland Public Power's grid. The city said savings from W. 11th generation would be passed on to CPP customers.
Mayor Justin M. Bibb said in the announcement that keeping costs affordable is a priority and that the project puts underused land to work. Sarah O'Keeffe, director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, said the projects offer financial savings amid a volatile energy market while reducing emissions over time.
The installations are part of a broader Northeast Ohio clean energy initiative funded by the U.S. EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program. In 2024, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland and Painesville received a $129 million grant to expand renewable energy. The funding is meant to support solar and battery storage, restore roughly 400 acres of polluted land, and develop clean energy workforce pathways.
The broader initiative is expected to support about 53 MW of solar, natural restoration and a 20 MW battery installation tied to closing a coal-powered facility in Painesville. The city said the work aims to cut greenhouse gases and pollution and return blighted properties to productive use.
The W. 11th project is tied to reducing energy burden for Clevelanders, while Kolthoff is integrated into the airport's CLEvolution terminal modernization effort. Both are linked to citywide goals of cutting greenhouse gases to 63% below 2018 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Pollinator-friendly plants are planned beneath and around the panels.