Kentucky’s utility regulator launches effort to study nuclear power

Kentucky’s utility regulator is inviting Kentuckians to weigh in on the possibilities of developing nuclear power plants in the state.

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) in an order earlier this month opened a case to discuss “issues involving the construction, operation, and funding of potential nuclear electric generating facilities.” A PSC press release says the effort is part of complying with a directive from the Kentucky legislature to make preparations for constructing nuclear power plants.

PSC Chair Angie Hatton in a statement earlier this month said nuclear energy is “increasingly seen as a reliable, dispatchable, clean energy source” as the country faces rising electricity demand. 

“Recent technological advances have made nuclear energy potentially more affordable and attainable,” Hatton said. “However, the technology is still very expensive and we want to make sure we examine all angles of this potential power source, including its impact on ratepayers, electric grid reliability, our environment, economic development and our workforce in Kentucky as we explore our options.” 

In addition to upcoming conferences with utilities in Frankfort, the PSC plans to hold public hearings around the state to hear from Kentuckians given that the “potential impact of nuclear generation and storage on any given community could be significant.” 

Kentucky does not have any nuclear power plants, though Kentucky lawmakers have taken steps to look into the potential for one. Those steps include funding a new research authority at the University of Kentucky. The director of the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, where the new authority is housed, told lawmakers last year it’s not likely a new nuclear power plant will be built in Kentucky over the next 10 years.

The Public Service Commission regulates the rates and services of over 1,100 utilities that include large, investor-owned electricity providers such as Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities, along with small water districts that provide drinking water to rural communities. The regulator also hears requests from utilities to retire or build new power generation and fields complaints from Kentuckians about service and rates.