KY SENATORS APPLAUD PSC INVESTIGATION INTO HIGHER UTILITY BILLS

Commonwealth of Kentucky

Office of the Senate President

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2026)—The following is a joint statement from members of the Senate Majority Caucus regarding the Kentucky Public Service Commission opening Case No. 2026-00185, an investigation involving PSC-regulated electric utilities and Kentucky’s five largest natural gas utilities. The PSC order expressly cites Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 75 and takes up many of the affordability concerns its sponsors raised.

“Kentucky’s economy depends on energy that is both reliable and affordable. That concern brought the Senate together behind SJR 75, which passed 36-0. We appreciate the Public Service Commission taking up many of the issues raised in the resolution and opening a serious public review of what is driving customer bills.

“That work matters across Kentucky, but Eastern Kentucky deserves particular attention. Residents and employers there already face elevated energy costs. For decades, federal energy policies have put pressure on the industries that built the region’s economy. Affordable power should help drive its future, not stand in the way of jobs and investment.

“The PSC should start with the facts. Fuel costs, fixed charges, rate design, operating and capital expenses and cost allocation all deserve scrutiny. Utilities must recover reasonable costs to maintain safe, reliable and resilient systems. Rates still must remain fair, just and reasonable. Major new demand should carry the costs and risks it creates rather than shifting them to existing households and businesses. Public input and transparent data will matter. We will study the findings and consider legislative action where the record shows it is needed.”

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The statement is attributable to Sens. Scott Madon, R-Pineville; Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville; Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria; Mike Nemes, R-Shepherdsville; Brandon Smith, R-Hazard; Brandon J. Storm, R-London; Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield and Robin L. Webb, R-Grayson

According to the PSC order, Kentucky’s calculated average residential electricity price increased from 10.87 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2020 to 13.24 cents in 2025, a 21.8 percent increase. The order also cites 152,798 residential electricity disconnections and 24,921 residential natural gas disconnections in Kentucky during 2024. The investigation remains in its early stages and has not produced any findings or adopted any affordability reforms.

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Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, represents the 29th Senate District, which includes Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott and Letcher counties. During the interim, he serves as co-chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel and Public Retirement. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Appropriations and Revenue, Economic Development and Workforce Investment, Local Government, Natural Resources and Energy, State Government and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. Madon is also a member of the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee.

Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, represents the 31st Senate District, which includes Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin and Pike counties. During the interim, he serves as co-chair of the Interim Joint Committees on Economic Development and Workforce Investment and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Judiciary, Natural Resources and Energy and Transportation. Wheeler is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Protection and a member of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee.

Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, represents the 24th Senate District, which includes Bracken, Campbell and Pendleton counties and part of Kenton County. During the interim, she serves as co-chair of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary and the Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee. She also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture, Appropriations and Revenue, Economic Development and Workforce Investment, Families and Children and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. Funke Frommeyer is also a member of the Public Pension Oversight Board.

Sen. Michael J. Nemes, R-Shepherdsville, represents the 38th Senate District, which includes Bullitt County and part of Jefferson County. During the interim, he serves as co-chair of the Interim Joint Committees on Local Government and State Government. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Health Services, Judiciary and Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations. Nemes is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel and Public Retirement and a member of the Information Technology Oversight Committee and Public Pension Oversight Board.

Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, represents the 30th Senate District, which includes Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Leslie, Magoffin, Morgan, Perry, Powell and Wolfe counties. During the interim, he serves as co-chair of the Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Banking and Insurance, Transportation and Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection. Smith is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Protection.

Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, which includes Casey, Laurel, Lincoln and Rockcastle counties. During the interim, he serves as co-chair of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary and as nonvoting co-chair of the Juvenile Justice Oversight Council. He also serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Banking and Insurance and Transportation. Storm is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary.

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, represents the 6th Senate District, which includes Oldham and Trimble counties and part of Jefferson County. During the interim, she serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Education, Health Services, Local Government, State Government and Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection. Tichenor is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services and a member of the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity and Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee.

Sen. Robin L. Webb, R-Grayson, represents the 18th Senate District, which includes Boyd, Carter, Greenup and Lewis counties. During the interim, she serves on the Interim Joint Committees on Agriculture, Appropriations and Revenue, Families and Children and Natural Resources and Energy. Webb is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary and a member of the 2026-2028 Budget Preparation and Submission Committee and Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee.