Laurel County, Kentucky
The Laurel County, Kentucky BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.
Rating Issue Date: February 24, 2026.
'A' ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.
Laurel County, KY holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating for Forest residuals, Sawmill residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Feb 2026, the rating certifies approximately 684,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mi driving distance from the center point (London, KY).
A ‘A’ rating is an investment grade rating, signalling a reliable, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Laurel County, KY’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- Declining trend in demand for pulpwood and some types of sawmill residuals.
- Regional pulpwood prices at historic lows.
- Mandated professional logger certification program ensures environmental sustainability of logging activities in the state.
- Project development site within six miles of downtown London with natural gas, three-phase electric, high speed internet, and heavy industrial zoning.
- Lack of logging contractors that own and operate mobile chippers and grinders.
- Mountainous terrain complicates forest residue recovery.
- Declining primary product markets increase long-term feedstock supply risk.
Infrastructure & sites
- Location: Bluegrass Boulevard, London, KY 40741; accessible via KY-80 and I-75 (Exit 41)
- Site Size: 173+ acres of developable land, fully subdivisible
- Availability: For sale, lease, or build-to-suit
- Overview: New 180-acre industrial park offering build-ready sites with strong transportation access
- Infrastructure: Electric (Jackson Energy – 3 Phase 1.5MW), Natural Gas (Delta – 4" line – 25 PSIG), Water (Wood Creek Water – 8" line), Wastewater (LUC. – 8" Force Main), Fiber (Windstream Kinetic)
- Development Activity: Planned 70,000 sq ft speculative building to anchor early growth
- Setting: Located near Daniel Boone National Forest, combining industrial access with natural surroundings
- Location: Greta Lane Business Park, London, KY; near US-25 and I-75
- Site Size: 40-acre industrial parcel (≈34.4 usable acres), fully divisible
- Availability: Vacant land + 105,000 sq ft speculative building (new, never occupied)
- Overview: Industrial-zoned site with no local permitting; utilities adjacent and development-ready
- Infrastructure: Electric (3-phase power; 14 MVA substation adjacent), Natural Gas (6" line), Water (12" line with 500K GPD capacity), Wastewater (8" sewer line), Fiber (Windstream/Spectrum)
- Development Activity: 105,000 sq ft spec building completed (2024)
- Incentives & Access: KPDI + NMTC eligible; Energy Community; access to CSX rail, I-75, and regional logistics
Local grants & incentives
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on April 27 signed legislation that creates a tiered tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that allows taxpayers to claim up to $3 per gallon in incentives. The credit is slated to be in effect from Jan. 1, 2029, through the end of 2034.
Contacts
