SHELBY CO., Ky. (WHAS11) -- While the sun may not always shine brightly on our old Kentucky home, a new solar farm in Simpsonville is working to make it brighter.
LG&E and KU hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning in celebration of the first completed section of their state of the art Solar Share Facility.
Construction of the first 500-kilowatt section began earlier in 2019 with the help of its founding partner Ford Motor Company.
It's a subscription-based solar share program available to residential and business customers.
"Some customers can't install solar on their own homes or their own business so this is another way that they can participate that they can support solar,” Natasha Collins, an LG&E and KU Spokesperson, said.
But not everyone agrees that solar farms are a good source of renewable energy. One protester was at the ribbon-cutting with a tractor carrying a large banner that read, stop LG&E's solar greed.
Jerry Karem says it's counterproductive.
"You don't destroy 35 acres of farmland for solar. You can put it someplace else. You can put it on rooftops. that's one of the best places for solar is rooftops,” Jerry Karem, a protestor, said.
LG&E and KU plans to add at least eight more sections of the same size. They will be completed as each becomes fully subscribed.
