Kentuckians for Energy Democracy
Working towards a democratic, equitable and resilient energy system for all Kentuckians
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Whether your concern is affordability and avoiding shutoffs, pushing back against monopoly utilities or renewable energy and climate, everyone is impacted by the decisions that our utilities make in planning for the future.
The Public Service Commission is the regulatory agency that oversees those plans and the public has an opportunity to participate in the process. Together, we are educating our friends and neighbors about the PSC, engaging in the public process and pushing for more transparency, representation and equity in the decisions made. |
Who are we? |
Kentuckians for Energy Democracy (K4ED) is a network of 10+ organizations working to ensure equitable and resilient utility systems that protect our health, environment and climate. Currently, that work is centered around a campaign to increase transparency, participation and equity in the Public Service Commission by educating and engaging Kentuckians to empower our commissioners to implement policy changes at the PSC to institutionalize our goals. Want to become a member or find out more? Email Kentuckians4EnergyDemocracy@gmail.com
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Why the Public Service Commission? |
The Public Service Commission makes important decisions every day that impact everything from our monthly electric bills to our access to clean, affordable water to our community health. Even though there are ways for the public and public advocates to participate in the process there are many barriers that make it difficult. Which means that oftentimes the utility companies are the only people they hear from. There are many ways that we can increase public participation and demand more transparency, democracy and resiliency in utility regulation.
We know that there are a lot of major changes that are needed to build a safe, healthy, affordable and clean energy future in Kentucky. Many of the things we need will require legislative changes. But we also know that the chance of passing progressive energy legislation in our legislature is unlikely at best. We can make meaningful improvements in people’s lives by increasing the energy democracy in our Public Service Commission. |
If the Public Service Commission doesn't hear from us, they are only hearing from the monopoly utilities. They can't make the best decisions possible without all of the information.
Thank You!Together we organized the biggest turn out of public comments in an Integrated Resource Plan, ever! We had over two dozen people give oral comments and 150+ written comments submitted. So many public comments were submitted that the lawyers for LG&E and KU felt the need to publicly respond.
Now, the experts are submitted post-hearing data and the PSC staff is working on it's response to LG&E and KU's woefully inadequate plan for the next 15 years. Stay tuned for our next move or join one of our campaign working teams to help move the work forward in holding utilities accountable for protecting us by shaping a more democratic, transparent, and equitable energy system starting with the PSC |
What's an Integrated Resource Plan?
Every three years our electric utilities are required to submit a plan called an Integrated Resource Plan, or IRP. This plan outlines their projected capacity needs and how they plan to meet those needs over the next fifteen years. The Public Service Commission reviews these plans and can ask for more information or require different planning scenarios to be examined. Even though the plans are not enforceable they are important and can be referenced in future rate cases. |
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