PRESS STATEMENT
November 20, 2008

KFTC Has High Hopes for a State Energy Plan

It is absolutely essential that for Kentucky to move forward economically and to improve the health of our residents, new forms of energy production and use are needed. The members of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth applaud the governor’s effort to take an important step in this direction and we look forward to helping improve the plan to put even more emphasis on sustainable and survivable forms of energy.

We see several ideas in this plan that Kentuckians want, such as increased efficiency and renewable energy like wind and solar, that we believe will mean a better future for Kentuckians. However, the governor’s determination to heavily increase Kentucky’s dependence on coal-based fuels — presumably at taxpayer expense — sends out alarms that the health of Kentuckians, the economic impact on low-income families, and the preservation of our environment will not improve.

This plan is a golden opportunity to provide a vision for a new, clean energy future for Kentucky. Earlier this fall, KFTC set forth three goals for the state’s new energy plan:

1)    it must do no more harm and work to stop the harm now being done.
2)    it must make sure affordable energy remains accessible to all Kentuckians.
3)    it must take advantage of the growing green economy or we face being left behind.

A good energy plan will do these things.  We question whether the governor’s plan addresses these goals in a meaningful way. At first glance it appears that this proposal does not, and instead focuses on a new round of subsidies to the coal industry.

KFTC believes that we have to acknowledge that our past and present dependence on coal for electricity in a carbon constrained future looms as a menacing financial and environmental liability. New coal plants, in their various forms, are expensive and will continue the upward spiral of electricity rates. Experimental coal sequestration technology, decades away, could increase the cost of electricity another 50 to 80 percent. Clearly, this path is making electricity less accessible to lower income families and creating a burden for small businesses.

Kentuckians want a renewable and clean path forward, evidenced by recent polling (see attached) that revealed the number one priority identified by the largest number of Kentucky residents as “transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind” (43 percent).
The second most-popular priority was “increased emphasis on energy efficiency/cutting wasted energy” (30 percent). Few state residents picked nuclear power (7 percent) and “more coal mining” (12 percent) as their top priorities.

The members of KFTC look forward to studying the proposal in detail and participating in an open and accountable process for providing meaningful input and improvements to this plan. KFTC pledges to work hand-in-hand with our elected officials to support, strengthen and implement forward-looking energy policies, including aspects of the plan that was announced today. And we will also redouble our efforts to pass federal legislation addressing climate change, protecting our rivers and streams, and improving enforcement of existing mining laws.