The Kentuckians who powered America should not be bankrupted by utility bills | Opinion

Eastern Kentucky did not just power this commonwealth.

It powered a nation.

When America mobilized for World War I and again for World War II, coal from our mountains fed the furnaces that forged steel for ships, tanks and planes. It lit the factories that armed the Greatest Generation. When freedom stood in the balance, this country leaned on Appalachia.

Those miners did not ask for applause. They answered a call of duty. They risked their lives each time they stepped underground.

For decades afterward, affordable Kentucky coal gave this state a competitive edge. It powered manufacturing, strengthened industry and helped cities like Louisville and Lexington grow into economic engines. Businesses came here because they trusted our energy. Families built their futures because industry created opportunity.

Eastern Kentucky carried its weight.

We supported statewide investments. We voted for major projects in our urban centers. We did not cast those votes because they benefited our counties. We cast them because we believe in a strong commonwealth. When Kentucky grows, we all grow.

Our cities drive economic growth. They attract capital, talent and innovation. But those engines did not build themselves. Coal communities in eastern and western Kentucky powered that growth for generations.

Strength requires balance.

Today, families in parts of Eastern Kentucky receive utility bills that exceed their mortgage payments. Seniors living alone in modest homes pay more to heat their houses than some homeowners elsewhere pay for properties three times the size. At the same time our region faces out-migration, housing strain after repeated floods and infrastructure challenges that would test even wealthier counties.

This is not resentment. It is reality.

On the Senate floor I recently read a letter from a constituent in Breathitt County. She lives alone in a small home. Her electric bill totaled $711. She wrote, “Please, please help me. I live by myself. My home is empty. Why is my bill so high?”

That is not a statistic. That is a Kentuckian asking her government to listen. Her worth equals that of any lawmaker, the governor, every judge and any citizen reading these words today.

Coal remains essential to Kentucky’s energy portfolio. It stabilizes the grid. It ensures reliability during extreme weather. It protects us from volatile markets. A pro-coal policy reflects economic strength and strategic sense.

But if the communities that produce Kentucky’s energy cannot afford it, the system is out of alignment.

Eastern Kentucky does not ask for a handout. Our communities never have. We ask for a level playing field. We want policies that allow families to stay, businesses to invest and industry to compete.

I’ve heard a young man I know say, “These are the mountains that made me.” They are the mountains that made me, and many of you.

But it is more than that.

These are the mountains that made America.

They forged the steel. They fueled the victories. They powered the factories that defended liberty around the world.

The question before us is not whether we honor that history with speeches. The question is whether we honor it with policy.

We must examine how utility rates are structured. We must ensure regulatory oversight protects rural ratepayers fairly. We must align energy policy so the communities that power Kentucky can afford to power their own homes. I am pursuing and supporting a state budget and road plan during the ongoing legislative budget session that supports these mountains, and as Senate Natural Resources and Energy chair, I am advocating for policies that address energy affordability concerns.

The mountains carried this nation before. We should not ask them to carry the burden alone now.

They deserve more than memory. They deserve a future equal to what they built.

Sen. Brandon Smith represents Kentucky’s 30th Senate District, encompassing the eastern Kentucky counties of Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Leslie, Magoffin, Morgan, Perry, Powell, and Wolfe. Smith serves as chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee.