Davidson Marks Two Solar Milestones: New Campus Canopy Dedicated, Kentucky Solar Plant Now Online

Davidson College announced two solar-energy milestones that dramatically reduce the college’s carbon emissions. A western Kentucky solar energy center that Davidson helped bring to life is now up and running, and a new solar canopy over the college’s largest parking lot will bring clean power to campus.

Together, the projects mark significant progress toward the college’s goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 50%.

“Davidson is committed to doing its part to address climate change, and these two projects put that commitment into practice,” said President Douglas Hicks ’90. “Whether the clean energy comes from a solar center in Kentucky or a canopy in our own parking lot, it reduces carbon emissions. These projects also give our students a living example of the creative and collaborative problem-solving they will need in the world they are entering.”

Off-Campus Solar Energy Center Goes Online

Davidson College and eight other colleges and universities in North Carolina and Pennsylvania have collaborated to bring a western Kentucky solar energy center online.

A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC developed the Sebree Solar II Energy Center in Henderson County, Kentucky; the project became operational on Aug. 7, 2026. The solar site is projected to supply enough energy annually equivalent to power more than 20,000 homes. Sebree Solar II will also contribute more than $15.5 million in lifetime tax revenue. This additional revenue could be used by the county to enhance schools, roads and other essential services. The solar facility has capacity of up to 150 megawatts to meet the region’s growing electricity demand and support a diverse energy mix.

Participating in the project helps Davidson achieve its target of a 50 percent reduction in institutional greenhouse gas emissions. 

Electricity generated by the Sebree Solar II Energy Center cannot be transmitted directly to the consortium campuses because geographic distance prevents the direct transmission of electricity. Davidson benefits in three ways:

• The college receives renewable energy credits, tracked by an independent system, for the power sent to the grid. That figure is expected to equal 100% of the electricity the campus uses from local grid sources. In effect, the college is producing as much solar power as our campus uses.
• Davidson locked in a fixed price for the electricity. The energy center sells the electricity to the local market at fluctuating wholesale prices, so if they go higher, the college gets back the difference.
• The energy center likely would not have been built without the colleges’ and universities’ investments, so Davidson helped make possible this clean energy generation.

In addition to Davidson, the higher education consortium supporting the project with a Power Purchase Agreement, coordinated by ERM Coho, includes Dickinson College, Elon University, Haverford College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College and Wake Forest University. 

The schools in the consortium also will receive access to data from the Sebree Solar II Energy Center for classroom use, as well as campus speaking engagements, opportunities for site visits and student internships.

New Solar Canopy Powers Campus

Closer to home, Davidson dedicated a new 750-kW solar canopy over the Baker Sports Complex parking lot. 

Electricity from the canopy will directly power 5% of Davidson’s typical electricity needs throughout the year. And on sunny summer days, the solar panels are expected to generate 20% or more of campus electricity. Placing the panels over a parking lot maximizes productivity: The panels capture energy from sunlight that strikes them directly from above, as well as reflected glare that reaches them from below.

Energy produced by the canopy will be used for air conditioning, lighting, power to devices and other functions in campus buildings.

The canopy is believed to be among the five largest projects of its type in North Carolina and the largest in the Charlotte metro area. As a model for the region and beyond, the project supports the college’s strategic priorities around academics, student enrollment, public good, and creating a community that recognizes the holistic nature of human health and thriving.

“These two projects are the major renewable energy priorities in our Climate Action Plan, and having both come to life this year is a milestone for everyone at Davidson,” said Yancey Fouché, director of sustainability. “Sebree Solar II gives us renewable energy credits expected to equal 100% of the electricity we use from the local grid, and the canopy puts solar power directly into our campus electric system, where people can see it working every time they come to Baker. Together they show how much progress we can make when we envision and build a brighter future together, and we hope they offer a model for institutions across the Charlotte region and beyond.”