Policy set by state lawmakers could increase the cost of electricity for Kentucky residents by billions of dollars by 2050.
That’s the conclusion of a 65-page report released in December by the Kentucky Resources Council, Earthjustice, the Mountain Association and the Metropolitan Housing Council.
In an interview with Eastern Standard, Kentucky Resources Council attorney Byron Gary said laws passed in 2023 make it more difficult for utilities to retire fossil fuel generation, such as coal and gas.
That, he said, exposes Kentucky electricity customers to volatile costs.
“Things like the possibility of prices going through the roof, as they did say in the post covid or after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia," he said, "we saw gas prices go through the roof, and, relatedly, saw the cost of electricity go through the roof.”
He also said the policy exposes Kentucky electricity customers to increased pollution.
"And aside from those greenhouse gas emissions, each of these fossil fuel plants produces a great amount of what we call more traditional pollutants, things like smog and soot and particulate matter and sulfur dioxide and things like that," he said. "So it would have a big impact, particularly on those who live nearby those power plants."
The report recommends cheaper, cleaner generation, including wind, solar, and battery storage.
Hear more of this discussion with Byron Gary on Eastern Standard on WEKU.
