Columbus commits to large-scale solar park

Construction will begin next year on a large-scale solar park located on the site of a former landfill in southern Columbus.

Why it matters: Local leaders are touting the project as part of a recent citywide emphasis on sustainable energy projects.

Driving the news: The city announced an agreement Tuesday with AEP Energy to use the park to power 5,000 homes through the new Clean Energy Columbus electric aggregation program.

• Under aggregation, residents and businesses purchase solar electricity as a pool of customers.
• The goal is to fully power the city with Ohio-based renewable energy within the next three years.

Flashback: Columbus voters overwhelmingly voted to create the program in last November's election. It began earlier this year.

The big picture: Mayor Andrew Ginther has pushed a goal of Columbus being fully carbon neutral by 2050.

• Other local green projects include the installation of energy efficient LED streetlights and repairing the O'Shaughnessy Dam's hydropower plant, per the Columbus Dispatch.