Building a Better Kentucky
Each year, the state’s Energy and Environment Cabinet hosts the Governor’s Conference on Energy and Environment, a two-day conference to highlight trends and accomplishments relating to energy issues, land conservation, water quality, and all other issues under the Cabinet’s jurisdiction.
We’ve been attending these conferences for some time, with each year having a unique flavor or emphasis. This year, there were strong themes around resilient infrastructure, diversifying the state’s energy mix, and panels on the evolving regulatory challenges around toxics and water quality.
Governor Beshear and Secretary Goodman greet the audience at this years conference.
Governor Andy Beshear kicked off the event, highlighting his Better Kentucky Plan to use the $6.5 billion allocated through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to build stronger communities in every corner of the commonwealth. The Governor touted the progress made to date on the rebuilding of areas in the Commonweath hit by tornadoes and floods.
While the issue of climate change was barely mentioned by name during the two days of presentations, there were plenty of references to these implications through panels on Disaster Response and Community Planning, and a panel on the Governor’s High Ground initiative to rebuild the flood-impacted areas of Eastern Kentucky and address how these communities are preparing for future events. There have been four of these high ground initiatives announced to date, with more anticipated. The Governor was able to announce progress on the environmental review of the “Skyview” project to build 125 high-ground homes.
Location maps and proposals for “High Ground” communities in Eastern Kentucky.
What is exciting about the initiative is not just the opportunity to rebuild in more flood-resistant locations, but to also rebuild with more energy-efficient housing stock. The Cabinet also has plans to pair projects in some locations with their recent application to participate in the Solar for All program being offered by the EPA through the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. If the state’s grant is successful, some of these projects will be planning to integrate solar with storage as part of their redevelopment.
An energy-efficient, solar-ready Clayton modular home and electric vehicles were on display.
And one way to make this redevelopment a reality was illustrated through the on-site demonstration of a new energy-efficient Clayton modular home that is also solar-ready and reinforced to withstand strong weather events. This was paired with an on-site demonstration of electric cars supplied by our friends at the Evolve Electric Vehicle group.
Other conference highlights included panels on the challenges to incorporate community engagement and workforce development into these multiple projects to build resilient and regenerative communities.
This year’s conference also included a deep discussion around addressing issues related to PFAS (Per-/Poly Fluroalkyl) chemicals in our waterways and treatment plants. PFAS are a group of chemicals first developed in the 1940s that have been widely used around the world, in products such as Teflon, food packaging, industrial products, and aqueous fill forming foam (AFFF) used for firefighting. This class of chemicals has a tenacious bond that does not break down in the environment, and migrates readily in groundwater. The chemicals can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms. The Cabinet has been collecting data on both surface waters and fish tissue, where the chemicals have been detected in a significant amount of their samples. During the last several legislative sessions, Rep. Nima Kulkarni had filed bills that would begin to address this contaminant, and we anticipate a revised bill for this year as well.
The conference timed with the announcement by the White House last week on projects receiving $7 billion in funding for Regional Hydrogen Hub development, and the potential implications for Kentucky. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be funding seven projects nationwide, and Kentucky has affiliations with two of these announced hubs: the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (Arch2) and the Midwest Hydrogen Hub. Companies in Kentucky such as Toyota have been developing Hydrogen Fuel Cell infrastructure for transportation while other sectors are looking to hydrogen as an option for certain heavy-industry and hard-to-decarbonize applications. To learn more about the history of Hydrogen development in Kentucky, visit our Hydrogen resource page.
Wild and Scenic Film Festival to Benefit KCC,
Oct. 20th- See You tonight!
(Live in-person and virtual—Tickets must be purchased in advance)
Eleven great short outdoor adventure films, door prizes, and a silent auction! [Auction bidding open now with more items soon to come!] Join us on Friday, October 20th for KCC’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the historic Lyric Theatre in Lexington, and also being offered as a virtual option so you can join us for the event anywhere in the state. The event is a benefit for KCC, so we hope to see you there! Thanks to our local feature sponsor: Solar Energy Solutions, And supporting sponsors: Paladin Engineers, J and H Outdoors, Wild Birds Unlimited (Lexington), Canoe Kentucky, Pedal Power Bike Shop, Republic Bank, Good Foods Co-Op, Michler’s Florist, and Oakford Multimedia
Purchase Tickets HERE. And for a full list of the films, visit our webpage for the event.