Can Coal Mines Become Solar Power Farms? International Efforts Say Yes

Home | Our Blog | Can Coal Mines Become Solar Power Farms? International Efforts Say Yes

January 25, 2018 | By RGR Marketing Blog

Kentucky Is Leading a Solar Revolution, Thanks to Coal

There’s no debate that coal is an antiquated, dirty, and limited fuel source. Yet, during the campaign trail and early in his presidency, Donald Trump promised to bring coal back while pushing newer, more efficient technologies to the back of the line. Unfortunately, this controversial stance threatens the United States’ stature as a leader on the renewable energy front.

That said, what the Trump administration promises and what actually happens may be two different things. And believe it or not, in Kentucky, the solar energy revolution is getting a shot in the arm thanks to none other than the coal industries.

Turning Coal Mines Into Solar Power Farms

Before a company can start mining a location, the mountaintop must be cleared of all vegetation and topsoil. Then, once the fossil fuels are depleted from that location, the mountaintop remains flat and barren.

In Kentucky alone, there 293 mountains with more than 574,000 acres of land that have been surface-mined, according to Appalachian Voices, a non-profit organization committed to preserving the land, air, and water in the southern and central Appalachian regions).

Kentucky isn’t the only state that conducts surface-mining. West Virginia has surface-mined 135 mountains (352,000 acres), Virginia has surface-mined 67 mountains (156,000 acres), and Tennessee has surface-mined 6 mountains (78,000 acres) thus far.

With the mountains destroyed and barren, the question of whether these locations could be converted into solar energy farms was posed. And, one mining company in Kentucky, Berkeley Energy Group, is putting the theory to the test in a partnership with EDF Renewable Energy.

Working Together to Create Solar From Coal?

The two companies are working together to refurbish one of BEG’s old strip mining sites into a solar farm. According to the experts, early estimates for the farm's energy production is being calculated to be 50 to 100 megawatts. If this is the case, this one solar farm would generate five to ten times more electricity than the largest existing solar facility in the state.

Now take into consideration that there are 897 square miles of mountaintops cleared for mining in Kentucky. If solar farms were installed on all 897 miles, the combined farms would be able to supply nearly 10% of the energy used in the United States. If solar panels were installed on just one-fifth of the already cleared space, they would generate enough energy to power the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky.

A Remarkable Opportunity for Renewable Energy

Massive solar farms built on depleted mines may prove to be the most effective way for the country to reduce its reliance on an outdated electrical grid. And, it certainly opens incredible opportunities for solar companies operating in rural America. But, we’re still in the early stages.

The industry still has a long way to go to make solar farms of this size a viable energy solution because the logistics simply need to be factored and resolved before solar farms of this size can become a part of the country’s energy infrastructure.

President Trump campaigned on what he liked to call “clean coal,” but this may prove to be an unreality. Experts do agree, however, that we can take what the coal industry has left behind and use it to increase the reach of solar in the United States. That’s the goal and what every solar company should be working towards.

Start making more
money today!

Get Started

Popular

Recent

Contact Us

Get started with free* leads.

Call us at 310-540-8900

Don’t take our word for it—find out for yourself how good our leads are and what a difference working with us can make.
Call us at 310-540-8900 or fill out the form below and we’ll tell you how you can get high quality leads for free*.

I authorize ReallyGreatRate, Inc. to communicate with me via email.
* Get up to 10% free leads on your first order!

Kentucky Is Leading a Solar Revolution, Thanks to Coal

Turning Coal Mines Into Solar Power Farms

Working Together to Create Solar From Coal?

A Remarkable Opportunity for Renewable Energy

Start making more
money today!

Search Categories

Latest from Twitter

Contact Us

Kentucky Is Leading a Solar Revolution, Thanks to Coal

Turning Coal Mines Into Solar Power Farms

Working Together to Create Solar From Coal?

A Remarkable Opportunity for Renewable Energy

Start making more money today!

Search Categories

Tags

Tag Cloud

Latest from Twitter

Contact Us

Let’s connect on social media

Let's talk

Mortgage

Solar

Home Improvement

Start making more
money today!