Exploring solar field development on former City landfill

On Tuesday, the Environmental Quality and Public Works (EQPW) Committee will hear an update on the Haley Pike Landfill Solar Feasibility Study from Senior Administrative Officer Richard Dugas.

Lexington is exploring the feasibility of a solar panel farm that could be built on the former Haley Pike Landfill. The landfill stopped operating in the 1990s and has been largely vacant since.

A 2021 study found that 312 acres of the 618-acre site could be suitable for a large-scale solar panel development. In this scenario, LFUCG would lease the land to a developer for the project and would otherwise not be involved in the operations of the site and would not finance or contribute any money toward a project. The lease amount would range from $171,000 to $265,000 a year.

The potential Haley Pike Landfill solar panel project is part of a larger conversation about what solar panel project development should look like in Fayette County. Solar panel farms are currently illegal to build on agricultural land. In September 2024, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to disapprove a zoning ordinance text amendment (ZOTA) that would allow industrial solar farms to be built on agricultural land in Fayette County. That ZOTA was moved to the General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee to be revised and eventually voted on by Councilmembers.

LFUCG has also sued East Kentucky Power Cooperative to halt progress on their recently approved 384-acre solar panel farm off of Hisle Road. The solar farm would provide energy to 4,558 households, although the majority of those households live outside Fayette County. East Kentucky Power Cooperative is under the jurisdiction of Kentucky’s Public Service Commission, so they are not subject to Lexington’s local zoning regulations.

You can view the full presentation slides starting on page 27 of this packet.

The  Environmental Quality and Public Works (EQPW) Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 11th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.