The company that had proposed to build a wind and solar farm in eastern Henderson County is pulling up its stakes.
There have been multiple reports that letters were sent to landowners who have signed a lease to build wind turbines on their land, and those letters included terms for terminating the contracts.
After receiving this information, the Hendersonian reached out to Pattern Energy, which this spring acquired Cordelio Power, the company that had been pursuing a project in eastern Henderson County called Rock Bluff Energy Park that was proposed to include wind turbines and solar panels.
A spokesperson for Pattern sent a very brief statement that said the project has “concluded development.”
The statement in its entirety said:
“After careful consideration, Pattern has concluded development on the Rock Bluff Energy Park and has notified participating landowners. We are grateful for the time and consideration that project landowners and Henderson County residents gave the project throughout the process.”
Letters that landowners have received say much the same.
In one it was stated that it is no longer feasible to pursue the project.
Another sent to the Hendersonian is titled, “Release and Termination of Land Lease and Easement.”
“Now therefore, Lessee hereby terminates the Lease pursuant to the terms of said Lease and does hereby remise, release, quit claim and relinquish all of its respective right, title and interest under the terms of said Lease, as evidenced by the Memorandum and the County Clerk’s Office is authorized to discharge the same of record.”
The statement from Pattern gives no specific reasons for the company’s withdrawal from the project.
But hints at a move like this can be seen in recent Henderson City-County Planning Commission public hearings that are being held specifically for that body to gather information to eventually write a wind energy conversion systems ordinance and send that recommendation to the Henderson Fiscal Court for action.
Specifically, representatives of the Rock Bluff Energy Park project were not present at the last two such public hearings, prompting Planning Commissioner Frank Boyett to ask where they were and wonder if—by not having representatives present—the planning commission were being led down a path that would create an uneven ordinance that could spur a lawsuit.
“If they’re not here to present their case, what are we to do?” Boyett asked.
The Rock Bluff Energy Park proposal has been a contentious issue in the county since late spring of 2025, when officials representing the prroject submitted its proposal to the Federal Aviation Administration so it could conduct an aeronautical study. In the information given to the FAA, there were 93 possible sites where a wind turbine could be located.
Cordelio officials at the time said those 93 sites were greater than what it was proposing because the study needed to entail everywhere a wind turbine could be located so that any obstructions could be identified. At the time, Cordelio said the final plan would not hold 93 turbines, but instead somewhere between 50-70.
Soon after that study was made public, Henderson County residents organized, most notably with the Facebook group Henderson County Concerned Citizens (HC3). From then on, a core group of community residents attended every Henderson Fiscal Court and Henderson City-County Planning Commission meeting.
Later, another group, The Henderson KY Responsible Land Use Coalition, formed. This group has conducted detailed research and has presented its findings during the public hearings that the planning commission is conducting to gather information and public comment regarding WECS.
Although Pattern has pulled the plug on the project, the planning commission still has a directive to write and recommend a WECS ordinance. That work is scheduled to continue.
The next scheduled public hearing regarding WECS is scheduled for 6 p.m., Sept. 16, in the Fiscal Court Courtroom in the old courthouse.urthouse.
