HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission Siting held a public meeting Monday night in Hopkinsville to discuss the construction of Dogwood Corners, a planned solar farm that will occupy approximately 670-acres.
The purpose of the meeting was to allow local public comment on the proposed 125-megawatt merchant electric solar generating facility in the Dogwood area, north of Hopkinsville. The commission will either approve or deny the company’s application for a certificate of construction.
Dozens of people attended the meeting from around Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and surrounding areas. Several union advocates and construction workers spoke positively about the development, emphasizing the number of jobs and opportunities it would present to train young workers and lead to permanent career paths.
“A typical misconception we see when we go across the commonwealth is that these jobs are temporary jobs,” said a union representative from Louisville with Labors International Union of America. “Once folks get done with this particular project, they earn a union wage, a living wage, a pension, and help out their families with health insurance.”
Several people spoke against the solar panel facility, specifically people who live in the Dogwood community. Speakers were worried about preserving the existing land and wildlife and are concerned with the idea of their land being next to solar panels.
“When what you do on your land affects what you do on my land, we’ve got a problem,” said Kentucky Sen. Whitney Westerfield, whose family’s land would border the facility.
The commission will continue to receive public comments on the Kentucky Public Service Commission website, or people can email PSC.Comment@ky.gov referencing Case No. 2023-00246. A decision on the Dogwood Corners application will be made by the commission on March 9.