July Updates and Events
New Laws Take Effect
According to the Legislative Research Commission, state lawmakers passed more than 170 bills during the 2023 legislative session, and the Kentucky Constitution states that new laws take effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns, which means that June 29th was the effective date for most of these new laws (Some bills have special effective dates, are general appropriation measures, or include emergency clauses that made them effective immediately upon becoming law).
Two of the bills that KCC highlighted this past session that became effective during this last week of June included House Bill 236 on “Environmental/Social/Governance” investing and certain portions of Senate bill 150 relating to school policies, including those dealing with gender identity.
You may find the full list of laws that took effect last week at this link.
Interim Session/Meet Your Lawmakers
The Interim Session is a great time to meet with your lawmakers to discuss the issues most important to you and your community. KCC is meeting with lawmakers all during the interim session, both in Frankfort and in their home districts. We are glad to help train groups and individuals on “best practices” and provide tips when meeting your lawmakers. We’re also glad to accompany you on any meetings you wish to have with your lawmakers for additional support. Please contact us!
Federal News
Coal Ash: Kentucky currently has 68 coal ash dumpsites in the state—and is one of the top coal ash generating states. A proposal announced in May would for the first time require safe management of so-called coal ash dumped in hundreds of older landfills, “legacy” ponds and other inactive sites that currently are unregulated at the federal level.This EPA rule would force their cleanup. Earthjustice has published a list of Kentucky sites here. The EPA is taking public comments on the proposed rule from now through July 17th. Visit EPA's "Coal Combustion Residuals" webpage for info on how to comment.
Federal Funding to Support Clean Energy, Land & Watersheds, and Reduce Carbon: You’ve heard us talk about federal incentives that pack an environmental punch, such as ones in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. There are plenty of resources you can find on the web to help navigate the many climate-saving benefits within these programs. But with multiple initiatives and deadlines, it can be intimidating to find the right ones to suit your needs. We particularly like this spreadsheet provided by the Rocky Mountain Institute, which provides a good breakdown of IRA programs in both the energy and land-use sectors, along with who can benefit from these programs. If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact us and we will be glad to assist you.
Solar for all: Different programs within the Act are being rolled out on a regular basis. One of the more recent rollouts includes the “Solar for All” program—a $7 billion grant competition for rooftop and residential solar. The deadline for eligible participants to apply to this grant competition is September 26, 2023. More info here and here. An EPA webinar on this program will be held on July 12. Register here.
Home Electrification: Another great resource to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act provisions is this guide from Rewiring America that walks you through the different programs and incentives to help electrify your home.
Rural Co-Ops: The Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program within the Inflation Reduction Act is a provision to help rural Americans transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. By reducing air and water pollution, New ERA funding can improve health outcomes and lower energy costs for people in rural communities. This program funding will be available to member-owned rural electric cooperatives. If you get your power from a member-owned rural electric co-operative, we would love to talk to you about this program. Please contact us!
U.S. Dept. of Energy Supporting Clean Energy and Jobs in Kentucky: The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment for a loan of up to $9.2 billion to BlueOval SK LLC (BOSK) for the construction of three manufacturing plants (two in Kentucky, one in Tennessee) to produce batteries for Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles (EVs), enabling more than 120 gigawatt hours of U.S. battery production annually and displace more than 455 million gallons of gasoline per year for the lifetime of the vehicles powered by these batteries. The project is expected to create a total of approximately 5,000 constructions jobs in Tennessee and Kentucky, and 7,500 operations jobs once the plants are up and running. More info here.
Advocacy News/Take Action
KCC is a partner of Kentuckians for Energy Democracy, which has been leading a campaign for the past four years to improve public engagement at the Public Service Commission and to hold utilities accountable to provide the clean, affordable, just energy future we need and deserve. Our latest campaign is to generate comments around Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, on their proposed plans for one of the biggest, most important cases in recent history. We encourage you to comment. You can find sample comments here.
Upcoming Events
Ky Heartwood Music Festival July 29th: KCC will be participating in the 17th Annual Kentucky Heartwood Music Festival, which will be held from 3-10PM on July 29th at the Millville Community Center near Frankfort, Kentucky. The event is a fundraiser in support of our friends and allies at Kentucky Heartwood. The day will include art, food, and fun, as well as a kid’s music competition. Come visit our booth! More info here.
KCC hosting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on October 20th- Be a sponsor! KCC will once again be holding a screening of the nationwide “Wild & Scenic Film Festival” in Lexington on October 20th at the historic Lyric Theatre. Right now we are soliciting for event sponsors, so if you or your company or organization is interested in supporting the Lexington screening of this nationwide festival, Please fill out this form if you would like to sponsor the event!