"Made in Kentucky" Documentary Examines Kentucky's Energy Challenges, Solutions

Video | Mar 17, 2015

"Made in Kentucky," a one hour documentary, discusses the issues Kentucky faces — growing concerns about climate change and the demand for coal replaced by the demand for natural gas — and explores some of the solutions that might lead to a stronger Kentucky economy while still protecting the environment.

"Why did the automotive industry come to Kentucky? Good question, and the answer starts with energy," says KET's Bill Goodman, narrator of a new full-length documentary released March 6, and produced by the University of Kentucky Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments (Vis Center) and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (Kentucky EEC).

A collaborative effort, the Kentucky EEC was actively involved in providing data for the visualizations and connected the Vis Center to individuals representing the different viewpoints presented in "Made in Kentucky." Among those interviewed are Bill Bissett of the Kentucky Coal Association, Tom FitzGerald of the Kentucky Resources Council, Justin Maxson of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and others representing the various energy and manufacturing industries in the state.

The documentary proposes that a major factor in Kentucky's low energy rates has been its "historic abundance of cheap coal," but that demand for coal is falling and the future of those energy rates and Kentucky’s economy is uncertain.

Dave Adkisson, president and chief executive officer of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, suggests that Kentucky isn't alone and that new technologies have altered the energy landscape across the United States. As Rebecca Taylor, senior vice president of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, points out in the video, fracking is increasingly becoming the lower cost alternative to coal.

"The rise of fracking in the United States has really dramatically increased the availability of the pool of natural gas, which drives prices down," Taylor said.

The documentary also examines other factors in Kentucky's changing energy industry, and both sides of the coal and clean energy spectrum, advising viewers, "no matter how you interpret the history, the law and data, our energy future requires bold, yet common sense thinking to promote the prosperity and well-being of all Kentuckians."

"How do we grow new jobs and new economic opportunities, particularly in East Kentucky, but all over the state? And the reality is there's no one silver bullet…the answer is going to be much more about smart, silver BBs — a range of strategies that we have to invest in to build the sort of economy we want," said Maxson, executive director of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.

The range of strategies featured in the documentary includes reducing energy use with more efficient systems and diversifying Kentucky's energy portfolio with natural gas, renewables and nuclear power, without eliminating coal.

"Made in Kentucky" airs on KET channels on the following dates: