Kentucky: every permit portal for solar, wind, and storage
The quick find: which office handles each approval a utility-scale project touches in Kentucky, with the agency's own page. Counties and cities add their own land-use approvals; the state table is the part that is the same across the state.
State and grid
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| State siting or certificateWhether the state itself approves where a generating facility goes, or leaves it to counties and cities. | Electric Generation and Transmission Siting Board (construction certificate for merchant generation 10 MW+)Kentucky State Board on Electric Generation and Transmission SitingConfirmed live; board page with merchant plant case lists, statutes/regulations and application forms. /Home/Siting now returns a not-found title. |
| Grid interconnectionThe queue the project enters to connect: the regional grid operator, or the utility and public utility commission outside an RTO. | PJM for EKPC; LG&E and KU run their own non-RTO queue (OASIS); MISO for Big Rivers; TVA in the westPJM / LG&E-KU / MISO / TVA (by territory)LG&E and KU left MISO in 2006 and are not PJM members; their generator interconnection requests go to LG&E-KU transmission, not PJM. |
| Construction stormwater permitNPDES coverage for land disturbance of one acre or more, before earthwork starts. | KPDES construction stormwater general permit KYR10Kentucky Division of Water |
| Historic preservation reviewSection 106 consultation through the State Historic Preservation Office when a federal permit, federal funding or federal land is involved; many states add their own review on state land. | Section 106 Review (Site Protection Program)Kentucky Heritage CouncilConfirmed: 'Section 106 Review - Kentucky Heritage Council' overview; links to Section 106 cover sheet and INHERIT submission portal. |
| Wildlife and habitat reviewThe state wildlife agency's project screening or natural-heritage data request; federal species go through USFWS IPaC. | Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources exact page not confirmedLook for: Environmental review · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| State road access and utility permitsA driveway onto a state highway, and a gen-tie or cable in state right of way. | Encroachment permits (Form TC 99-1A Application for Encroachment Permit)Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Highways Permits Branch |
| Floodplain (state NFIP coordinator)Local floodplain development permits are county or city; the state coordinator lists who administers them. | Understand Your Flood Hazards / Apply for a Floodplain (stream construction) PermitKentucky Division of Water, Floodplain ManagementConfirmed: covers NFIP floodplain management standards, local floodplain coordinators, and state floodplain/stream construction permits (KRS 151, 401 KAR 4:060) via eForms. Also the 'Floodplain Permits' link on the Division of Water permits index. |
| Water rights and wellsConstruction water, dust control and O&M wells: the state engineer, water board or environmental agency. | Water withdrawal permitsKentucky Division of Water |
| Property-tax incentive programState abatement or exemption programs for renewable generation, where one exists. | Incentive programs; no renewable-specific property tax exemptionKentucky Economic Development Finance Authority |
Federal portals (the same in every state)
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Act Section 404 / Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 | U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Request System: applications, pre-application meetings and jurisdictional determinations; the district office is by watershed. |
| Endangered species and critical habitat | U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIPaC: official species list and the Section 7 consultation path for the project footprint. |
| Tall structures (wind turbines, met towers) | Federal Aviation AdministrationForm 7460-1 notice through OE/AAA before construction above the 14 CFR 77.9 heights. |
| Construction stormwater where EPA is the permitting authority | U.S. EPAEPA's Construction General Permit (NeT eNOI) in New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, D.C., Indian country and the territories. |
| Projects on federal land | Bureau of Land ManagementRight-of-way applications and NEPA documents for BLM-managed land. |
| Transmission and wholesale market rules | Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOrder No. 2023 cluster-study reforms, followed by every FERC-jurisdictional transmission provider, RTO or utility; ERCOT has its own process. |
County and city pages for Kentucky
From the nationwide permit finder; counties and cities issue most land-use approvals, so start with the jurisdiction that covers the parcel.
- Kentucky — Water permitting programs (State): Kentucky environmental authority. Start with this agency for the linked water program. Check construction stormwater, wastewater and water-quality approvals separately; this link does not cover every environmental permit.
- Kentucky — Electric Generation and Transmission Siting Board (State): Kentucky energy / siting authority. Confirm technology, project size, location and the current state-versus-local approval pathway with this authority.
- Kentucky — local government contacts (City & local): State government / local-government association. Locate the relevant government using this directory; some directories list only cities or only counties. Confirm municipal boundaries and any separate fire, drainage, water or other district authority.
Other states
How this list is made. Each link was found on the agency's own site and is re-checked by a script that loads it and records the date; a link that stops answering is shown without a link rather than dropped. Programs change with each legislative session: confirm fees, forms and thresholds on the agency page before filing. General information, not legal advice. How we check our data · Report an error.