Get Your Questions Answered About The Proposed Solar Farm
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Jennifer Marsh
Herald Staff
jmarsh@harrodsburgherald.com
The Mercer County Solar project has been a hot topic of discussion on social media, community meetings and family dinner tables.
We at the Harrodsburg Herald are offering the community a chance to ask questions to both sides of the issue.
Drew Gibbons, senior development director at Savion, has agreed to answer fact-checked questions submitted by the public. In addition to Gibbons, Steve Bailey, a Mercer County farmer, has agreed to answer fact-checked questions on why he is opposed to the project. Both sets of questions will be published in the Harrodsburg Herald’s Thursday, Sept. 17, edition.
The Herald will research each question and provide information as well.
The Mercer County Solar Project is a proposed $150-million solar facility, which, if approved, would be located approximately 2.5 miles north of Harrodsburg on the west side of U.S. Route 127.
In July, the Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a text amendment to the zoning ordinance which would allow solar farms as conditional uses in A-2 and A-3 (agricultural) districts and R-1 (residential) districts that are currently undeveloped and immediately adjacent to an agricultural district. The Mercer County Fiscal Court has yet to vote on the amendment, which would allow the county to consider projects on a case by case basis.
The developer is Savion LLC, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Savion is currently working on utility-scale solar energy project development in 24 states, including Kentucky.
Gibbons said they had been developing the project for three years. He said solar power is not currently an allowed use on the property.
To submit questions, email jmarsh@harrodsburgherald.com or call 734-2726.
