Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Knott County court authorizes judge to advance Starfire solar IRB talks after developers outline size, jobs and tax plan
Summary
Developers presented the Starfire solar project — a multi‑phase array spanning reclaimed mountaintop sites in Knott, Perry and Breathitt counties — and the court voted to authorize the judge to continue preparing an industrial revenue bond (IRB) and related documents for future formal approval.
Developers for the Starfire solar project told the Knott County Fiscal Court that the privately financed array could become one of the largest renewable projects in eastern Kentucky and asked the court to allow staff to begin Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) paperwork.
Adam Edeland, who introduced himself as founder and CEO of Edeland Renewables, said the company entered the energy market queue in 2020 and partnered with a local coal‑company landowner to repurpose reclaimed mountaintop‑removal acreage. “This isn’t against coal,” Edeland said, describing the coal company as a project partner and the proposal as continuing the region’s energy role in a more sustainable economy.
Jackson, the BrightNite representative on the team, outlined permitting and interconnection steps. He said the Kentucky state siting board hearing went well and a formal approval letter was expected within weeks; the project is awaiting a PJM preliminary interconnection study, with preliminary results anticipated in September–October and final approvals later next year. Jackson estimated each phase would be roughly 1,500 acres and projected peak construction employment of “at least 200 jobs” with the possibility of 300–350 during peak months; he estimated construction at roughly 12–24 months, likely around 18 months.
A legal and finance advisor and Brian, a project representative, explained how an IRB would work to restructure property tax flows through a pilot agreement. They said the first phase was projected at about 210 megawatts and the second at about 200 megawatts, and described a proposed pilot payment of $1,300 per megawatt. The presenters estimated the pilot could yield roughly $500,000 a year shared among the three counties over a 30‑year contract, and emphasized that IRBs are structured to be non‑recourse obligations of the project rather than general county debt.
Court members pressed on distribution and local impact; presenters said allocation could be negotiated among the three judges or based on acreage and that local taxing districts (for example, school boards) could receive negotiated shares under the pilot agreement. The team also committed to workforce development ties with community colleges and apprenticeship pathways and pledged hiring preference for displaced coal workers and local residents.
After discussion the court voted on a motion authorizing the judge to continue negotiations with the developers, have the IRB documents prepared, and return a formal resolution for the court’s later consideration. The motion passed by voice vote. No final resolution to issue the bond or any tax exemption was adopted at the meeting.
What's next: County staff and counsel will review draft IRB documents provided by the developers; the court will see a formal resolution and related legal documents at a future meeting before any bond issuance or pilot agreement can be approved.
