Tagged: Energy

First District Congressman Ed Whitfield has been tapped to lead a subcommittee at the Republican National Convention later this month, where he’ll help shape the Republican party’s stance on energy issues.

Whitfield is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power. During his time in that position, he’s lead efforts to keep the uranium enrichment plant in Paducah open and stop the federal government from regulating coal ash.

Kentucky is number one on a list of the states with the most toxic air pollution from power plants.

The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed the data self-reported by industries in the Toxic Release Inventory, which is managed by the federal government. The most recent data is from 2010, and that year, Kentucky’s power plants emitted more than 40 million pounds of toxic air pollution. This gives the state the dubious honor of being ranked number one in the nation.

Coming up at 1:00 this afternoon, WFPL will air "Gas Planet: The Impact of the Natural Gas Boom on Climate Change." This hour-long documentary produced by The Allegheny Front examines the rise of natural gas, fueled by low prices, abundant resources and a lower carbon footprint than coal.

Eastern Kentucky news outlets are reporting that Arch Coal will lay off 500 miners across the region. 

Ford Motor Company has reduced the energy used in its plants significantly, according to the company’s annual sustainability report.

The company says it reduced the amount of energy needed to produce each vehicle by 22 percent over the last six years. Spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel says that’s due to conservation in several different departments—like new lighting and new paint booth technologies.

Louisville Gas and Electric will request a rate increase later this month from the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

The company is proposing an increase of about seven percent for both electric and gas base rates. If it’s approved, it will raise the typical residential customer’s bill by about $10.65 per month beginning next year.

LG&E spokeswoman Chris Whelan says the rate increase is necessary for the company to recover money it has invested in the system.