$15.6 Million in Grant Funding Secured for Critical Kentucky State Parks' Electrical Infrastructure

Under the Grid Resilience Grant Program administered through the Office of Energy Policy, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Kenlake State Resort Park will implement improvements to their electrical infrastructure, ensuring that reliable power and essential services remain available to citizens during severe weather events. Each project will receive $7.8 million in grant funding. 

Gov. Andy Beshear recently announced the $15.6 million investment to ensure a reliable electric grid at Kentucky state parks and support families in need following catastrophic weather events.

 “Kentucky state parks not only provide Kentucky families with a great place to visit and make memories together, they have also sheltered our people in need during every natural disaster our state has faced,” said Gov. Beshear. “That’s why it’s so critical that we continue to invest in our parks and keep them up to date, resilient, and efficient.”  

If you would like to learn more about the Grid Resilience Grant Program, you can contact Steven Thomas-Barrera in the Office of Energy Policy. Read the full story here.

PSC Approves EKPC Request to Construct New Generation Facility

Allows New Demand-Side Management and Energy Efficiency Programs

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has granted East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct a new $1.37 billion combined cycle gas turbine unit at Cooper Station, and to retrofit Cooper Unit 2 and Spurlock Units 1-4 to allow for co-fired generation. The new combined cycle unit will be built at the Cooper Station facility, located near Somerset, and upon completion, it will have 745 MW of generation capacity. EKPC estimated an in-service date for the new unit of December 2030. Learn more. Read the press release here.

U.S. DOE Announces Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Selected as a Site for AI Data Center and Energy Infrastructure Development

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the next steps in the Trump administration’s plan to accelerate the development of AI infrastructure through siting on DOE lands. DOE has selected four sites – Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site – to move forward with plans to invite private sector partners to develop cutting-edge AI data center and energy generation projects. 

Read the full announcement here.

After hundreds of native bees are found in Kentucky, researchers say there's still a lot to learn

The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves is on a quest to catalog and understand the native bee population in the state. So far, through archival searches and extensive field surveys, they have identified hundreds of bee species native to the state as their work to fully understand these crucial pollinators continues. The Office has already found hundreds of wild bee species midway through a multi-year project to inventory and protect the pollinators native to the state. Read the full story here.

By Sylvia Goodman, HoptownChronicle (Jul. 20, 2025)

Kentucky National Risk Index Analysis

The National Risk Index's Interactive mapping and data-based interface enables users to visually explore individual datasets to better understand what is driving a community's natural hazard risk with minimal technical expertise. Users may also create reports to capture risk details on a community or conduct community-based risk comparisons, as well as export data for analysis using other software. This analysis provides insights into FEMA's National Risk Index dataset and serves as a springboard for further analysis. View the FEMA National Risk Index here.

Midwest Renewable Energy Association / Solar Training and Resources

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) is a non-profit based in Wisconsin and established in 1990. MREA provides high-quality renewable energy education and training. The OEP will be partnering with them on a workforce development project using Solar for All funding to fund scholarships for PV-related courses and certifications. Learn more.