Utility-scale solar is topic for lunch event open to community

BY MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
GLASGOW NEWS 1
The Center for Energy Education is hosting a Lunch and Learn educational program for the community from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Western Kentucky University in Glasgow.
Lunch is provided, and the event is to include a presentation on utility-scale solar – what it is and what that means for the community. In addition, a guest from Roundstone Native Seed Co. planning to discuss native vegetation strategies for solar farms as an alternative to gravel ground cover.
“We like native vegetation, pollinator plants, everything looking pretty, soil healthy,” said Kris Fields, regional director for the Center for Energy Education, as he made an appearance at the Glasgow Common Council meeting Monday to spread word about the learning opportunity.
The Kentucky resident whose service area includes two other states emphasized that the center based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a nonprofit organization – not a developer.
“I’m not here to advocate on behalf of a developer, and I’m not here to advocate on behalf of a particular development,” he said. “What I do is answer questions.”
Fields said he spent 20 years as in environmental consulting and is a professional geologist, so he is a resource.
The center does three main things: community engagement, education and workforce development for the industry in general.
Preregistration is preferred for Tuesday’s community education event. This can be done on the center’s website under the “Events” heading, directly at this link, or by emailing Fields.
In addition to the Lunch and Learn, Fields said, he is conducting a first-responder training with the Glasgow Fire Department with information about steps to take if there’s an emergency with a “silver farm.”
Those interested my contact Fields at kris.fields@center4ee.org for more information about the events or to learn more about energy options.