March 26, 2024
Dear Members of the Kentucky General Assembly
On behalf of Frontiers of Freedom, a non-profit dedicated to free markets and limited government principles, I am writing to urge you to support Kentucky Senate Bill 349. This legislation is critical for Kentucky to reassert control of its electric grid and limit the harm caused to taxpayers, ratepayers, and small businesses by far-reaching and misguided federal policies that go against the Commonwealth’s needs.
Successive federal regulations intended to accelerate the closure of dependable, baseload power plants have contributed to higher power bills and more frequent blackouts across the country. Their impact has been especially pronounced in states like Kentucky, which has historically benefitted from affordable and abundant power. Kentuckians have been mostly powerless to push back against these policies, even though they threaten the ability of local small businesses to keep the lights on.
This situation is fundamentally unsustainable and demands change. By constituting a non-partisan, expert commission charged with protecting the Commonwealth’s energy interests, Senate Bill 349 would guarantee that future decisions concerning power plant retirements are based on what’s best for Kentuckians, not unelected federal bureaucrats. This would help mitigate potential electricity shortfalls stemming from the current trajectory of federal policymaking, protecting small and family businesses and the jobs they create. It would also affirm a core premise of good government – that power should be held by those directly impacted by policy decisions, not delegated to external interests.
Senate Bill 349 arrives at a critical moment for Kentucky and the country. As more and more experts warn of an imminent grid reliability crisis amid soaring electricity demand, it is incumbent on states to take matters into their own hands. Failure to do so could lead to stunted local economies and needless financial difficulty for millions.
Please consider the significant economic and political importance of this legislation to the people across Kentucky as you weigh your vote. Your support for Senate Bill 349 would benefit countless Kentucky families and workers who stand to lose from continued federal overreach in electricity policy.
Sincerely,
George C. Landrith