Take Action!
We're building a movement to make real, tangible change at the Public Service Commission to increase transparency, democracy and equity within the regulatory process and hold utilities accountable for the real needs of Kentuckians. Will you join us by signing on to this letter to the PSC supporting our campaign goals?
We are in a historic moment where the choices we make will determine whether or not we have a livable future. We have to take bold action to stop the worst impacts of climate change and to help people afford their energy bills right now—and most Kentuckians agree.
This is not just an environmental issue. The decisions made at the Public Service Commission directly impact everyone. Fossil fuels and climate change threaten our health, safety, agriculture, livelihoods and broader economy. Energy is key to affordable, stable housing. All across the country there is a growing movement for energy democracy. Communities are coming together to build a new system and demand that our regulators and policymakers do the right thing.
Our voices matter and by engaging in the process we show regulators and utilities that we are watching and we have a vision for our energy system. Will you join us in calling on the Kentucky Public Service Commission to protect the public interest, lead with vision and hold utilities accountable for creating an energy system that works for Kentuckians not just shareholders?
We are in a historic moment where the choices we make will determine whether or not we have a livable future. We have to take bold action to stop the worst impacts of climate change and to help people afford their energy bills right now—and most Kentuckians agree.
This is not just an environmental issue. The decisions made at the Public Service Commission directly impact everyone. Fossil fuels and climate change threaten our health, safety, agriculture, livelihoods and broader economy. Energy is key to affordable, stable housing. All across the country there is a growing movement for energy democracy. Communities are coming together to build a new system and demand that our regulators and policymakers do the right thing.
Our voices matter and by engaging in the process we show regulators and utilities that we are watching and we have a vision for our energy system. Will you join us in calling on the Kentucky Public Service Commission to protect the public interest, lead with vision and hold utilities accountable for creating an energy system that works for Kentuckians not just shareholders?
Big thanks to the organizations who have already signed on!
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Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light
Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, Inc. Kentucky Conservation Committee Mountain Association Renewable Energy Alliance of Louisville KY Solar Energy Society Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, 32BJ SEIU Heartwood |
Friends For Environmental Justice
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership Headwaters, Inc. Rubbertown Emergency Action Team (REACT)KY Just Transition Coalition Kentuckians for the Commonwealth New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership Kentucky Unitarian Universalist Justice Action Network Appalshop CMI Tri-State Trails |
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The decisions made at the Public Service Commission directly impact everyone. Fossil fuels and climate change threaten our health, safety, agriculture, livelihoods and broader economy. Energy costs are key to affordable, stable housing.
This moment aligns with a historic opportunity here in Kentucky and across the country. Even if the legislature continues to pass over the next PSC appointees, we will still have a commission empowered by a governor who believes in science. And potentially a commission who is willing to set new precedents when it comes to holding utilities accountable. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act we are seeing the federal government start to put pressure and incentives behind taking real action to mitigate the climate crisis while attempting to prioritize communities that are most directly impacted.
But we can’t simply hope that the commissioners are going to get us there all on their own. We have to show up, participate, and push for more opportunities to be at the table and shape a new vision for utility regulation.
We’ve seen the power of organizing. Our network held off legislation being pushed by utilities that threatened rooftop solar for two years. We also influenced the final legislation, reducing the worst impacts. We’ve turned out hundreds of comments in rate cases and utility planning processes that have helped shape the discussion and the outcomes. For the first time in Kentucky, utilities are on the defensive.
Our voices matter and engaging people shows regulators and utilities that we are watching and we have a vision for our energy system. We’ve already seen the impact of engaging more people in the regulatory process and there are so many more people who haven’t been reached yet.
This moment aligns with a historic opportunity here in Kentucky and across the country. Even if the legislature continues to pass over the next PSC appointees, we will still have a commission empowered by a governor who believes in science. And potentially a commission who is willing to set new precedents when it comes to holding utilities accountable. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act we are seeing the federal government start to put pressure and incentives behind taking real action to mitigate the climate crisis while attempting to prioritize communities that are most directly impacted.
But we can’t simply hope that the commissioners are going to get us there all on their own. We have to show up, participate, and push for more opportunities to be at the table and shape a new vision for utility regulation.
We’ve seen the power of organizing. Our network held off legislation being pushed by utilities that threatened rooftop solar for two years. We also influenced the final legislation, reducing the worst impacts. We’ve turned out hundreds of comments in rate cases and utility planning processes that have helped shape the discussion and the outcomes. For the first time in Kentucky, utilities are on the defensive.
Our voices matter and engaging people shows regulators and utilities that we are watching and we have a vision for our energy system. We’ve already seen the impact of engaging more people in the regulatory process and there are so many more people who haven’t been reached yet.
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Expand the Mission of the PSC
Lead with Vision
Ensure informed, transparent, accessible, multi-stakeholder decision making
Ensure that utility systems protect health, environment, and climate
Ensure equity
Read these goals in more detail here
- The mission of an organization serves the important role of guiding all aspects of its work. As our energy system and the world in which the commission is operating has changed it is time for the mission statement to change as well.
- Equity
- Affordability of Service
- Human Health
- Environmental Protection
- Minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants
- Protect and create good, local jobs
- Equity
- Historically the commission has operated under a framework that centers “business success” for utility companies. The commission instead needs to center the frame of regulating utility companies as an “essential public service”.
Lead with Vision
- We need the Commission to recognize and prioritize the need to transition as quickly as possible to clean, safe renewable energy sources while ensuring that all communities and workers benefit from this transition. To this end the PSC must develop a forward-looking vision for utility regulation informed by Kentuckians
- The Integrated Resource Plan is an important tool for ensuring that utility companies are planning for the future and making sound decisions for the reliability and resiliency of our utility systems. As such, the commission needs to institute a more robust IRP process pushing utility companies to create a plan to reach our vision
Ensure informed, transparent, accessible, multi-stakeholder decision making
- Decisions should be informed by public input, public context, and the best available data and industry practices.
- Transparency is key to democracy. Transparency should be ensured between the public, utility companies, and the commission. The commission should do its best to break down regulatory jargon and utility companies should not be allowed to hide information through claimed “confidentiality”.
- It is not enough for processes to be open and information to be available. Avenues for public access should be promoted and processes for increased support for public representation should be developed.
- There should never be a time or a place where the only voices at the table are those of the utility companies and those of the commission. Multi-stakeholder engagement should be required every step of the way.
Ensure that utility systems protect health, environment, and climate
- Ensuring that utility companies are making sound business decisions while upholding the public interest includes holding utility companies responsible for the transition to clean, safe energy sources, valuing energy efficiency, and accounting for the impacts to human health, the environment, and climate.
Ensure equity
- Everyone is impacted by the decisions made by utility companies and the Public Service Commission in regulating the essential public services provided by utility companies. But not everyone is impacted equally. The commission must recognize the disproportionate impacts and ensure equity in both internal and external processes and decision making.
Read these goals in more detail here
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