Renewable energy power producer BrightNight will build an 800 MW solar energy center on the site of Starfire Mine which once was among the largest coal mines in the US. Once online, it claims, the project will be one of the largest solar power plants in the country, and the largest renewable energy project in Kentucky.
Electric vehicles (EV) company Rivian Automotive and environmental organization The Nature Conservancy have signed up as offtakers for 100 MW and up to 2.5 MW capacity, respectively under phase I of the Starfire Renewable Energy Project.
Project development on site will be spread over 4 phases, with phase I entering construction in 2025 to bring online 210 MW. On completion, it will sport 800 MW capacity.
The $1 billion investment will also see BrightNight constructing up to a 20-mile transmission line that it says will enable an additional 1 GW of renewable power generation to be built in the region in the future.
BrightNight says the project will work as a 'model for future energy transformation projects nationwide, showcasing how engineering and commercial success can be achieved'.
Kentucky-based renewables developer Edelen has been roped in to provide landowner and site development support services to BrightNight.
As the US seeks to increase the share of solar in its electricity mix to 40% by 2035, this renewable energy generation technology is going to cover up for a large part of capacity left vacant by retiring coal and nuclear power in the country, according to official estimates (see EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2022 For US).
Earlier this year, in March 2023 BrightNight entered a partnership with ACEN from the Philippines for 1.2 GW development portfolio of hybrid solar, wind and storage projects and round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy projects in India (see ACEN & BrightNight Announce GW-Level India Partnership).
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