RWE, a leading renewable energy company, kicked off its first project in the Bluegrass State, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by representatives from the Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency (KYMEA) and local officials.
Ashwood Solar is an 86-megawatt (MWac) project located in Lyon County, Kentucky. When the facility is completed, in 2024, the project will be the largest solar park to date in the Commonwealth.
“Our Ashwood project, which will be the largest facility of its kind in the state, underscores how competitive solar energy is in diverse markets across the U.S.”, said Mark Noyes, CEO RWE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of RWE AG. “Each project we install produces sustainable, renewable energy, cuts harmful emissions and helps improve air and water quality in the community. We are committed to being a good neighbor in the community for the long term and thank the local communities and officials for their warm welcome.”
Ashwood will be constructed and operated by RWE with an agreement that calls for KYMEA to purchase 100% of the energy produced by the project over a 20-year term.
Doug Buresh, President and CEO of KYMEA, said: “We are proud to add this clean, carbon-free, and economical resource to the portfolio of resources being assembled to provide the power and energy needs of our membership.” Josh Callihan, Barbourville Utility Commission General Manager and Chairman of the KYMEA Board added: “This is a very important step in our plan to provide affordable energy to our customers in a very environmentally responsible manner. By working together, KYMEA and our member communities have shown that we can make solar energy cost effective.”
Ashwood consists of more than 226,000 bi-facial, fixed-tilted solar panels and covers an area of 250 acres. The project will support approximately 250 local jobs at the height of construction and has the capacity to supply green electricity to more than 15,000 households.
The eight KYMEA Kentucky cities and utilities receiving power from the project are: Barbourville Utility Commission, Bardwell City Utilities, City Utilities Commission of Corbin, City of Falmouth, Frankfort Plant Board, Madisonville Electric Department, City of Paris Combined Utilities, and the City of Providence Utilities.
For more information, visit RWE Clean Energy.