Reminder that 10x (and growing) as many people in Kentucky work in the renewable energy space kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/01/k...

The number of workers employed in Kentucky coal mines fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest total on record. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social at @weku.bsky.social

Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet data shows statewide coal employment fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest level on record. The slump is most pronounced in eastern Kentucky. www.weku.org/the-commonwe...

You can't make this up.

Kentucky's first — and, thus far, only — woman governor has died. Martha Layne Collins was 88. One of Collins’ most enduring achievements was luring Toyota to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs and has had a lasting economic impact on the region.

My latest story... yet another one on data centers in Kentucky. #kyga26 👇👇👇👇

Two aging, unprofitable out-of-state coal plants are costing Kentucky electricity customers with higher bills. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social

Not sure whether to call this my last story for West Virginia or my first story for Kentucky. Let’s say it’s both. I extended my previous scrutiny of what two aging, unprofitable coal plants in Indiana and Ohio was costing Appalachian Power customers to LG&E and KU. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

Kentucky Public Radio spoke with food banks across the state bracing for a surge in clients ahead of the Nov. 1 suspension of federal food assistance www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...

“In Country,” the first novel from renowned western Kentucky novelist Bobbie Ann Mason, turned 40 this fall. The writer looked back on the occasion in an interview with WKMS. www.wkms.org/arts-culture...

"The PSC has rubber-stamped LG&E/KU’s expensive & unnecessary plan to funnel Kentuckians’ hard-earned money into coal & gas facilities that rake up our electricity bills & poison our air... LG&E/KU prioritizes the needs of speculative data centers & their secretive Big Tech owners over those of KY"

I’m sorry, if someone has a birth certificate that proves they were born here but a mobile app with face recognition software disagrees, they will side with the app? What?

i cannot believe that “mamdani calls a close adult relative an ‘aunt’ even if they are not literally their parent’s sister” is what counts as a “scandal” these days

First intended as an entrance for social events, the East Wing became the first lady's office space. Historians say the shift was a key part of professionalizing staff for the president's wife. n.pr/4qA1nG0

Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power parent AEP recorded nearly $1 billion in profits in just one quarter. While also seeking double-digit rate increases in Kentucky and West Virginia. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

I’ll say this again: Aging coal plants prove they’re not as reliable as advertised, especially during extreme weather events. Had other generation not stepped up, we would have had trouble in the grid like in December 2022. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

NEW from me: State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers and AI. #kyga26

Cobra monthly premium when I left Gannett in 2020: $500+. Premium in 2025 as I leave state employment: $900+

You know what I think this means? Trump has ironically helped coal by increasing LNG exports, making gas more expensive to generate electricity and coal more competitive. Yet the export coal market has cratered. Trade policies to blame? wvpublic.org/story/energy...

I was frankly a little disappointed by the NPR story from Georgia about the Public Service Commission. It gave too much emphasis to the political intrigue and not to the substance. These ‘obscure’ state regulators have tremendous say over people’s lives.

I think it’s more than worth pointing out that Appalachian Power customers in West Virginia and Virginia receive electricity from the same coal plants in WV. However, the Virginia customers’ bills are going down. Why? Renewables. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

#MVP pipeline update: The WV Department of Environmental Protection has issued a total of five notices of violation to the Mountain Valley Pipeline since it became operational last year. More from @tatecurtis.bsky.social with @wvpublic.bsky.social!

The Mitchell coal plant is 54 years old and runs at a capacity factor of 25%. Its owner is plans to ask state regulators for permission to reinforce or rebuild a failing concrete cooling tower. It also wants to ask for federal help to pay for the project. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

More than a dozen airports around the country are refusing to air the video blaming Democrats for the shutdown due to being overly partisan, including in Louisville and Lexington. www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...

I would call this a remarkable turn in the most coal-reliant state. Under at least one scenario, Appalachian Power could quit coal as soon as 2032, with the possibility that some units will be converted to gas. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

I shopped for a new phone today and realized the Best Buy rep doesn’t remember land lines, pay phones, collect calls, long-distance, rotary dialing or party lines. Technology has shifted so quickly in my lifetime.

There is almost nothing more tangible than the connection between the rise in electricity prices and the effort to keep coal generation on the grid. I’ve been following this story for four years. Nothing has changed. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

We don’t have big travel budgets. We don’t have big salaries. But unlike the national media who drop in and drop out, we give a damn. And know our stuff. wvpublic.org/tag/cost-of-...

Newsy from MOUNT OLIVET, Ky. -- Will Rand Paul run for POTUS in 2028? "Maybe," he says. “First, we’ve got to see if Thomas Massie will keep his job" Massie: “I think a lot of what’s happening to me right now is to keep the other congressmen in the House in line" www.semafor.com/article/09/2...

The Pentagon’s effort to walk back its censorial policy on journalist access is nonsense. Journalists should not trade their integrity for the honor of being lied to at news conferences.

If you take on coal costs in West Virginia, you best not miss. Glad to talk about this to a national audience on @hereandnow.bsky.social www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Harris' new book does not mention Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. He was among possible running mate choices for her last summer.

Turns out the OVEC plants are a bad deal for Mon Power customers, too. They paid $10 million above market prices for power from the Cold War-era coal plants in Ohio and Indiana. There are more. We have the data. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

“Appalachian Power customers have overpaid $328 million since 2018 for electricity from the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation.” Money out of my pocket!!

A little explainer on how this story came about. I have more data, and there will be more stories. wvpublic.org/story/energy...

Really great energy sector coverage here from @tatecurtis.bsky.social - not only for substantive policy, but for journalism properly understanding "efficiency." Give it some eyes. 💡🔌 🏛️ www.lpm.org/news/2025-09...

Great story on coal power and energy bills here from @tatecurtis.bsky.social

Public anger is growing over rising electricity prices nationwide. In West Virginia, Appalachian Power customers have been paying hundreds of millions of dollars in hidden costs. via @tatecurtis.bsky.social www.wkms.org/2025-09-12/t...

This Cracker Barrel thing is another distraction from the Epstein Files

It’s been 30 days since Congress voted to cut $9.5 billion in spending, including two years of funding for public broadcasting. The government then spent it all in less than 12 hours, and again every 12 hours since. Mission accomplished?

Bumper sticker: ‘Let’s Go Taco’ in Trump campaign colors. NH plate.

The Trump administration plans to get rid of all limits on climate-warming pollution from the nation's fossil fuel power plants. Fossil fuel interests hailed the proposal, which likely faces legal challenges from environmental groups.

Core Natural Resources said 200 jobs would be cut in August at three coal mines in southern West Virginia. The company cited 'weaker than expected market conditions' and economic forces. Such as those created by Trump's trade policies? wvpublic.org/core-natural...

A primary challenge for Capito? State lawmaker has taken early steps, but West Virginia’s senior senator has Trump’s support: wvpublic.org/lawmakers-fi...

The NWS office in Jackson, Kentucky, has been without staffing overnight because of DOGE cuts. Last night, a tornado tore through southern Kentucky and killed more than a dozen. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/w...

U.S. District Judge Irene Berger ordered HHS and Secretary Kennedy to reinstate a program that screens coal miners for black lung and helps them transfer to other jobs to protect their health. wvpublic.org/federal-judg...

I’m a terrible Kentuckian. I don’t drink mint juleps and I don’t eat Derby Pie. I’ve never been inside Churchill Downs. Yet on the first Saturday in May, I always watch the race. 🐎

JUST IN: The billionaire investor, now 94, also said he would be resigning as CEO at the end of the year. He spoke at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting known as "Woodstock for Capitalists."

Thank you all for your kind words… 🥹 PBS is always going to go hard in the library, go hard in the bookstore, go hard in community! PBS will always aim to make Mister Rogers, LeVar Burton, Bob Ross, Arthur Read, Lyla in the Loop, Wishbone… and especially YOU proud to be just who you are ✨

Looking for good news? In the PJM electricity interconnection area (NRDC map below), renewables now generate more electricity than coal. Report from @tatecurtis.bsky.social at West Virginia Public Broadcasting via the @canarymedia.com newsletter. Link: www.alleghenyfront.org/solar-renewa...