Do you have thoughts about KU’s $2 billion energy plan? Here’s how to have your say.

Karla Ward
·2 min read

Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric want to replace some aging coal-fired and natural gas units with new natural gas, solar and battery storage facilities, along with some purchase agreements for solar power, and the Kentucky Public Service Commission is offering the public several opportunities to learn about and share feedback on the proposal.

The PSC is hosting five public meetings where people can share their thoughts on and get information about the plan, including one virtual meeting and in-person meetings in Lexington, Louisville, Harlan and Madisonville. Following those, it will hold a public hearing on the proposal in Frankfort.

KU and LG&E have filed a request to retire four coal-fired electric generating units — E.W. Brown Unit 3, Ghent Unit 2 and Mill Creek Units 1 and 2, and three natural gas-fired units — Haefling Units 1 and 2, and Paddy’s Run Unit 12, between 2024 and 2027, the PSC said in a news release.

The company wants to replace those with “two natural gas combined cycle facilities, two solar facilities, one battery storage facility, and four solar power purchase agreements,” the PSC’s release stated. “If approved, the replacement generation would be online between 2026 and 2028, at a cost of $2.09 billion.”

The PSC said the first public meeting on the topic is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 31 at Frederick Douglass High School, 2000 Winchester Road.

Other meetings will be held at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at:

  • Harlan County Judge’s Office, 210 E. Central Street, #111, Harlan, Aug. 3

  • Hopkins County Government Center, 56 N. Main Street, Madisonville, Aug. 14.

  • Louisville Free Public Library’s Main Branch, Community Room 202, 301 York St., Louisville, Aug. 16.

A virtual meeting will be held online at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 15, and instructions on how to participate will be posted on the PSC’s website beforehand.

The public hearing, which will be livestreamed on the PSC’s YouTube channel, will begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 22 at 211 Sower Blvd. in Frankfort. The PSC said there will be time before the hearing begins for public comments.

The PSC said comments can be submitted online, emailed to PSC.comment@ky.gov, or mailed to the Kentucky Public Service Commission at P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40602-0615. Commenters should be sure to include their name, address and the case number, which in this instance is 2022-00402.

Together, KU and LG&E operate in 94 Kentucky counties, providing electricity to nearly 600,000 customers.

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