2025-00045

This docket involves proceedings before the Kentucky Public Service Commission related to major utility actions, primarily focusing on Kentucky Utilities Company and Louisville Gas and Electric Company. Key elements include:

- A joint application by LG&E and KU for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCNs) to construct several new generation facilities, including two 621 MW natural gas combined cycle units, two 120 MW solar facilities, a 125 MW battery storage system, and four new solar PPAs totaling 637 MW. These projects are intended to replace four retiring coal-fired units. The total estimated capital investment for this generation replacement plan is $2.1 billion (2023–2028) 1.
- The docket covers requests for regulatory approval to record investments as construction work in progress and accrue allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC) 1.
- Intervenor testimony was filed by multiple parties such as the Kentucky Industrial Utility Consumers (KIUC), Kentucky Coal Association, Sierra Club, and Kentucky Solar Energy Society, with rebuttal testimony from LG&E/KU and subsequent information conferences scheduled 1.
- There is discussion about rate impacts, including analysis of rates for data center loads, and regulatory requirements regarding need and avoidance of wasteful duplication in resource additions 2.
- The docket includes consideration of future load forecasts, particularly probability-weighted forecasts for data center loads, highlighting potential overestimation of near-term data center demand in company projections 3.
- Additional matters involve filings and regulatory compliance regarding environmental requirements, spill prevention, and other operational procedures 4, 5, 4.

Overall, the docket is centered on the planning, approval, and regulatory oversight of significant utility infrastructure investments, resource planning, and their implications for ratepayers and system adequacy in Kentucky.

There is not enough information in the provided excerpts to identify the stakeholders in the docket or to specify which ones support or oppose particular proposals.

There is no information in the provided excerpts regarding financial and timeline risks and concerns discussed in this docket.

There is no information in the provided excerpts regarding a timeline of key events or submissions that have happened or been scheduled in this proceeding.

The docket identifies several areas of growth, particularly related to:

1. Data centers:
- Utilities and stakeholders note significant new data center demand in Kentucky, with claims of over 6,000 MW of data center “economic development” being attracted 1.
- Key considerations include the uncertainty and risk of speculative behavior by developers, potentially leading to overestimation of load growth and negative impacts on utilities and generation providers. Experts caution that speculative project proposals may exceed the number of actual data centers built, complicating planning and financial stability for utilities 2.

2. Residential and commercial growth linked to infrastructure projects:
- Growth analysis undertaken as part of permitting for new generation projects aims to quantify associated residential and commercial development and assess related air quality impacts. This includes evaluating the environmental effects of growth driven by new energy infrastructure projects 3, 3.
- Key considerations involve air quality impacts from this growth, compliance with environmental standards (such as secondary NAAQS for soils and vegetation), and the need for further modeling if initial analyses indicate potential exceedances.

Overall, the docket highlights the need for careful planning, robust forecasting, and environmental impact analysis to ensure that growth—both from data centers and associated development—is sustainable and does not create undue financial or environmental risks.