September News: Remembering Wendell Berry
We were overwhelmed this past week by the many, many social media posts from our members, friends and allies who shared their personal memories, stories and words of wisdom from Wendell Berry, who passed this week at the age of 92. Many of our readers, no doubt, have a favorite Wendell Berry poem or quote. Since much of our work is focused on Government, we had kept the following quote in a prominent space in the office:
“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do.”
The Kentucky Conservation Committee owes its very existence to the Berry family. Folks may not know that when KCC was formed in 1975, it was inspired by a panel discussion during a conference at the University of Kentucky that included Wendell and his brother Sen. John Berry Jr. The panel’s theme was on the need for an organized lobbying presence FOR the environment in Frankfort. Soon after that discussion, a group of attendees offered to hold a follow-up meeting to start building out this idea that formed the Kentucky Conservation Committee. At the urging of Senator Berry, the initial focus for the subsequent legislative session in 1976 would be the passage of a “bottle bill.” And while we were never quite able move the container legislation we wanted, the environmental community ended up with the capacity to have a regular presence to champion for environmental issues in state government.
The loss of Wendell is being felt by many of our dear friends and allies this week. But we are so lucky that his words will continue to carry with us and guide us for generations.
Want to do more? We suggest you support the Berry Center to continue his legacy
Left: A packed house at the Wild and Scenic Festival; Center: Auction is still live through Sept. 6 at noon; Right: Tell lawmakers how you feel about tax breaks for data centers
Updates and Issues
It was wonderful to see many members, supporters, and new friends at last week’s KCC Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Lexington. Friends packed the house, and we hope the evening provided a well-deserved break for many of the hard-working environmental activists who attended. If this is the first time you have attended a KCC event or visited our website, we hope you will take the time to learn more about our work. And please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about an issue or need a presentation to a local community group.
ACT: Online Auction is Still Live: You can continue to bid on several great items through Sept. 6th at Noon to benefit KCC’s foundation. Link Here.
KCC In the News
Our thanks to our friends at Progress Kentucky for inviting us to their Colonels of Truth podcast to talk about tax breaks for data centers and the recent actions on solar in Fayette County.
The Governor weighed in on the issue of limiting the impacts of data centers, but his actions also raised questions about whether or not his intentions would be impactful enough to address the concerns of the public. We were asked to weigh in, and you can read about it in this Kentucky Lantern piece.
Take Action: Have you told your lawmakers how you feel about tax breaks for data centers? You can do so at this link! (Please Share with friends)
Utility Affordability Case Opened
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) opened a formal statewide utility affordability investigation under Case No. 2026-00185 to examine the surging costs of residential electric and natural gas services. Launched in response to federal data revealing that average residential electricity prices in Kentucky spiked 21.8% between 2020 and 2025 (climbing from 10.87¢ to 13.24¢ per kWh), the probe functions as an "affordability docket". It brings together all regulated electric utilities and the state’s five largest natural gas companies to establish a comprehensive public record on the factors driving up customer bills. See the joint letter submitted by allies including KCC here. Our thanks to the Kentucky Sierra Club for leading the charge on this issue.
Solar Developments in Fayette County
One of the more contentious issues we have been engaging over the past few months has been around the debate on the use of intermediate and large-scale solar in Fayette County. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted 8–7 last week to advance a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (ZOTA) that permits intermediate and large-scale ground-mounted solar facilities in agricultural zones on up to 1% of Fayette County’s total acerage.
KCC often helps with education in communities around Kentucky where energy projects are proposed. When it comes to large-scale solar projects, we look at issues that can often be competing such as impacts to farmland, and opportunities to advance clean energy. Rather than look at these issues broadly, we look at each project on a case-by-case basis. When looking at the Fayette County situation, we looked at the community’s zero-emissions goals, the specifics of the property involved, and the constraints that would be placed on utility-scale solar to limit widespread impacts. We found the current ZOTA addressed many issues we like to see in a proposal such as monitoring soil health, smart design that incorporates combined grazing and beneficial plantings, and a cap on land used that should constrain the development to a single project adjacent to existing solar farms. The proposed developer, Silicon Ranch, has a comment form for citizens who choose to weigh in.
The final reading on this proposal will be on September 10th.