Kentucky's Energy & Renewables Industry

Kentucky has major coal deposits in the eastern Central Appalachian Basin and in the western Illinois Basin. Those basins also hold minor reserves of oil and gas. 
The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers in the Ohio River Basin provide hydropower potential. 
Kentucky’s per capita energy consumption is among the highest in the Nation, and the industrial sector leads State energy demand. 
The State is a leader in the energy-intensive aluminum industry. 

Due to its rich resources the Bluegrass State can provide one of U.S.' cheapest utilities costs to the industry. 

Petroleum

Kentucky has minor crude oil production but is host to two refineries located in Catlettsburg and Somerset, receiving crude oil supply from the Gulf Coast and KY, Tan and WV. 

Natural Gas

Kentucky’s natural gas production in Western Kentucky accounts for less than 1 percent of total annual U.S. natural gas production. Gas is consumed in the industry and in private household heating.

Coal & Electricity

Kentucky is the third largest coal-producing State (after Wyoming and West Virginia). 
It accounts for roughly one-tenth of total U.S. coal production and nearly one-fourth of U.S. coal production east of the Mississippi River. Although all Kentucky coal is bituminous, coal sulfur content varies within the State. 
Kentucky has both surface and underground coal mines. Large volumes of coal move in and out of Kentucky by railcar and river barge. 
Kentucky delivers coal to more than two dozen States, most of which are on the East Coast and in the Midwest. 
In Kentucky, about three-fifths of the coal supply is used for electricity generation, and nearly all of the remainder is used in industrial plants. 

Coal-fired power plants typically account for more than nine-tenths of the electricity produced within Kentucky, making it one of the most coal-dependent States in the Nation. 

Renewables

 Renewable energy is an environmentally responsible alternative to fossil fuels and can be produced locally, creating also jobs in rural areas.

 Kentucky has two ethanol production plants that help supply the Northern Kentucky areas. 

Several hydroelectric power plants account for most of the State’s remaining electricity generation. Kentucky is the fifth largest hydroelectric power producer east of the Mississippi River.

You will find more information on this industry sector here  and on renewables here .

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