Paducah gets first solar field project. Construction set to begin in 2027
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- AES will build Paducah’s first solar facility that will be operational by 2028.
- McCracken Solar expects 150 construction jobs and $7 million in tax revenue.
- Power from the facility will serve 10,000 homes via Big Rivers Electric Corp.
Paducah is getting its first solar facility.
AES Corporation, an American utility and power generation company, and its development company, Community Energy, is building a $130 million, 60-megawatt solar facility in McCracken County. The project’s 156,000 solar panels will generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 10,000 homes annually.
At peak construction, the company and Greater Paducah Economic Development officials expect the project will create approximately 150 jobs. Work is expected to start sometime in 2027.
Over its lifetime, the facility is projected to generate an estimated $7 million in tax revenue for the county and the state. AES has committed to investing in local nonprofits and schools in the Western Kentucky community, said Bruce Wilcox, Greater Paducah Economic Development president and CEO.
Commercial operations at the solar facility are expected to begin in 2028.
Power generated at the solar facility will be sold to Big Rivers Electric Corp. and its distribution members. A substation is being built for the project to connect solar power to Big Rivers’ transmission line, according to documents as part of the project’s application filed with the Kentucky Public Service Commission initially on Dec. 3, 2020.
“This project represents our vision for our community with new jobs, economic growth, and a commitment to clean, renewable energy,” said Paducah Mayor George Bray. “We look forward to the positive impact this facility will have on our local economy and environment for many years to come.”
The project, called McCracken Solar, is planned for 615 acres of privately held land along New Liberty Church Road near Kevil and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Greater Paducah Economic Development officials said the project allows the property’s landowners the opportunity to diversify income while keeping it in family ownership.
“The McCracken Solar project will be a great fit for our county in providing a solar power ‘piece’ to complement our other power generation projects, now and in the future,” said McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer.
The solar facility is not expected to be permanent and AES said it has a decommissioning plan in place for when the project reaches the end of its operational life, the property can be restored to pre-project conditions.
Returning the property to pre-project conditions was a point of contention during the permitting process. Local Board of Adjustment members initially voted down conditional use permits based on concern the project might change the county’s landscape and about the kind of materials the panels are made of.
McCracken Solar’s lease allows for 30 years of operation, with an option to extend for an additional 10, according to an FAQ document from Community Energy. The Department of Energy estimates the operational lifespan of a solar panel is between 30 and 35 years, but some may produce power for much longer.
“AES is excited to continue to collaborate with Greater Paducah Economic Development on the construction of McCracken Solar,” said Johanna Kraus-Darden, development director for AES.
“This innovative solar facility reflects our commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable energy, while creating meaningful economic opportunities for McCracken County.”
Nearby, the Tennessee Valley Authority, another utility company, is building a large-scale solar field on a closed coal ash site where waste from coal-fired power plants was once dumped.
Once completed and operational also in 2028, Project Phoenix will generate 100 megawatts — enough to power about 58,500 homes annually.
Paducah’s energy infrastructure system was in the news again Aug. 5 when General Matter said it would build a $1.5 billion facility to enrich uranium, a process that makes the heavy metal more concentrated to be a suitable form of fuel for nuclear power plants.
Also in August, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission accepted an application from Global Laser Enrichment to license a planned Paducah facility where it will also enrich uranium. The North Carolina-based company developed enrichment technology and has working to commercialize the process as part of the nuclear energy supply chain since.
Last week in Lexington, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted unanimously Sept. 11 to approve a zoning amendment regulating the county’s solar projects. Large-scale solar farms cannot go on agricultural land, though the debate is not over.
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