Governor: Martin County solar project moving forward

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

FRANKFORT —Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday that the Martin County solar project, currently under development by Savion, is moving forward with plans to locate on a former coal mine in Martin County.

The project includes up to $231 million investment and the creation of 11 full-time jobs in addition to the 250-300 jobs that will be created during construction, set to begin in 2022.

“We are building a future that works for all Kentuckians, and that future includes an increased reliance on renewable energy,” Beshear said in a press release. “To maintain the incredible economic momentum we have established this year, we must continue to compete for all forms of energy investment. I want to thank Savion for choosing Kentucky.”

The solar energy generation facility will be located on approximately 1,200 acres on the old Martiki mine site in Martin County, interconnecting with Kentucky Power’s 138-kilovolt Inez substation. When built, the project will create capacity of up to 200 megawatts and produce enough energy to power the equivalent of more than 33,000 Kentucky homes, the release said.

Construction of the facility is expected to begin in 2022 and be commercially operational by early 2024. During the 12- to 18-month construction period, company leaders report the project will create between 250 and 300 construction jobs, in addition to 11 full-time Kentucky jobs, including eight in Martin County, the release said.

Upon completion, the project will be one of the largest solar energy generation facilities operating in Kentucky.

“It’s exciting to reach this milestone in the project’s development, which moves us closer to the start of construction and commercial operation,” Savion Director for Development Erich Miarka said in the release. “This opportunity would not be possible without the support of Martin County, the Martin County School District, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Edelen Renewables. Thank you for your continued efforts to advance this unprecedented project.”

Established in 2019 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Savion is a company focused on utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in 27 states. Savion employs more than 120 people, providing comprehensive services at each phase of renewable energy project development, from conception to construction. The company currently oversees the development of nearly 90 solar projects and more than 40 energy storage projects in the U.S. totaling over 15 gigawatts.

Savion’s solar project includes a local partnership with Edelen Renewables, which has played a key role in the initial phase of development.

“This country owes a tremendous debt to the people and communities that powered the industrial development of America for a century: our miners and coal communities,” said Adam Edelen, founder and CEO of Edelen Renewables. “The Martin County coal-to-solar project is an effort to bring the opportunities of a newer, greener economy to the coalfields. Doing so has required the strong support of the Beshear administration and local leadership. We are grateful to all for their support.”

Martin County Judge-Executive Victor Slone said the project will benefit the community in the years ahead.

“On behalf of the Martin County Fiscal Court, I am excited to see the Martin County solar project come to fruition,” Slone said. “This investment will impact our community for years to come. I look forward to the new jobs that will be created in Martin County throughout the course of this project, and I am confident other companies will take notice of the opportunity to invest in Martin County as a result.”

The Martin County Fiscal Court held a special meeting on Dec. 2, 2020, and unanimously approved a resolution for the nearly $300 million dollar solar project.

Edelen explained during the meeting that with a 200,000 megawatt agreement, in lieu of taxes, they would be paid $300,000 a year for 30 years and that the amount wouldn’t change.

“It’s the largest pilot amount agreement ever made in Kentucky,” Edelen said at the meeting.

The Martin County solar project furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth, as the state builds back stronger following the effects of the pandemic, the release issued by Beshear said.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) Thursday approved the project for up to $600,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing, the release said.

In addition, the release also said that the project can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.