The Kentucky Public Service Commission has approved a request by Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company to construct what will be the state's largest solar photovoltaic facility at E.W. Brown Generating Station in Mercer County.
The 10-megawatt facility, which is expected to cost $36 million with available tax credits, is projected to go online in 2016. It will include 260 panels, transformers, switches and other equipment. The project is the result of a partnership between the utility companies, the Sierra Club and other industrial partners.
“While Kentucky is not blessed with an abundance of wind and solar energy, the approval gives us the opportunity to learn more about solar technology,” said LG&E and KU chief operating officer Paul Thompson. “By utilizing our existing property and taking advantage of tax incentives, we can offer our customers another source of generation, similar to our existing hydro plants.”