On October 20, 2021, Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, released a new state energy strategy for the commonwealth, titled KYE3: Designs for a Resilient Economy. The new energy strategy was a collaborative effort between the Governor’s office and the Energy and Environment Cabinet, which is home to the Kentucky Office of Energy Policy (OEP) (the State Energy Office).
KYE3 outlines a resilient and flexible strategy that identifies priorities for energy, the environment, and the economy and offers a long-term vision for Kentucky’s energy landscape.
KYE3 takes a new approach to state energy planning that identifies high-level goals that the state wants to achieve but leaves the process of how to develop policies and strategies up to various stakeholders in the state. The intended result is a community and stakeholder-driven process that is flexible and adaptable to changing situations. Several recommendations were made to support this strategy, including attracting coal-to-advanced carbon product opportunities, increasing innovation and sustainable business investments, improving resiliency throughout the energy economy, and leading-by-example through state agency changes and expanding resilient funding options. Together, these recommendations will produce a long-term sustainable pathway for the state that meets the energy and environmental and economic needs of the present without mortgaging the future.
The OEP is tasked with overseeing the implementation of Kentucky’s comprehensive energy strategy and will be reaching out to communities to discuss the strategy and obtain input on how to achieve these goals. For further information, please contact the OEP at energy@ky.gov or visit their webpage for more information on their programs and data products. To watch Governor Beshear’s video on the strategy, click here.