LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Over 100 people filled an auditorium in southwest Louisville Monday night to speak against Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities’ (LG&E and KU) plans to build two new natural gas generating units. The utility company has said a main reason it is asking for this is the projected demand for new data centers.
“We as members of the community ask, ‘Why is it that we paid half a billion dollars in the Cane Run Road generating facility that was installed in 2016 for our needs…and now a data center can come in and demand LG&E provide them 72% of that plant?’ That’s our power.” Ken Shapero, a concerned member of the community said.
LG&E and KU filed for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) with the Kentucky Public Service Commission in February for these plans. The plans call for $3.7 billion in spending to build two new natural gas combined cycle generators, each with a 645 MW generating capacity…