Dear Representative ,

On behalf of the 4,200 members of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, I am writing to urge you to discourage Governor Fletcher from calling a special session later this month. 

A special session is not in the best interest of Kentucky residents and taxpayers. There is no compelling public purpose that requires lawmakers to return to Frankfort at this time. We agree with those who have stated that a special session will be politically charged and unproductive. 

We also have deep reservations about the proposed policies, particularly a wide array of subsidies for coal-to-liquid fuel facilities. We believe this technology represents the dirtiest and most expensive gamble we could make with Kentucky’s energy future. Coal-to-liquid fuels produce twice the carbon dioxide (a major contributor to global warming) pollution as petroleum-based diesel fuel. In 2004 the cost of a new coal-to-liquid facility was $7 billion, four times the cost of a new petroleum refinery. Replacing America’s addiction to oil with an addiction to coal will also increase the pressure on our mountains, headwater streams, and hardwood forests from mining. Kentuckians should not be asked to subsidize this leap in the wrong direction. 

Please don’t rush to approve massive new subsidies for coal without a full and public accounting of the costs and risks of such a policy. The fiscal note for HB 5, for example, states that the future costs to the public treasury are “indeterminable” but could be significant. There are many other unknowns to consider, including the economic impact of federal legislation to limit carbon emissions. Given the demands on the General Fund for education, health care and our long-term obligations to state employees, I urge you not to be in any hurry to pass subsidies that will erode scarce public resources. 

KFTC looks forward to working with you and other lawmakers over the coming months to develop forward-looking energy policies that can lead to a better future for Kentuckians. HB 5 does contain some positive ideas that could provide the foundation for a clean energy policy in Kentucky, including measures to increase energy efficiency and invest in clean, renewable energy sources. However, these issues are complex and require significant public discussion and scrutiny. 

Thank you for your consideration. I would be pleased to talk with you further about these issues. 

Sincerely,

Doug Doerrfeld, KFTC chairperson