Lexington’s lawsuit against proposed solar farm is hypocrisy at its most disappointing | Opinion
As the CEO of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, a federally and state-regulated, not-for-profit, member-owned electric utility that has the responsibility of providing reliable, sustainable, cost-competitive power to more than 1.1 million Kentuckians, the hypocrisy of government never ceases to disappoint.
In December, the state government body charged with regulating the rates and service of Kentucky’s public utilities, the Kentucky Public Service Commission, approved EKPC’s application to invest in, develop, and operate solar facilities in Fayette and Marion counties. As a part of this process, EKPC provided hundreds of pages of information, including detailed documentation of the need for the facilities, the cost to develop them and the alternatives considered.
The solar facilities will provide low-cost, renewable, carbon-free electricity, helping the cooperative meet the growing demand among businesses and industries for renewable power, while also helping it comply with federal environmental regulations in a practical, cost-effective manner.
But the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and its Mayor, Linda Gorton, intervened in that case, arguing utility-scale solar facilities are not right for Fayette County. This is the same government body that produced the 2023 Empower Lexington plan, which was also signed by Mayor Gorton. The city’s own plan calls for utility companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Hypocrisy.
Instead of supporting the cooperative’s efforts to meaningfully address greenhouse gas emissions, Lexington has chosen to file a lawsuit along with the Fayette Alliance arguing the Fayette County solar project should be canceled. This makes no sense. The cooperative’s projects are a big step toward achieving those goals in a practical, cost-effective manner, yet Lexington chooses to hire lawyers and file expensive legal challenges. Hypocrisy.
The Fayette County project is one of the most cost-effective solar projects EKPC has evaluated, especially due to its ready access to the power grid, which minimizes transmission interconnection costs that can easily run into tens of millions of dollars. The cooperative carefully evaluates potential projects and pursues only those that are necessary and make economic sense for our members. The Public Service Commission agreed. As a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, EKPC has no reason to spend millions on projects that are not necessary.
By appealing the PSC’s order, Lexington is wasting taxpayer dollars that could be better spent on providing basic services – such as snow removal. Furthermore, the city is wasting cooperative members’ dollars by forcing EKPC to defend itself in court against baseless claims.
The city’s lawsuit amounts to cynical NIMBYism (“Not in My Back Yard”). Fayette County is the second largest electricity-using community in the state but it has ZERO power plants in the county. It is unreasonable for urban officials to advocate that their power needs be provided solely by rural communities. EKPC is responsible for providing electricity in 89 Kentucky counties, including Fayette County.
Kentucky’s policy makers have wisely exempted electric utilities from local planning and zoning regulations precisely because they recognize local governments would misuse those rules to force needed infrastructure to locate elsewhere, greatly increasing the cost and complexity of building necessary generating and transmission facilities at the least reasonable cost.
Anthony “Tony” Campbell is President & CEO of East Kentucky Power Cooperative.