Derek Cunningham – Brewing soul in the heart of it all

Landowners are a key partner in LRE’s renewable energy mission and we are proud to share the stories of the people behind the power.

Derek Cunningham is an Ohio farmer and local brewer whose family owns a 700-acre farm in Arcadia, Ohio.  The farm produces corn, wheat and soybeans, with a portion of the farm committed to LRE’s South Branch Solar project now under development.

Derek works the nearly 100-year-old farm with his 90-year-old father Rex, and the family will still own and farm a portion of the land once South Branch Solar begins operation. The Cunningham farm produces Ohio hops which are used in all-Ohio ingredient craft beers served at Derek’s Carey Brew Station, a nano-brewery and bar located in the nearby village of Carey.

“My family’s been in Arcadia for generations,” says Derek. “My dad went to Ohio State, I went there, and my son David and daughter Taylor did too. We’re Buckeyes. We’re committed to the natural environment in Ohio and having solar energy on our farm is just another step in that. The energy will be Ohio-grown too.”

Derek, along with many other wonderful contributors and landowners, have been featured in LREats. LREats is an employee drafted company cookbook that highlights our diverse cultural backgrounds, showcases our valued stakeholders, and celebrates how to cook, eat, and live more sustainably.

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About LRE

LRE (Leeward Renewable Energy) is a high-growth renewable energy company forging a sustainable future through integrity, innovation, and positive impact. We own and operate 30 large wind, solar, and energy storage projects across the United States, totaling over 3 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity.  

LRE has an ambitious goal of 10GW of operating assets by 2028 and is developing and contracting an increasing pipeline of new projects every year. We take a full-lifecycle approach to our projects, built on a long-term ownership model and a company culture dedicated to our community partners and protecting the environment. LRE is a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, an investment arm of OMERS, one of the largest defined pension plans in Canada, with C$128.6 billion in net assets (as of Dec 31, 2023). For more information, visit www.lreus.com.