KY: Nucor Corp., NextEra Energy Resources To Build Utility-Scale Energy Center in Henderson County

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear congratulated Nucor Corp. recently on its new Power Purchase Agreement with NextEra Energy Resources LLC. Nucor will receive 250 megawatts of renewable energy from Sebree Solar LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources in Henderson County.

“Nucor’s success in Kentucky has grown significantly in recent years with major new investments and jobs helping to expand the reach of its steel products,” said Gov. Beshear. “Whether it’s electric vehicles or cutting-edge metals manufacturing, Kentucky is emerging as a national leader in creating the jobs of the future. I look forward to Nucor’s continued success here and am happy to welcome NextEra Energy Resources to the commonwealth for what we hope will be another long and prosperous relationship.”

Sebree Solar is an innovative two-phase project in Henderson County that will have a capacity of up to 400 megawatts of American-produced solar energy. The steel for the first phase of Sebree Solar will be sourced from Nucor Steel Gallatin in Ghent, Kentucky. Steel from the facility will also be used for another solar project to be built and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, Green River Solar, in Meade and Breckinridge counties. The Green River Solar project will generate up to 200 megawatts of electricity. The steel produced by Nucor will be used for the racking system that supports the projects’ solar panels.

“Nucor is proud to work with NextEra Energy Resources, and we are excited to have the opportunity to supply our low embodied carbon steel to an important project that will modernize Kentucky’s power grid,” said Greg Murphy, executive vice president of business services and general counsel at Nucor Corporation. “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.”

Over its 30-year lifespan, the first phase of Sebree Solar will contribute approximately $20 million in additional tax revenue to Henderson County which can be used for roads, schools and other public services. Construction is set to begin in fall 2023, and the project is expected to start commercial operation in December 2025.

The announced agreement advances Nucor’s broader sustainability strategy and complements a wind-powered agreement that Nucor entered into during 2021. Nucor has agreed to take a total of 350 megawatts of carbon-free electricity through these two agreements, which is enough to power roughly 100,000 U.S. households annually.

“We are pleased to work with Nucor to help them achieve their sustainability goals. This solar energy project will generate low-cost, homegrown energy and provide millions of dollars in additional tax revenue to Henderson County over the life of the project,” said Rebecca Kujawa, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of wind and solar energy, and a leader in battery energy storage. “Constructing our project from steel made sustainably and locally will help drive economic development in Kentucky.”

NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, has approximately 27,400 megawatts of net generating capacity, with a presence in 40 states and four Canadian provinces, as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nucor is North America’s largest recycler and the nation’s largest steel and steel products producer. The company employs over 31,000 people at more than 300 facilities, primarily located in North America. In Kentucky, Nucor and its affiliates employ approximately 2,000 people at numerous facilities, including Nucor Steel Gallatin, Nucor Steel Brandenburg, Nucor Tubular Products, Nucor Insulated Panels, multiple recycling facilities that collect and recycle scrap metal, and a 50% ownership stake in Steel Technologies. In 2020, Nucor broke ground on Nucor Steel Brandenburg, the $1.7 billion steel plate manufacturing mill in Meade County, a project that has created 400 full-time jobs.