KENTUCKY, May 19, 2025 — A coalition is forming to advocate for strong community benefits before the largest solar farm in the state is built at the historic Starfire Mine across Breathitt, Knott, Perry and Floyd counties.
The Starfire Renewable Power Project will be built on 7,000 acres of land once home to the largest coal mine in the U.S. The project was first announced in 2023 by BrightNight, the project’s developer, and they have since been taking steps to get approval from various state authorities.
Local community members are forming the Starfire Community Coalition with the goal of reaching a Community Benefits Agreement with BrightNight that maximizes the economic benefits this project will bring to the region. This coalition has started through the community foundations in Breathitt, Perry, Knott and Floyd Counties which are run by non-political boards that bring years of experience helping local non-profits.
BrightNight aims to hire a significant amount of local labor for the construction of the Starfire Project. The Starfire Community Coalition seeks to learn from the labor practices of similar solar projects and support a tangible working plan to encourage local labor. Currently under consideration is securing a first source referral system to prioritize local hiring and a bidding process for connecting with local qualified contractors.
BrightNight commits to making annual donations to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky in a non-donor advised fund to meet community-driven priorities in the region. The Starfire Community Coalition wants to give BrightNight the opportunity to join the Appalachian Kentucky community by supporting local citizens at the same level other best-in-class solar projects do across the U.S. and help to break the cycle of extractive energy systems in the region by committing to give a fair amount back to local communities.
The Starfire Community Coalition — established in Apr. 2025 — seeks to adequately represent the interests of Breathitt, Perry, Knott, and Floyd Counties and reach a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with BrightNight Power on the Starfire Project, including labor and funding provisions, inclusive of other community benefits identified in coalition building and community engagement.
Citizens and organizations, residing in Breathitt, Knott, Perry or Floyd Counties, interested in learning how to be involved going forward have the opportunity to fill out the Starfire Community Coalition’s interest form in order to receive progress updates.
To donate to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, visit https://bit.ly/fakydonations.
