A cloud of fear mongering mushrooms after Japan's tsunami

When it comes to building nuclear power plants in Kentucky, the words of FDR ring true: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

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Leland Conway: Jack Conway misses the mark on gas price investigation

Leland Conway, co-founder and executive editor of www.conservativeedge.com and host of the Pulse of Lexington on News Radio 630 WLAP, allowed the Bluegrass Institute to repost his recent column in an effort to help keep Kentuckians informed and up-to-date on the latest issues.

On my radio show last week, I called on Attorney General Jack Conway to address the issue of high gas prices. I pointed out that a few weeks earlier, he and Governor Steve Beshear had taken to the stage to announce that they were “investigating” possible price gouging. I wondered why they had disappeared since then.

As if on cue, Conway came out the next day with accusations of price gouging and manipulation against big oil. He misses the mark. The real gouging that is going on is the EPA’s sustained attack against the American energy industry.

The EPA is regulating American productivity out of existence and most politicians are standing by and watching while the damage is being done. At best, we get a nonsensical parade like the one from Jack Conway and Gov. Beshear where they come out and do the “gas gouging” dance and throw subpoenas for big oil around like confetti on Cinco de Mayo. Meanwhile the EPA continues its destructive slash and burn “Sherman’s march” against energy.

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Bipartisan support for Kentucky coal 'sanctuary'

Kentucky makes national headlines in an important states' rights issue as legislators attempt to declare the commonwealth's coal industry exempt from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Yesterday, Senate Joint Resolution 99 moved out of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee to debate on the Senate Floor. The bill passed out of committee with unanimous support.

"As the overreaching EPA impact settles in on us," resolution sponsor Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, remarked, "it's costing us jobs, it's putting us in a very perilous situation."

Yesterday in the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, House Bill 421, sponsored by Rep. Jim Gooch, D-Providence, also cleared committee without a single "no" vote. The bill would exempt Kentucky coal mines from federal Clean Water Act requirements.

Rep. Gooch remarked, "We feel that the federal government does lack some of the authority to regulate everything that we do."

Even if the measures pass, bill sponsors acknowledge they are unlikely to force the EPA to stop its regulation of coal. Despite that, legislators on both sides of the aisle see this as a symbolic opportunity to fight back against federal over-involvement in the commonwealth.

Rep. Keith Hall, D- Phelps, commented, "There comes a time when we as leaders and we as legislators have to push back."

EPA trying to force its hand with cap and trade

When cap-and-trade legislation regulating carbon emissions stalled in Congress, Kentuckians breathed a sigh of relief. But that collective sigh may have been a little premature. If the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has its way, cap and trade may not be fatally poisoned after all.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) released a paper this week detailing how the EPA is working to enforce greenhouse gas regulation under the Clean Air Act. The EPA cites two current programs as granting the authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

As the EPA works to usurp the law through regulations, what could this mean for the Bluegrass State?

Cap-and-trade regulations would be devastating for Kentucky's economy. As the third-largest producer of coal in the U.S. thousands of Kentuckians would lose their jobs and energy costs would skyrocket in the Bluegrass State.

Jim Waters, vice president of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, detailed the dismal prescription for cap and trade in a 2009 Lexington Herald-Leader column.

The federal government is finding ways – with or without the votes in Congress – to implement its extreme and devastating environmental regulations. In doing so, it also threatens Kentucky’s way of life.

Beshear joins coal industry to fight EPA

In recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acted with unprecedented encroachment, circumventing the law with more stringent regulations for the coal industry. In early October, the EPA blocked 11 water permits in the Appalachian region.

Yesterday, Kentucky responded. Gov. Beshear and the Kentucky Coal Association filed suit in a federal court in Pikeville.

"Once again the EPA is overstepping its bounds and harming the coal industry in Kentucky," Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Bissert said.

Beshear defended the commonwealth's action by stating that Kentucky had tried to work with the EPA but failed to find common ground. He called the EPA's actions "arbitrary and unreasonable" and said they could have a "devastating impact" on Kentucky's economy.

The administration is to be commended for taking seriously its obligation to protect the sovereignty, constitution and citizens of this commonwealth.

What's next? A lawsuit filed by the Beshear administration pushing back against Washington's unrestricted and unwarranted involvement in Kentucky's health care policies?

More on school energy managers

Logan already did the initial blog about the new school energy managers program, but this news release provides some interesting insight into what is going on.

Check out the background of the new energy manager for Pulaski, Casey and Rockcastle County schools.

This makes me wonder what these energy managers are really going to be doing and whether a well-designed informational pamphlet for local school administrators could accomplish about the same thing at considerably lower cost.

We already have energy consultants in state employees!

Yesterday I asked some questions regarding stimulus money being used to hire 35 full-time "energy managers" for Kentucky school districts.

On the Kentucky Department for Energy Development and Independence website you can see how all of the stimulus money set aside for the Kentucky State Energy Program is divided up - all $52.5 million of it.

The "School Energy Managers Project", as you can see, is allotted $5,050,012.  That's a lot of money for 35 people.  In fact, that is $144,286 a person.  I certainly hope that's not an annual salary figure.

Seems like a lot of money to me, especially since Governor Beshear already received input from state workers on how the state can save money through simple energy fixes. You can see those energy saving recommendations made by state workers here.

Rep. Tim Moore on nuclear energy in Kentucky

This interview was conducted with Rep. Tim Moore, R- Elizabethtown about nuclear energy in Kentucky.