Butterfly Meadows Energy is comprised of a 400 MW solar facility and up to 400 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) being planned in Van Wert County, Ohio. The project is northwest of the industrial complex north of Van Wert city, and outside city limits and will feature agrivoltaics, the practice of combining agriculture and power generation for dual use of the land.
Tuesday, October 20th 5:30pm – 7:30pm Vantage Career Center 818 N. Franklin Street, Van Wert OH 45891 The linked information below was provided at the previous Public Information Meeting held on August 12, 2026. Boundary map showing available acreage Please note: the boundary map informing the project site plan is very dynamic due to feedback we are receiving from neighbors, the broader community and elected officials. An update to the project boundary map will be presented to the public on October 20th at the upcoming public meeting.
Butterfly Meadows Energy is located in Northwest Ohio, situated in Van Wert County north of HWY 30 and west of route 127. The project is Northwest of the industrial complex north of Van Wert city, and outside city limits. The project will connect to the grid at the east-west 345kV Maddox Creek – R.P. Mone overhead transmission line. This is the same circuit that serves the Blue Creek Wind Farm and Convoy Peaker Plant.
Construction will begin in early 2028 and be completed in 2029.
Project size
Generated in local tax revenue
Helps future-proof Van Wert County with reliable local energy that supports growth, attracts manufacturers and helps keep energy costs low.
Enables local farm families to exercise their land rights, diversify revenue and strengthen the long-term viability of their operations.
What does this project mean for you and your community?
Throughout its lifetime, Butterfly Meadows Energy anticipates paying in excess of $35M in property tax revenue to Van Wert County. Before construction, we are committed to hiring locally, when possible, and ensuring area businesses have the opportunity to bid on subcontracts. During construction, the project will require hundreds of workers to be onsite, providing an economic boost to area businesses and service providers.
Home-grown solar enables rural communities to stay rural whilst having a clean, reliable energy source that doesn’t increase local emissions, discharge wastewater, consume large amounts of water or require extensive concrete fill. The transition to clean energy is powered by strong communities whose landowners, local businesses, and citizens recognize their critical role in making it happen. Butterfly Meadows Energy is projected to produce electricity equal to the consumption of 67,000 homes annually.
Butterfly Meadows Energy was planned and will be permitted in accordance with the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) review and approval process, which includes comprehensive evaluation of environmental, agricultural, and community impacts. The project has been designed to preserve existing wetlands and habitats on site, with setbacks and buffers incorporated around environmentally sensitive areas. Best management practices for stormwater runoff, erosion control and pollution prevention will be implemented in accordance with state law.
Butterfly Meadows Energy will pay in excess of $35M in property tax revenue to Van Wert County over its lifetime. These dollars could be used for county improvements such as local citizen tax relief, expansion of fire and rescue equipment, investment in area schools and other community services–all while providing clean, locally sourced solar energy to Northwest Ohio.
In excess of $35M in property tax revenue from Butterfly Meadows Energy*
*Estimated tax revenues are based on a 35-year project life for the solar portion of the project only. Additional revenue expected from any addition of a Battery Energy Storage System is not included in the projection.
Butterfly Meadows Energy will generate power for up to 35-45 years, providing long-term benefits for the surrounding region.
*Source: Emissions reductions based on EIA state level data for fossil fuel generation replacement. Project emissions are included for entire life cycle based on
Thank you for your interest in Butterfly Meadows Energy. If your question is not covered in the FAQ, please submit a question on the contact form, and we will be sure to respond.
The land will remain privately owned by the original families and leased to the project under a long-term contract. Once the facility is decommissioned, the land will be available to return to agricultural use.
When the solar facility is no longer efficient, the system will be decommissioned and the equipment removed, recycling everything that can be recycled, and returning the land to the condition in which it existed prior to the installation of the solar project. Solar has a minimal impact on the land, unlike fossil fuel power plants. When the project is removed, the land is returned to essentially its original state. Many landowners see leasing land for utility-scale solar projects as a form of land banking, as it has minimal long-term impact on the value of the land. Panthera Grid Partners assumes all responsibility for decommissioning and places a secure bond with the county in the event that project ownership should change in the future. This means that the county and its residents are NOT responsible for any costs for the removal of a project at the end of its useful life.
Solar panels themselves do not generate noise. The inverters, which convert electricity from DC to AC, produce a low, steady hum that does not extend beyond the property boundaries. Solar facilities are widely regarded as quiet neighbors, with inverter sound levels comparable to a residential air conditioning unit. At this project, inverters will be centrally located within the site, several hundred feet from surrounding property lines, further minimizing any potential for offsite sound.
Panthera Grid Partners utilizes the best available Photovoltaic solar (PV) panel technology for all of our utility-scale projects. These panels are dark in color and are treated with an anti-reflective coating. The purpose of solar panels is to absorb as much sunlight as possible to produce energy efficiently so the point of the panels is to be as minimally reflective as possible. Solar panels are generally less reflective than windows and have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for installation on and around airports across the country.
Utility-scale solar projects are closely monitored during construction to mitigate runoff and are designed to self-contain stormwater collection within the interior of the property. Stormwater management plans are a required part of the solar development process. These plans are prepared by professional engineers to ensure that projects do not contribute to erosion or flooding. We follow all local, state and federal requirements to ensure our projects meet and often exceed guidelines to protect nearby neighbors and surrounding waterways. Once operational, the use of perennial ground cover and elimination of annual tillage, irrigation, and fertilizer (in the case of farmland) allows the soil to absorb water and rejuvenate during the life of the project. A solar project has maximum ground permeability and is much better in terms of stormwater runoff than most other types of development.
The acreage used by Butterfly Meadows has been studied extensively by wildlife biologists and regulatory agencies to document any sensitive species or habitats which may be impacted.
We are committed to being responsible members of the Van Wert County community and good neighbors. Panthera Grid Partners is proud to establish Butterfly Meadows Energy as new member of the Van Wert Chamber of Commerce and through our Panthera Grid Partners gives program the project will local charity opportunities, including our Impact Scholarship Program for the first five years of operations. We are excited to support the annual Van Wert Peony Festival and hope to meet community members at the Butterfly Meadows Energy booth.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Panthera Grid Partners is a portfolio company of Brookfield, one of the world’s largest owners and operators of renewable power and sustainable solutions.
Panthera Grid Partners delivers reliable, utility-scale solar, wind and energy storage infrastructure to meet America’s growing demand for domestic energy.
With a portfolio exceeding 10 gigawatts, Panthera Grid Partners operates in U.S. power markets where load growth, grid reliability and capital investment are most critical. The company develops, acquires, builds, and operates renewable energy assets with a disciplined, precision-driven focus on execution, performance, and operational integrity.
Through responsible land stewardship and strong local partnerships, Panthera Grid Partners delivers energy projects with respect for land, agriculture, and local priorities, working with landowners and communities to support long-term land value and strengthen regional economies.
We hope to hear from the citizens of Van Wert County and are eager to answer your questions or have a conversation about any concerns. We will be sure to respond as soon as possible.
"*" indicates required fields
All
