A Time for Planning and Engaging
At this time of year (during the interim legislative period) the Kentucky Conservation Committee not only continues to engage with lawmakers, but we also work with our partner groups and coalitions on collective long-range strategies on specific issues. This is the time that we reach out to our conservation and environmental groups for one-on-ones to compare top priorities as part of our work to assist these groups on legislative and policy matters. If you are part of an environmental nonprofit, we encourage you to reach out to us on your legislative needs— we would love to support your priority campaigns through our focused capacities.
A new rooftop solar installation at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension office, and some of the internal infrastructure used to provide this clean energy.
This past week, we had the privilege to be part of a planning discussion with several of our allies on recent energy trends, including deep discussions on how to better coordinate that work. Afterwards, we were treated to a demonstration of the extensive rooftop solar installation at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Service office. The 164-panel solar array at this facility is expected to supply 98% of the Extension office’s net annual electricity needs, using a net metering agreement with Kentucky Utilities. The battery back-up system will supply critical loads during grid outages, enabling the Extension office to continue operations and offer community services during potential community emergencies.The 45 kilowatt (AC) project uses solar PV panels and four Tesla Powerwall batteries, and is expected to save the Extension office over $10,000 annually in electricity costs. The project was installed by Daily Green Power of Elizabethtown as part of the Solarize Frankfort project.
Planning for In-District work
KCC has also been working one-on-one with our partners, such as the Kentucky Sierra Club, on helping them build out their in-district citizen lobby teams along with their national organization. In-district teams can provide important ongoing relationship-building between you and your representatives. If you have an engaged group who wants to build out a local strategy to build relationships with your lawmakers, or simply want to be part of an in-district team strategy, please contact us and we can assist you.
Will Ky. Land a Key Clean Industrial Project or Not?
KCC collaborates with many national partner initiatives as well as local, and over the past two years we have been participating as a partner group within the Sustainable Aluminum Network (SAN), which is focused on building a zero-carbon domestic aluminum supply chain by 2030. The U.S. Department of Energy has laid out a roadmap for how we reach these industrial decarbonization goals, and as part of our work with SAN, we have been their Kentucky representative for work on Century Aluminum’s proposed “green” smelter.
This past week, an extensive article by Canary Media detailed the latest on the opportunities for Kentucky—and the challenges—in building this Century Aluminum project. KCC was glad to be a part of the interviews for this article, along with our friends at the Kentucky Sierra Club. KCC also directed the reporter to some of the exciting clean energy projects happening in Eastern Kentucky that could play a part in a clean industrial sector future. Century Aluminum already owns two aging smelters in western Kentucky, and the potential of this “green smelter” project is expected to create over 5500 construction jobs and more than 1000 full-time union jobs. If built in eastern Kentucky as hoped, the $5 billion project would mark the region’s largest investment on record. But while Kentucky is still the preferred location for this project, the clean energy opportunities still will have supply challenges to address in the potential service territories which could include Kentucky Power and/or Eastern Kentucky Power Co-Operative (EKPC).
So there are still many challenges to overcome before we know which state will ultimately be the home for this job-creator. Fortunately, as we mentioned in our previous blog, it was announced that EKPC will be one of sixteen recipients of the USDA’s New ERA program to help finance clean energy systems, which might help.
Update on Wildlife Crossings Pilot
In December of 2023, The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) was awarded $1.2 million to develop Kentucky’s first Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Plan in parallel with a pilot corridor study focused on the US-60/I-64 Corridor to evaluate segments between the Louisville Metropolitan Area and Frankfort, Kentucky. The grant award was part of a two-year effort by the Kentucky Conservation Committee to alert and support the Cabinet to potential funding from the Federal Wildlife Corridor Pilot Program — part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The statewide plan includes a study to correlate data from different sources along with wildlife habitat data and roadway data to identify priority areas to reduce wildlife collisions and improve habitat connectivity across the state.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding its initial meeting to discuss the study’s vision and goals, review available data, planned technical analysis and explore partnership opportunities in early October. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us.
Nuclear Developments- Committee Named
Last legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 198, which establishes the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority to serve as the non-regulatory state government agency on nuclear energy issues and to support and facilitate the development of nuclear energy in Kentucky. The bill gave KCC the authority to designate a "representative for environmental interests" to this advisory board and was part of the work group that produced the background report preceding this authority. But we remain concerned about the substantial environmental and financial risks of nuclear development, especially in light of Kentucky's pernicious management of nuclear sites in the past, and the potential to shift those risks to Kentuckians and utility customers instead of utilities and their shareholders.
KCC recommended three very qualified experts to serve as the environmental representative and environmental watchdog for this new Authority, and last week the Governor selected from our recommendations former Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Natter, an environmental attorney in Lexington.
Committee appointments representing other sectors included Christopher Perry representing the electric distribution cooperatives; Don Gulley and Don Mosier representing the generation and transmission cooperatives; Justin Maierhofer representing the Tennessee Valley Authority; Cory Hicks representing nuclear site remediation services; Keith Hamilton representing manufacturers; and Mark Workman representing commercial interests.
While we appreciated being able to play a role in the appointment of a representative for environmental interests, we certainly continue to agree with the concerns raised by the Governor in his veto message about the constitutionality of this Authority.
Biodiversity Updates
Do you know of outstanding individuals and organizations/natural areas who should be recognized for their work on invasive species management and/or research in Kentucky? The Kentucky Invasive Plant Council board will be recognizing these leaders at their upcoming Fall Conference in November. Please take a moment to consider nominating someone you know who is doing exemplary work in this field. Nominations are due 10/30/2024 EOD. Information here.