LEXINGTON, Ky. — In April, two proposals were filed at the local and state level for industrial-scale solar energy generating facilities in Lexington-Fayette County’s agricultural zone, where these types of industrial uses are currently prohibited.
Just like in business, a great city begins with a great plan. When Lexington’s Planning Commission passed a full Comprehensive Plan last November, “Imagine Lexington 2045,” it was built on feedback from more than 4,000 people to ensure it represented a community vision for a greater Lexington. The Plan is clear: Community members value the careful balance between our urban areas and our productive farmland, and believe our rural areas are worth protecting as we continue to grow responsibly to create housing and jobs.
East Kentucky Power Cooperative has proposed a nearly 400-acre solar facility on Winchester Road, overseen by the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Nashville-based Silicon Ranch has proposed a nearly 800-acre project between Winchester Road and Haley Road, overseen by the LFUCG Planning Commission.
By Brittany Roethemeier, Fayette Alliance
If approved, these projects together would result in more than 1,000 acres of farmland being used for industrial-scale energy generation. And 98% of this land is USDA-designated as “prime” farmland or soils of statewide significance — the best in the state and the country for producing food and fiber. Our community residents and businesses should be asking tough questions about the implications of these proposals and evaluating their overall impact on our local economy, identity and quality of life.
Diversifying our local energy grid and working for sustainable energy solutions should be a priority for our community, and our Comprehensive Plan outlines innovative policy solutions to reach our sustainability goals — many of which are already underway. Those recommendations do not include industrial-scale solar power generating facilities on land designated for agriculture. Using nationally recognized farmland for energy production instead of agriculture goes against many of the other priorities within the same plan — to protect and support our agricultural economy and community identity that depend on our unique soils.
Sustainability efforts should not come at the expense of destroying Lexington’s productive and iconic farmland. Exciting, innovative examples of solar development around the country demonstrate how Lexington-Fayette County can move sustainability efforts forward while also protecting our agricultural industry and our unique brand. Solar should be incentivized and prioritized in places appropriate for energy production like industrial areas, brownfields, and already-built environments – rooftops, parking lots, and more. The great news is that there are ample opportunities to do so.
In Maryland, solar panels installed on the rooftop of the Fredericksburg Police Department headquarters provide 384 kW of energy for schools, hospitals, and businesses — saving an estimated $174,577 per year in energy costs from a single installation.
In Evansville, Indiana, solar panels installed on a parking canopy at the regional airport cover 387 parking spaces and 62,000 square feet — generating enough energy to cover 50% of the airport terminal’s energy usage and provide shade for airport customers and cars.
Right here in North Lexington, Hallway Feeds, an agricultural manufacturing company, covered 1.5 acres and more than 20,000 square feet of rooftop with solar panels on their own property, generating nearly 75% of their facility’s needed energy.
Locust Trace AgriScience Center, part of Fayette County Public Schools, uses rooftop solar and energy efficient design to be a net zero energy campus.
All of these projects are creating green energy and offsetting emissions (and costs). None of them employ ground-mounted solar panels on farmland.
The projects proposed create, between them, less than 5 long-term jobs. Annual tax revenue is minimal. Moreover, 98% of East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s customers reside outside of Fayette County. The energy generated by Silicon Ranch’s project would be for sale to the larger energy grid – and they do not control who receives it or at what cost. What is best for Lexington-Fayette County residents, and what is best for the solar companies’ bottom lines?
The scale of the current proposals — and the future proposals we can expect should they be approved – could forever impact our agricultural and tourism economy. In May, 2024, it was announced that the economic impact of travel and tourism in Fayette County set a record in 2023 of $1.6 billion — 9.3% growth over tourism in 2022. Notably, tourism in Fayette County generated more than $126 million in state and local tax revenue and employed nearly 12,000 people in Fayette County.
Our soils are the “factory floor” of our agricultural industries, as well as our unique brand and identity that draws people from all over the country and the world. Fayette County’s agricultural cluster accounts for $2.3 billion in annual economic activity. Additionally, 1 out of every 12 jobs in Fayette County is directly or indirectly attributable to agriculture, resulting in $8.5 million annually to the local tax base. The agricultural cluster generates an additional $1.3 billion annually in income, profits and dividends. Notably, the University of Kentucky found that with a 10% overall reduction in production agriculture in Fayette County, there would be an additional overall annual decrease of $26.5M in business output and another $3.5M reduction in business spending.3 Impacting any piece of our agricultural economy has ripple effects throughout the community.
National best practices for locating solar facilities gathered from all over the country recommend avoiding prime farmland and prioritizing solar development in the built environment. Our Comprehensive Plan tells us that our community values our rural area, our agricultural economy, and the iconic soils that make us the Horse Capital of the World.
Lexington is an innovative town. It’s not if we grow – it’s how. Let’s put policies in place that protect our rural area and encourage solar development in our built environment. This balance can benefit businesses and taxpayers alike.
Learn more about how to make your voice heard at the Planning Commission and the Public ServiceCommission on these issues here.
Brittany Roethemeier is executive director of Fayette Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving sustainable, equitable growth in Lexington-Fayette County through land-use advocacy, education and research.
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