KCC July Update
Bills Take Effect: The Kentucky General Assembly passed 234 bills during this year’s legislative session, and most took effect on July 14th. The Kentucky Constitution specifies that new laws take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature unless they have special effective dates, are general appropriation measures, or include emergency clauses that make them effective immediately upon becoming law. Final adjournment of the 2022 session was on April 14, making July 14 the effective date for most bills, including the Anti-SLAPP bill H.B. 222, which offers those who speak out against a matter of public interest protection from strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPP lawsuits.
KCC continues to monitor the activities of lawmakers during the Interim legislative session. You may view the Interim Session calendar here.
KCC Outreach: We’ve been having a great time this Summer getting out to visit all of you over the past couple months. At the end of June, we had the opportunity to visit with Henry Clay Center’s High School Congress as part of a discussion panel that included KCC’s Lane Boldman, KRC’s Ashley Wilmes, and Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Ashley Runyon. The students asked great questions about environmental policy and we were glad to be invited.
This month KCC will be presenting, along with Kentucky’s Homeless and Housing Coalition to the New York based advocacy United Women in Faith and their Climate Justice constituents on some of the work happening in Kentucky to support environmental justice issues and energy democracy. KCC and KHHC are both participants in the Kentuckians for Energy Democracy Coalition, that recently helped to promote citizen engagement to the Public Service Commission on the Integrated Resource Plan for Louisville Gas & Electric/Kentucky Utilities. We want to thank all of the KCC members and supporters who commented on the integrated resource plan.
We’ve also been doing some voter outreach activities over the Summer to see how the voting public in Kentucky views some of the issues we are working on, such as the controversy over farmland and large-scale solar, or how to improve outdoor access for all. If you would like to help us with our voter outreach efforts, please email us! And then check out KCC’s newly updated Voter Resource page to keep current on who is running and important voter deadlines.
Biodiversity Updates
Roadside Management for Bees: Good news from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet…Kentucky roadsides are being transformed into pollinator habitats! Many drivers are accustomed to seeing neatly trimmed grass bordering state roadways, but now, you may see something a little different. While areas next to roads (about a 15-foot strip) continue to be mowed routinely, outside of these locations KYTC mows less often. The goal of less frequent mowing is to expand pollinator habitat and foster the growth of native plants, including colorful wildflowers. So, while areas being mowed less often may seem a bit overgrown, this is necessary to transform roadside habitat!
A pilot of this program began in 2020. Statewide implementation on select routes began in 2021. See more in this recent WHAS story.
Tree Cutting Update: During the 2022 legislative session, House Bill 485 (Timoney) attempted to address major concerns raised over the cutting of trees in Louisville and Lexington by their utilities. The bill would have required electric utilities regulated by the Public Service Commission to have a vegetation management plan, with maintenance to be performed in conformance with ANSI standards endorsed by the International Society of Arborculture among its provisions. While the bill barely moved this session, the Lexington Urban County Council is set to vote on a potential compromise agreement with Kentucky Utilities in August that some residents still find lacking.
Energy Transition/Climate Change Updates
Cryptocurrency and Energy use: KCC continues to receive inquiries about the energy use of Bitcoin and other “proof of work”-based digital currency operations. Most companies, like those operating traditional data centers, have built-in financial incentives to make their operations more efficient. The curious characteristic of Bitcoin’s “proof of work” protocol is that it is wasteful by design. The incentives baked into Bitcoin’s code make it so that more and more electricity – not less – will need to be wasted over time to maintain the system. This is not the case for cryptocurrencies that use energy-efficient approaches like “proof of stake” or consensus protocols which eliminate the need for mining.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D.-Mass.) is seeking action from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to make cryptocurrency miners report their energy use and emissions (see story here) and KCC has received several inquiries on activities in Kentucky. Check out the latest news and resources on this issue on KCC’s Cryptocurrency web page where you will find more resources on this topic.
Nuclear power: KCC now has updated its website to include the legislative history and resources on nuclear energy. This June article from National Public Radio on nuclear power outlines a good example on where the environmental debate stands today.
Oil and Gas: During the 2022 legislative session, H.B.669 and S.B. 323 were passed to take maximum advantage of federal funding to address Kentucky’s abandoned oil and gas wells. The Division of Oil and Gas has received numerous inquiries pertaining to the Federal Infrastructure Act Orphan Well Plugging Initiative, and you can contact OrphanWells@ky.gov which has been established by the Energy and Environment Cabinet as a public reporting tool for landowners and concerned citizens to report orphan wells in their area that need inspector follow-up. In many cases, reported wells may not be orphans, but site inspections by the Kentucky Division of Oil and Gas can determine the status of those reported wells.
Upcoming Events
KCC is looking forward to once again be a part of Kentucky Heartwood’s annual Music Festival, which will be on Saturday, July 30th. We’ll be speaking about the continuing evolution of solar energy in Kentucky and we hope to see you there!
News from KCC Partner Groups
We want to highlight an upcoming event from the Bluegrass Group Sierra Club (a KCC partner group) where they will be featuring a special program from Kentucky Heartwood (another KCC partner group!). The meeting will be virtual on Zoom, this Monday, July 18th, 7PM. Meeting Registration Here.
The Kentucky Sierra Club is also hiring the a statewide Director. See details here.