The farm would be partially built on top of 123 acres on capped landfill, plus 234 acres of surrounding agricultural areas. The proposal was brought to the city by Edelen Renewables, a Lexington-based solar company. It has been characterized as “unprecedented” by company CEO Adam Edelen.
“What we're talking about is repurposing a landfill and turning it into perhaps the largest landfill to solar project in the United States,” Edelen said. “So this is history making, and it is very different, both in form, fashion and approach than a traditional solar development on an agricultural property, which isn't the kind of work we do.”
Council members agreed to put the project on the docket for approval during their Tuesday work session after multiple postponements.
Some worried the city wasn’t getting its money’s worth for the proposed lease, and wanted stronger guarantees for residents as part of a proposed community benefits agreement.
A 2024 study from CMTA estimated Lexington could lease land to private solar companies for up to $850 an acre. The Edelen Renewables proposal offers just $85 an acre because of its location on a brownfield.
An ordinance passed by the council last year also suggests developers pay the city $750 for each megawatt generated to help lower energy costs for low-income residents. Edelen’s current proposal would pay a minimum of $250 per megawatt, though council members expect to negotiate that final amount after the lease is approved.
“It is our responsibility to ask these questions and to make decisions on full information and get the best deal for our community,” District 5 councilmember Liz Sheehan said. “But also, solar hasn't been done at a high rate on capped landfills, and I want to see it done more, particularly on brownfields like this. But I recognize that we are setting a standard here.”
A motion was passed during the work session requiring a community benefits agreement to be approved separately before the project moves forward.
That also comes amid disputes as to whether the land next to Haley Pike, which is on the outskirts of the city, counts as “prime farmland.” An ordinance passed last year regulates how solar farms can be built and utilized on Fayette County’s agricultural zones.
“What could happen down the road is, if there's an entity that wanted to put solar next to that facility on agricultural land, we've allowed it for ourselves, and even our (zoning ordinance text amendment) says that we can't do it,” said District 10 councilmember Dave Sevigny. “So we're talking out both sides of our mouth.”
Edelen argued that land doesn’t qualify as prime farmland.
“I don't want to get into the nuance of debating terms, but I would say that a landfill-adjacent property is not prime farmland and shouldn't be considered as such,” he said.
The proposal will have its first reading and vote by the council this Thursday. If approved, Edelen would enter negotiations with Kentucky Utilities about the amount of power the farm can generate, site design and how the utility would pay for it. He expects construction to begin by July and the project to be completed in late 2027.
