The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission rejected a proposal Thursday that would allow industrial solar farms in Fayette County’s rural areas, upholding a decision from two years ago.
“Nothing physically has changed,” commissioner Mike Owens said before the vote. “Two years ago, it was an application request by an applicant, a private entity, and this time around, it was generated by the council. Still, nothing has changed in a physical nature.”
The city banned such projects last year after a 2024 request from developer Silicon Ranch to amend Fayette County’s zoning ordinance. The change would have paved the way for a 797-acre solar farm in east Fayette County, and it kickstarted a discussion on where solar farms could be built countywide.
Earlier this year, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council’s solar work group asked the commission to review a revised proposal that would allow solar farms in 1% of Fayette County’s rural service area, with added restrictions. It would have required property owners to maintain some level of agricultural production and also create a land conservation plan and set requirements for vegetative cover.
Supporters of the proposal said it would help Fayette County meet its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“I think another 1% isn't going to drastically change any other industry in our community. The farms that attract tourism will continue to thrive,” District 10 council member and solar work group member Dave Sevigny said. “Tourism will thrive, but we'll also be considering climate refugees who start to show up in a community like ours, because we provide a supportive environment and it matters to them when they decide where they want to live.”
But farmers and land preservationists argue industrial solar will encroach on the Bluegrass region’s prime farmland, pollute its unique soils and negatively affect the county’s agricultural economy.
“It is our golden goose in every sense of the word,” Gloria Martin, the chair of Fayette County’s Rural Land Management Board, said during public comment. “Tourism, economic development, farming, quality of life for everybody in this county. So if you dovetail it all together, it is really worth saving for all of us.”
The planning commission voted unanimously Thursday to uphold its original decision. The recommendation will go to the council after this month’s recess.
There is no set timeline for council to hear the planning commission’s recommendation. According to Director of Planning Jim Duncan, it can either study it further, take action immediately or set it aside entirely and take no further action.
Solar energy development has been an ongoing discussion in the urban county government for some time. Earlier this year, the council leased land at the former Haley Pike landfill to Edelen Renewables for a 357-acre solar farm. The Solarize Lexington program, which helps homeowners install rooftop solar for discounted rates, has also expanded to adjacent Central Kentucky counties.
