Lawmakers who passed a bill to lure nuclear energy to Kentucky say coal is still king
Kentucky lawmakers have wrapped up work on a bill meant to help attract nuclear energy projects to a state where coal has been king for generations
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Republican-dominated legislature wrapped up work Friday on a bill meant to lay the foundation for nuclear energy in a state where coal has been king for generations, fueling the economy.
The House gave 92-0 final passage to send the measure to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. The bill cleared the Senate by a 34-0 vote last month.
While extolling the untapped potential for nuclear power, leading supporters of the bill were careful to stress that the intent is to have nuclear energy complement — not supplant — coal as an energy source.
“This is in no way a competition to coal," Republican state Rep. Randy Bridges said while shepherding the bill through the House. "It is complementary to coal. Kentucky is a coal state.”
