HARRODSBURG, Ky. (LEX 18) — In December, LG&E and KU announced that they're retiring some of their aging coal-fired generation at three of their facilities.
Now, the company is looking to transition toward natural gas and solar. That includes expanding in Mercer County where the company has one of the largest solar farms in the bluegrass.
LG&E and KU’s Natasha Collins says, "What we have proposed in Mercer County is 125 megawatts of solar. And so, this would be additional solar that we would add into our system. And this is all part of the plan in terms of being able to meet our customers' energy demand."
LG&E and KU is looking for approval from Kentucky’s Public Service Commission. There were several motions for intervention. One of those motions was made by Mercer County Fiscal Court.
In its filing, the fiscal court's attorney, Dennis G. Howard II, says, "Mercer simply believes that it would be more beneficial for the community and the state as a whole if the proposed location were used for economic development rather than as a solar facility."
The executive director of the Kentucky Conservation Committee, Lane Boldman, has worked with several communities that are getting more of these newer types of generation.
She's also worked directly with one of the chapters of Sierra Club — which has also filed a motion for intervention. She says it's key for communities to ask the right questions.
She says, "People have to understand that they have to start planning for more of these kinds of installations. But also, communities have to get creative about where land is suitable for it and not suitable for it. Identify that."
Kentucky Solar Energy Society, which filed a joint motion with other agencies, is focused on the impacts of what investing more into natural gas could mean.
Board member, Andy McDonald, says, "We are concerned that the natural gas power plants that they are proposing to build will shortly become uneconomical as the price of renewables has just consistently fallen…"
Although we weren't given an exact address, we are told the proposed site is located north of 127 before Harrodsburg. LG&E and KU shared this video with us of the site. They tell us their hope is that this will offer a more cost-efficient variety of programs.
Collins says, "We're doing research and all of the necessary things to make sure that we're empowering Kentucky’s energy future in a way that can continue to support customers."
A formal hearing is scheduled for this August.
