Steel Mills

Nucor to Supply Steel, Source Power From Kentucky Solar Project

Written by Laura Miller

August 7, 2023

Nucor Corp. announced it will be providing steel to help build a new solar project in Kentucky. In addition, the steelmaker has agreed to purchase power from the project.

The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker said its Nucor Steel Gallatin mill in Ghent, Ky., will provide steel for the Sebree Solar 1 project in Henderson County. Construction is slated to begin this fall.

Sebree Solar, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, is building the project in two phases. The first phase is expected to begin commercial operations in December 2025. Upon completion of both phases, the project will have a capacity of up to 400 megawatts of energy.

Nucor signed a power purchase agreement with Sebree for 250 megawatts of that energy.

Nucor Steel Gallatin is also providing steel for another solar project to be built by Green River Solar, another subsidiary of NextEra, in the Meade and Breckinridge counties of Kentucky. The Gallatin mill’s steel will be used for the racking system supporting the projects’ solar panels, the company said.

“We are delighted to work with NextEra Energy Resources, and to be a key material supplier to this important addition to the power grid in Kentucky, where we have grown our presence considerably in recent years,” said Greg Murphy, Nucor’s EVP of business services and general counsel.

“Our country’s energy transition will be built with steel, and the steel it is built with should be produced sustainably. And while Nucor is already among the world’s cleanest and most sustainable steel producers, this agreement will enable us to further reduce our climate footprint and meet our goals for improvement,” he added.

Laura Miller

Laura Miller is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. She has held a variety of positions within the steel industry since 2007, including reporting and editing for Steel Business Briefing/Platts, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology, and Kallanish Commodities, as well as marketing for what was then known as ThyssenKrupp Steel USA (now AM/NS Calvert). After a five-year hiatus working across other industries, she returned to steel in 2021 and has covered the flat rolled, tubular, and trade areas of the industry. She is a member of the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and a past-president of the AWMI Pittsburgh Chapter. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at laura@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7869.

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