In the News

Statement On U.S. House Energy, Climate and Grid Security Subcommittee Hearing “Powering America’s Economy, Security, and Our Way of Life: Examining the State of Grid Reliability”Frankfort, K.Y.  – Dependable Power First Kentucky is issuing the following statement regarding yesterday’s U.S. House of Representatives Energy, Climate, and Grid Subcommittee Hearing on the state of electric grid…

Louisville Public Media ran a story on August 31 titled “Fossil fuels failed Kentucky utility customers during winter blackouts.” [Fossil fuels failed Kentucky utility customers during winter blackouts] The story centered on the failure of LG&E/KU to prevent rolling blackouts for its customers during Winter Storm Elliott.  However, the story missed a few very important…

In a recent opinion piece for the Pineville Sun-Courier, Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley called attention to the risks of prematurely retiring essential, baseload power plants, including higher electric bills and reduced grid dependability. As Judge Mosley writes, “Growth and prosperity start with affordable and reliable power. Coal has consistently been the cheapest form…

Electric reliability isn’t just an issue for Kentucky. Across the country, our power grids are on the brink of failure. On August 21st, The Mercury published a guest column by Consumer Action for a Strong Economy President Matthew Kandrach describing how the current EPA’s energy policy is threatening our nation’s energy grid. “The EPA’s newest…

Last Friday, The Messenger reported that the Kentucky public and state officials are increasingly concerned by proposals to retire baseload power plants across the state. “I am unaware of a single case where a coal plant was closed down that there wasn’t a rate increase,” said State Representative Wade Williams at Public Services Commission hearing….

“We are concerned about being in a supply crunch at the end of this decade.” That was the warning issued by PJM state and member services head Asim Z. Haque before the Kentucky State Legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on Thursday. Over the next decade and beyond, PJM is planning to…

On Tuesday, LINK North Kentucky published an op-ed by America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth on looming threats to Kentucky’s electric reliability. As she explains, The reliability crisis is particularly acute in Kentucky, where retirements of fuel-secure resources like coal are taking place at a uniquely rapid pace…This cannot continue. Instead of artificially forcing…

On July 22, the Lexington Herald Ledger reported on upcoming public meetings for input on Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric’s plans to retire some of their coal-fired and natural gas plants: The PSC is hosting five public meetings where people can share their thoughts on and get information about the plan, including one…

On July 5, Utility Drive reported on a letter by Senators John Barrasso and Shelly Moore Capito calling for input from FERC on the potential impact of newly proposed emissions limits from power plants on grid reliability. Republican Sens. John Barrasso, Wyo., and Shelley Moore Capito, W. Va., are asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission…

On July 3rd, the Kentucky Lantern published an article describing how Kentucky Power’s decision to cut coal capacity directly contributed to failures during Winter Storm Elliot. Notable excerpts include: The Kentucky PSC in its orders cited several planning failures related to the winter storm:  Kentucky Power knew it had a power supply shortfall after exiting…