Jackson Energy awarded solar project grant

Solar panels will be an upcoming addition to both the Jackson Energy McKee District Office and the Corporate Office in Jackson County.

The McKee District Office project will be built first. A $28,540 grant from the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence will help fund the Corporate Office project.

The solar panels will be part of a pilot nanogrid system that will use batteries to store the power produced by the panels and Jackson Energy can release the power onto the grid using SCADA when the extra power will be most beneficial, such as at peak demand times to help reduce power costs.

In 2011, Kentucky and other states were parties to a federal court settlement of an enforcement action under the federal Clean Air Act that resulted in a Consent Decree with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). A part of the Consent Decree obligated TVA to provide Kentucky $11.2 million to fund environmental mitigation projects.

Jackson Energy’s solar project was selected to receive funds from the TVA settlement. Through the project, 32 panels will be installed on the Corporate Office property. They are projected to produce 17,773 kWh per year. The battery storage system will allow Jackson Energy to store the electricity.