Directing your Civic Advocacy
At a time when our federal policies are fluid and creating tremendous uncertainty, it can be be exhausting and a challenge to figure out how best to direct your energy for maximum impact lately.But it was great to see many friends and allies at recent “action days” such as the Hands Off events in April and No Kings events in June where there were sixteen organized events throughout the state as reported in the Kentucky Lantern.
Spectrum News reported on June 9 that for three straight months, more Kentuckians have registered to vote under other political affiliations like Independent or Libertarian than Republican and Democratic party registrations combined, according to Secretary of State Michael Adams, R-Ky.
Under Kentucky law, those who don’t select one of the two major parties on their registration cannot vote in partisan primaries for federal or state offices.
Secretary of State Michael Adams said the surge in voter registrations of other affiliations points to the polarization of the Republican and Democratic parties.
Voter Resources
Now more than ever, citizens are becoming more active in their civic participation, prompted by the recent “No Kings” rallies. Now is a great time to network with your friends and neighbors about the importance of civic engagement. So let’s cover the basics. You can register people to vote at Vote.gov. You can also register people at Kentucky’s Online Voter Registration Page. And of course, KCC has more resources on our voter resources page.
New Bills in Effect
Kentucky lawmakers passed more than 100 bills during the 2025 legislative session. Here are some that go into effect at the end of June.
Above: Selected highlights from the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources, addressing “large load” customers including data centers.
Controversy Continues on Data Centers
Lawmakers who were part of the first Joint Interim meeting of the Natural Resources & Energy Committee met in Northern Kentucky on June 18 to discuss the challenges that our utilities are having to accommodate “large load” demands, primarily Data Center projects.
These kinds of projects have created capacity issues in many states and are now ramping up in Kentucky. While data centers have been part of our economy for decades, the landscape changed significantly starting in the 1990s with the evolution of microprocessors and client/server computer models. Different types of data centers can power core economic development needs such as cloud computing and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence—and they can also power less vital services such as Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency mining, which can use massive amounts of energy. Read more about this industry and its environmental impacts, as well as helpful resources, on KCC’s Data Center page.
This issue is creating immediate impacts for Kentucky due to new proposals to expand dirty fossil energy to accommodate the industry demands. If you live in the LG&E/KU territory, you will have the opportunity to provide public comments on proposals to expand dirty energy. You can find more information about these proposals at this link. KCC is one of many partner groups in the Kentuckians for Energy Democracy coalition that is driving public comments on proposals that impact our energy supply and affordability.
Nuclear Updates
KCC and our friends at the Nuclear Information Resource Service (NIRS) will be holding a webinar on July 10th to update you on the state’s past and current actions on the development of the nuclear energy industry in Kentucky, and to answer your questions about nationwide trends and technologies in this industry. Register for the webinar HERE. We will send you a link after you register.
The Public Service Commission is now bringing a case to discuss and investigate concerns and potential areas involving nuclear energy, and is making all of the state’s regulated utilities a party to this investigation (Case #2025-00186). So now is the time to get up to speed on what is happening in the nuclear space and its potential environmental impacts. We hope to see you (virtually) on July 10th.
More Upcoming Events- Register Now!
August 29: KCC hosts the KCC Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Lexington Ky. Details here.
October 18: Louisville Earth Walk. More info here.