Lawmakers who passed a bill to lure nuclear energy to Kentucky say coal is still king

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers have wrapped up work on a bill meant to help attract nuclear energy projects to a state where coal has been king for generations. The House gave the measure final passage Friday. It now goes to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. The bill cleared the Senate last month. Supporters talk about the state’s untapped potential for nuclear power. But they’re careful to stress that the intent is to have nuclear energy complement coal as an energy source. Kentucky’s coal industry has declined drastically over the past two decades, producing about a quarter of the coal it mined 20 years ago.