(AURN News) — When the AEP coal plant in Conesville, Ohio, shut down in 2020, it left nearly 600 residents scrambling. Many now wake before dawn to “super commute” two hours each way to Columbus or Cleveland, just to stay afloat.
Robert N. Black, III, says it doesn’t have to be that way.
Black, a Wharton-trained investor and one of the few Black industrialists in clean energy, is building a massive 2-gigawatt solar panel manufacturing plant on that same shuttered coal site. His project, Ohio Sunshine, is expected to create 173 permanent jobs, plus 400 more during construction.
But to him, the numbers are just the beginning.
“This is about turning a blue-collar workforce into a green-collar one,” Black said. “It means parents can take their kids to school again. It means people can work where they live — and stop losing hours of their lives to a highway.”
Black’s plans are ambitious: repurpose the coal plant’s infrastructure, train a new generation of renewable energy workers, and shift the region’s economic future. If successful, his company will become the second-largest employer in Coshocton County.
And for Black, who’s spent decades in global finance and development — from Goldman Sachs to Sub-Saharan Africa to Silicon Valley — this moment represents a full-circle opportunity. “It’s not just about being a Black man doing this,” he said. “It’s about being one of the most qualified people in the industry, finally being in a position to deliver.”
Still, he acknowledges that breaking into clean manufacturing hasn’t been easy — especially as a Black entrepreneur. “You get asked, ‘Have you done this before?’” he said. “And if you haven’t, your body of work has to speak for you.”
Now, Black is urging the federal government to do more to protect homegrown companies. He argues that foreign-owned solar giants, many backed by Chinese state subsidies, are undercutting American manufacturers — then double-dipping by securing U.S. taxpayer incentives.
“They’re using both the subsidies from their home government and ours to compete with us,” he said. “There’s only so much capital to go around. We’re at a disadvantage in our own country.”
Black supports policies from the Trump administration that prioritize American-made goods, even if that means short-term price increases for consumers.
“Yes, there’s going to be some pain at the pump or at the grocery store,” he said. “But we have to choose: take the medicine now, or take it later — when the cost will be even higher.”
For Black, the stakes go far beyond market share. He sees foreign dependency as a national security threat — especially in the race for artificial intelligence, automation, and energy dominance.
“If a hostile country can cut off your supply chain, they can cut off your growth,” he said. “And in today’s world, growth is power.”
The Ohio Sunshine project, he says, is about more than solar panels. “It’s legacy. It’s ownership. It’s community. It’s making sure the people who need opportunity the most actually get it.”
He hopes young Black engineers, builders, and entrepreneurs hear that message loud and clear.
“There’s always going to be obstacles,” Black said. “But the progress? That comes from the people who refuse to play it safe. The ones who try to bend the world toward a better version of itself.”
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson:
