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Driving surge in demand for power, data centers eye Kentucky
LOUISVILLE — The boom in artificial intelligence is fueling a proliferation of new data centers? — the computer clusters that power the internet — in “places that maybe we hadn’t thought of before,” an industry spokesman told utility regulators gathered in Louisville last month. Kentucky could be one of those places in the not-so-distant future. […]
Consumer advocates mourn departure of Kentucky’s top utility regulator
The chair of Kentucky’s utility regulator is leaving the post after almost three years to the disappointment of some consumer advocates.? Kentucky Public Service Commission Chair Kent Chandler’s term on the three-person commission expired on June 30. Crystal Staley, a spokesperson for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said Chandler had resigned and that the governor appreciated […]
Judge upholds Kentucky’s ban on ‘gray machine’ gambling devices
A Kentucky judge has upheld the legislature’s 2023 ban of so-called “gray machines,” agreeing with the attorney general that the law does not violate free speech or equal protection guarantees and isn’t unconstitutional special legislation.? Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd in his ruling Friday sided with arguments made by Attorney General Russell Coleman defending […]
Sun, water, federal dollars power new energy projects in Kentucky
Jonathan Moore sees potential for reliable, durable electric power in Kentucky’s hundreds of miles of waterways, more navigable water than many states can boast. The Kentucky River is a prime example, says Moore, a partner in the company Appalachian Hydro Associates. Taking advantage of a system of locks and dams dating back to the 19th […]
Feds OK Kentucky plans to roll out $1 billion for broadband. Here’s what happens next.
Federal officials have approved Kentucky’s plan to deploy almost $1.1 billion?to expand broadband, a key step toward connecting homes and businesses throughout the state.? The funding was given to the state last year. Earlier this month the National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the second volume of Kentucky’s proposed plans for using the money through […]
Deaths of 2 Kentucky workers demolishing coal-prep plant bring $31,500 fine for safety violations
On a cool evening in late October, David Peyton heard a pop then a warning scream to get out. Within seconds two men were trapped under 11 stories of steel and concrete. Peyton ran to where Alvin Nees and Billy Joe “Bo” Daniels were trapped in the collapsed Pontiki/Excel coal preparation plant in Martin County. […]
Kentucky investing $223 million to rebuild rental housing in tornado-impacted Western Kentucky?
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear alongside leaders from the state’s housing corporation and local communities on Monday announced more than $223 million in bonds and grants will be invested to replenish rental housing in Bowling Green and other Western Kentucky communities impacted by tornadoes.? Much of the region’s rental housing stock, particularly homes accessible to low-income […]
No guarantee of federal aid for latest survivors in tornado-struck Western Kentucky
HOPKINS COUNTY — Raymond Emery has spent the past few nights leaning back in the front seat of his green minivan to stay close to his chickens and dogs. They’re among his few remaining possessions after a powerful EF-3 tornado, winds reaching 160 mph, ripped through his rented trailer the evening of May 26. One […]
Grim toll tallied again after weekend tornado tears through some places hit in 2021
Sitting on her front porch surrounded by tornado damage, Tabatha Adams never imagined being on the other side of disaster recovery.? As the former president of her local Rotary Club, she helped her neighbors when Dawson Springs grappled with the devastating aftermath of an EF-4 tornado in December 2021. The Western Kentucky city of about […]
Beshear names Kerry Harvey, former justice secretary, to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has appointed the former secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to the commission that oversees horse racing and sports gambling in the state.? Kerry Harvey, of Lexington, will succeed Naveed Chowhan, a Louisville-area doctor, whose term expired on the 15-member Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Beshear announced Friday the […]
Rail yard is $5 million closer to again serving as an economic engine
For Chris Campbell, Estill County is where almost everyone has a connection to the rail lines that run by the “twin cities” of Irvine and Ravenna, the latter founded by a railroad in the early 20th century.? Campbell, while not an Estill County native, is a train enthusiast and president of the Irvine-based nonprofit Kentucky […]
Bernheim Forest appeals to Kentucky Supreme Court to stop pipeline in conservation easement
The Bernheim Forest and Arboretum is asking Kentucky’s highest court to take up a legal battle over condemnation of some of its land to build a gas pipeline. In April, the Kentucky Court of Appeals affirmed a ruling last year from the Bullitt Circuit Court that said Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E […]