Savion, LLC (Savion), a Shell Group portfolio company, announced today that Martin County Solar Project (MCSP) in Martin County, Kentucky, has started commercial operation. The 111 megawatt (MW) solar facility is Savion’s first project to be designed, developed, constructed, and owned by the company on reclaimed mine land.
MCSP, located on the old Martiki coal mine site in Pilgrim, Kentucky, is solely owned by Savion, with Shell serving as the project’s asset manager. Over the next 40 years, MCSP is expected to produce enough energy to power approximately 18,500 Kentucky homes annually.
“The critical partnerships among the Martin County Judge Executive and Fiscal Court, local community members, educational advocates, economic and workforce development leaders, as well as the teams working on the ground were essential to helping bring this unique solar facility online,” said Nick Lincon, president of Savion. “Years ago, Savion saw the exceptional opportunity to develop a solar project on a former coal mine in the great state of Kentucky, which has a rich history of energy generation in this country and continues to demonstrate its commitment to powering our nation through creative solutions such as this one. We’re proud to be able to bring this project into operation and grateful to everyone who made this project a reality.”
In December 2021, MCSP received approval from the Martin County Fiscal Court and Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) for a $231 million Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) and a $600,000 sales tax incentive through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). Construction of the solar energy facility, which began in October 2023 and concluded in December 2024, required more than 300 local jobs.
Toyota Motor North America announced on May 24, 2023, that it agreed to purchase 100 MW of the project and associated Renewable Energy Credits (REC) through a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) and Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (SENA) signed a VPPA to purchase the remaining 11 MW of the project.
“Respect for the Planet is one of our company’s core values. We demonstrate this value by striving to go beyond carbon neutrality with our products, services, and operations and find new ways to make a positive impact on our planet and society. This virtual power purchase agreement with Savion embodies the transparent, science-based approach we take when addressing one of the most complex challenges of our time,” said Willie Overmann, carbon neutrality business manager for Toyota Motor North America.