What’s happening in the heartland of America is going almost unnoticed. But it shouldn’t. Solar is beginning to grow like a prairie fire across the Midwest. In a wide area stretching from Missouri to Ohio, the heavily traveled Interstate 70 corridor, solar is beginning to catch on in a big way. Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio have a combined total of nearly 400 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity — enough to power about 80,000 homes. But here’s the real eye-opening statistic: Solar in these states is expected to grow by nearly 50 percent this year, with roughly 180 MW of new projects coming online, writes Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).