Kentucky Legislature Introduces Bill to Kick the Public Out of the Public Service Commission

LOUISVILLE, KY. - This week, the Kentucky legislature introduced a dangerous bill that would eliminate the opportunity for Sierra Club and other organizations to intervene in proceedings at the Kentucky Public Service Commission on behalf of Kentuckians, kneecapping the groups' ability to defend local people from increasingly high energy bills and corporate interests.

If passed, Senate Bill 8(SB 8, An Act relating to public utilities and declaring an emergency) would result in multiple changes to PSC regulations, including new qualifications for intervenors in cases in which the Attorney General intervenes. According to the bill, should the Attorney General intervene, the AG would be the only advocate allowed for residential customers.

Sierra Club routinely intervenes in PSC cases on behalf of Kentuckians. Intervention by Sierra Club's legal team has successfully mitigated bill increases for Kentucky ratepayers and just recently secured a regulation that guarantees data center developers the chance to provide the cheapest energy despite corporate pressure to purchase higher-polluting, higher-cost energy.

"The public deserves more than a single voice in the Public Service Commission," said Julia Finch, Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter Director. "In the face of a mounting affordability crisis, interveners like Sierra Club are vital to keeping utilities in check, ensuring our families are not crushed under the weight of for-profit utility greed and ever-increasing energy rates. This is a critical time for energy in our state, with looming interest in data center development, and we Kentuckians cannot afford this step back."

"If our state legislature had the best interest of Kentuckians at heart, they would be in favor of more voices speaking out on the public's behalf, not less," said Elisa Owen, Kentucky's Beyond Coal Campaign Senior Organizer. "Bills are rising. Instead of listening to groups representing everyday workers and their families, the legislature would rather one voice represent all of us in the PSC. We will not stand by as our leaders attempt to clear the room so that no one can challenge their corporate allegiance. We intend to fight this bill and secure Kentucky residents and families the right to public defenders."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.