Kentucky’s two largest cities and the parent company of its largest electric utility company each have set lofty goals to address the severe threats of climate change, seeking to reach net-zero carbon emissions in the coming years.
But environmental activists say the utility and local governments are now abandoning their greenhouse gas commitments in a proposed settlement before state regulators, in which the company seeks to build two more gas plants, extend the life of two coal plants and scrap a plan for a large battery storage facility — all part of Kentucky’s effort to attract and serve future data centers.
PPL Corporation, the parent company of Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, announced its goal in 2021 to reduce its carbon emissions 70% from 2010 levels by 2035, then have an 80% reduction by 2040, and ultimately achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Lexington’s city council unanimously voted in 2023 to set their own community-wide net-zero carbon emissions goal for 2050, with the city unveiling more detailed plans for how to meet that goal this June.
A non-binding resolution passed in 2020 by Louisville Metro Council was even more ambitious, seeking 100% clean energy across the city by 2040 — in addition to 100% clean electricity for city government operations by 2030 and 100% clean energy for its vehicle fleet and heating and cooling systems by 2023.
Critics now say that both the local governments and LG&E/KU are essentially abandoning these net-zero goals to address climate change in a proposal that is currently before the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
...
Sarah Lynn Cunningham of the Louisville Climate Action Network put her disappointment with Greenberg in more stark terms, noting that the new gas plants will likely have a life span of 40 to 50 years and stiff-arm efforts to build up Kentucky’s renewable energy portfolio.
“That was a deal with the devil, and the mayor went along with it,” Cunningham said. “We’ve got a mayor who’s saying ‘Okay, fine, bring us more fossil fuel power plants.’”
...
“PPL, that owns LG&E and KU, said a few years back, 'we're going to be net-zero, no more greenhouse gas emissions after 2050,’” Cunningham said. “I call B.S. That isn't gonna happen when they do stuff like this.”
Read the rest at Louisville Public Media.
Comments
