Louisville Gas & Electric

and Kentucky Utilities

The PSC has issued it's decision!
Your comments made a difference- Past commissions have rubber stamped utility proposals. But with record public comments calling for approval of the proposed renewables and coal retirements and no new fossil fuels, we were able to get the PSC to meet us in the middle.

  • Approved all of the proposed solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency
  • Approved half of the coal unit retirements and 
  • Denied one of the proposed natural gas plants
  • Left the door open to retire the remaining proposed coal plants 
  • Approved their new energy efficiency and DSM proposal (we need more!) and pushed the utilities to do a better job engaging with stakeholders during the planning process in the future
  • ​This was the first case to test the new legislation (SB4) that aims to limit the retirement of coal plants and has now set the precedent that coal plants can be retired while maintaining grid reliability and resiliency.

We feel incredibly proud of the way Kentuckians have shown up in this case to make it clear that we don’t want to lock ourselves into risky gas plants.

Over 400 public comments were submitted, we packed the room at four public meetings, and our public advocacy interveners brought strong evidence to support the need for utilities to invest in us through renewable energy and energy efficiency.

​THANK YOU!

But we’re still going to pay for their bad decisions. 
  • If the approved 40-year gas plant is built, we will have to pay for its construction (which will come with a future rate case) and we will likely be on the hook when future carbon regulations push utilities away from fossil fuels altogether (stranded assets). 
  • We’re disappointed in LG&E and KU. They could have invested much more in energy efficiency and programs to help customers lower their bills and financing options that would make rooftop solar affordable and accessible for everyone. Instead of leading us into the future, they chose to continue business as usual. We deserve better. 

This isn’t the end. We will keep fighting the proposed natural gas plant. Just because it was approved by the PSC, doesn’t mean it will get built. 
  • We were loud and clear that we will oppose any new fossil fuel generation and we will continue to oppose this proposed gas plant. There are still more regulatory and permitting hurdles for the approved gas plant
  • This gives us a chance to work together to accelerate clean energy solutions and prevent any more risky, 40-year gas plants from being built.
    • It takes time to ramp up energy efficiency programs, so we need to develop and implement new programs NOW, not after planning for more power plants.

Want to help get the word out about this decision? Use our tool to easily submit a Letter to the Editor in your local paper!

Other ways to take action:
  • Join us as we continue to fight the proposed (pending) gas plant
  • Push for more energy efficiency to help lower our bills
    • Across the board, utility sponsored home efficiency programs-that keep our homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer while reducing our energy use- are the best investment in lowering our bills and reducing the need to build new, expensive generating capacity. 
    • Utilities can invest in our homes and businesses just like they invest in utility scale generation, and get the same rate of return on those investments. This could make energy efficient homes and businesses available to everyone. But it's going to take a lot Kentuckians working together to push our  monopoly utilities across Kentucky to make wise investments. They can invest in us!
  • Kentucky Power Customers-
    • There is an opportunity to speak out against the current proposed KPC rate hike by speaking at a public meeting or submitting a comment online. Learn more: https://www.k4ed.org/kpc.html