First Energizing Kentucky conference brings together over 200 educators, business leaders, and politicians

RELEASED: June 5, 2008

DANVILLE, KY—Experts agree that constructive change will take place in the energy industry. But it will take some time, and real success will require a long-term commitment from business, government, education and the American people.

That was the message delivered by Sandra Meyer, president of Duke Energy Kentucky and Duke Energy Ohio, during the opening session of the Energizing Kentucky conference June 3 at the Henry Clay Building in Louisville.

Energizing Kentucky is a series of conferences sponsored by Centre College, University of Louisville, Berea College, and University of Kentucky to bring business, government and education leaders together to discuss energy, an issue vital to Kentucky’s future.

More than 200 people attended the opening session, which featured Meyer’s presentation and brief comments from Centre President John Roush, UofL President James Ramsey, UK President Lee Todd, and Berea President Larry Shinn.

The conference continued June 4 with presentations by state Representative Rocky Adkins and state Senator Robert Stivers, leaders in establishing energy policy in Kentucky. Other speakers included Leonard Peters, secretary of Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet, and Tom Fitzgerald, director of the Kentucky Resources Council.

University and college presidents John Roush, Centre College; James Ramsey, University of Louisville; Lee Todd, University of Kentucky; and Larry Shinn, Berea College, joined together to form Energizing Kentucky.

Meyer told the audience that Kentucky needs a “cathedral mentality” in dealing with energy issues. Because many historic cathedrals took more than a century to build, those who worked on the foundations often never saw the finished products.

The energy decisions we make today should be “thoughtful, credible and long-term” in scope, perhaps offering more benefit to our children and grandchildren than to us, Meyer said.

She also noted that simple solutions, such as wind and solar power, must be augmented by clean coal and other efforts to be effective for Kentucky.

“The sun doesn’t shine all the time. The wind doesn’t blow every day,” she said.

Meyer advocated clean coal and nuclear energy as keys to Kentucky’s energy future. And she applauded Kentucky’s legislature for recent energy policies that encourage exploration of alternative fuels.

The next Energizing Kentucky conference is scheduled for September in Louisville. Noted author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is scheduled to be the keynote speaker.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.