4th District State Representative Wade Williams
Legislation aimed at regulating the retirement of electric power plants has passed the Kentucky House of Representatives.
House Bill 398, sponsored by Representative Wade Williams, Republican of Earlington, would create a formal regulatory framework for retiring electric generating units across the Commonwealth.
The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption against closing fossil fuel-fired plants, requiring utility companies to prove to the Kentucky Public Service Commission that any retirement would result in cost savings for customers and would not create avoidable new costs compared to keeping existing units online.
Williams said the legislation is designed to protect consumers from sudden increases in electric bills, arguing that utilities should not replace functional plants if it leads to higher costs for ratepayers. He called the bill a consumer-protection measure and expressed confidence it will also pass the Senate.
