Kentucky Rural Energy Consortium Holds First Partnership Meeting
08/31/2005

On August 17 in Louisville, Ky., various organizations, state agencies, and corporations came together for the first partnership meeting of the Kentucky Rural Energy Consortium (KREC).  The University of Louisville (U of L) received a $2 million 2005 federal appropriation to establish and organize KREC. The consortium is designed to conduct and facilitate research and educate the public about problems and issues that relate to efficient energy use, renewable energy production and other activities of importance to Kentucky agriculture, rural communities and related industries.

KREC meeting participants included representatives of the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, the Commerce Cabinet, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Kentucky League of Cities, the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC), East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition, Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, Marathon Ashland, NewPage Corp., and Griffin Industries, Inc.

KREC complements the Governor’s initiative to provide state resources as matching funds for energy research and development initiatives. Kentucky’s state universities can use these resources with federal and private funds to build energy research and development capacity in the Commonwealth.

The KREC budget will fund a competitive grants program for Kentucky’s public universities that will encourage partnerships with KREC, the private sector and national laboratories. KREC will also help support an energy assessment program at U of L that will provide energy assistance to industries and businesses across the Commonwealth.

“Never before has such a Consortium existed in the Commonwealth,” said Jason Bentley, Executive Director of KOEP, “It is a Consortium that will take the vision outlined in the Comprehensive Energy Strategy and turn it into actions that will improve the Commonwealth and the life of its citizens.”

According to Mr. Bentley, KREC will help to put the Governor’s Strategy into action by specifically impacting 16 Strategy recommendations. These recommendations focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy and investment in Kentucky’s future. For more information about KREC, contact Cam Metcalf at KPPC at (502) 852-0965 or visit www.kppc.org. For additional information about the Comprehensive Energy Strategy, visit www.energy.ky.gov.

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