Amazon’s Kentucky solar initiative brings new meaning to renewable energy

Amazon has a total of five solar energy projects in Kentucky, the latest being a new rooftop unit at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and the Turkey Creek solar farm in Garrard County.

Amazon’s investments in Kentucky are expected to produce enough clean energy to power 86,000 homes each year.

“As Amazon moves to power our operations with 100% renewable energy, we’re proud to support new solar and wind projects in Kentucky and across the southeast, where local communities and our customers can also benefit from them,” said Amazon Director of Energy and Sustainable Operations Chris Roe. “These projects are helping provide clean energy to local grids, create jobs, support local businesses and farmers, and boost the rural tax base, which are all part of Amazon’s broader commitment to become a more sustainable company.”

At Turkey Creek, a rural farming community, they’re managing the land occupied by solar panels using livestock. Daniel Bell, owner of Hazelbrook Farm, and the project’s developer and landowner, Silicon Ranch, his sheep maintain the property by grazing while also improving soil health and ecosystem function.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Bell said in a release. “People want to be farmers, but it’s very hard to be profitable. I always dreamed of being a full-time farmer and wanted that opportunity for my kids, and now they have it.”

The partnership allows Bell to triple the size of his flock and farm a full-time operation they can pass down through generations. The family intends to hire more employees in the coming months to support the farm’s growth.

The Bells sell their sheep to a local meat distributor, a supplier for Whole Foods Markets, owned by Amazon.

“Through our Regenerative Energy platform, we are proving that marrying solar and agriculture on one piece of property generates important social, economic, and environmental benefits for our communities, and over the past few years, we have demonstrated that we can make the land under and around our solar panels better than when we initially found it,” Silicon Ranch Co-Founder Reagan Farr said in a release. “We have built a talented team to help advance this important mission, and we are pleased to extend this meaningful legacy to Garrard County, Kentucky.”

Amazon partnered with Duke Energy to build a two-megawatt alternating current solar project on the rooftop of Amazon’s Air Hub at CVG airport, which includes over 5,600 solar panels. Duke Energy operates the system, which is now feeding all of the electricity it generates into the local grid to help power nearby homes and businesses.

Amazon is on track to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Kentucky and worldwide, according to the release.

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