PSC panel OKs 250-megawatt solar project in Muhlenberg
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lost City Renewables LLC obtained conditional approval Monday from a state Public Service Commission board to build a 250-megawatt, 400-000-panel solar power project in Muhlenberg County.
The Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting (Siting Board) approved Lost City’s application for a construction certificate to build at a 1,413-acre site of land just east of in Muhlenberg County.
The project includes photovoltaic solar panels, associated ground-mounted racking, inverters, and a main transformer that will connect to a Tennessee Valley Authority Substation (TVA Substation). Project representatives have said the site would provide power to 10,000 homes, generate at least 500 jobs during construction and make a sizeable contribution to local tax revenues.
Lost City Renewables LLC is registered in Delaware.
The PSC order granting the construction certificate requires compliance with mitigation measures but approves some of Lost City Renewables’ motion for a deviation from setbacks from residential neighborhoods, which typically require equipment to be at least 1,000 feet away from any residence.
Lost City Renewables is required by Kentucky law to prepare a site assessment report that includes an evaluation of the compatibility of the facility with scenic surroundings; potential changes in property values and land use; anticipated peak and average noise levels at the property boundary; impacts on road and rail traffic; and to suggest measures to minimize or avoid adverse effects identified.
Local residents have objected at public hearings that the project could negatively affect their property values. State Sen. Whitney Westerfield took residents’ side and spoke at hearings, according to news reports last fall.
In support of the project, Muhlenberg Economic Growth Alliance have said the benefits are long-term permanent jobs and the region’s ability to attract companies looking for new location that will enable them to operate with energy portfolios that include renewables.
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