Martin County Solar Project, LLC
Construction began on Martin County Solar Project in Martin County, KY, in 2023, with anticipated project completion in 2024. The project started its journey in 2020 and received a certificate of construction from the Kentucky State Siting Board in November 2021. In December 2021, the project received approval to receive a $231 million Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) through the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) and a $600,000 sales tax incentive through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA).
Construction Information
​The majority of construction activity will consist of site preparation and earthwork, substation construction, and post and racking installation. Construction activity will generally take place from the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or from sunrise to sunset to ensure minimal disruption of daily activity. Occasionally, some construction activities may take place at night, but they will be limited to low-sound activities. No noise or light impacts are expected to affect nearby residences. Please note, the sequencing of construction activities is subject to change due to weather conditions or other adverse events.
Construction Updates
August 2024 - Present: Testing and Commissioning
This phase ensures that the solar project is working safely and efficiently. Tests are performed on all components of the system, including panels, inverters, and monitoring systems. The team also evaluate the system's performance after it's connected to the grid.
January 2024 - Present: Switchyard and Substation Construction
Switchyard and Substation Construction is the fifth phase in the construction of a utility-scale solar project. This phase includes installing the breakers, switches, and requisite transformers to step the transmission voltage up to the distribution level and then feed power out to end users.
April 2024 – August 2024: Photovoltaic Module Installation
Module installation consists of installing the photovoltaic modules. Also called solar panels, each module is an assembly of connected solar cells that absorb sunlight as a source of energy to generate direct current (DC) electricity. Groups of solar modules are called solar arrays. The arrays are installed on the solar panel mounts (racking).
April 2024 - August 2024: Racking Installation
The third phase in the construction of a large-scale solar project is the racking installation. This consists of installing the solar racking system, or solar panel mounts, which will support the solar arrays. These panel racks are installed on the piles that have already been driven into the ground.
April 2024 - July 2024: Pile Driving
The second phase in the construction of a large-scale solar project includes installing the support structures for the solar panels. These support structures are called piles, and installing these support structures is called pile driving. Pile driving requires accurate distance, spacing, level, and depth of the piles. After the pile foundations have been installed, panel racks can be mounted onto them.
October 2023 - December 2023: Site Preparation
The site preparation of a utility-scale solar project consists of creating safe site access for construction crews and a level mounting surface for the ground-mounted solar panels.
Project Facts
Location
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Martin County Solar Project is located on the old Martiki mine site in Pilgrim, KY.
Size & Acres
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The project size is 900 acres, which consists of all project components, including the solar panels, access roads, and other infrastructure necessary for the operation of the facility.
Interconnection
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The project will interconnect to the Inez Substation already located
on-site.
Connect@MartinCountySolarProject.com
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PROJECT TEAM
Director, Development
Vice President, Permitting & Environmental