State Rep. Jim Gooch, the longtime leader of the House’s Natural Resources and Environment Committee, has been named to the Southern States Energy Board, a key position that will help him better promote Kentucky’s energy resources.
“This is a prestigious group, and its recommendations carry a considerable amount of weight when it comes to issues tied to energy and the environment,” said Rep. Gooch, D-Providence. “I’m honored to now be a part of this and look forward to taking what I learn and implementing it here at home.”
Rep. Gooch will serve on the board with Governor Beshear; Dr. Len Peters, the secretary of the state’s Energy and Environment Cabinet; and several other state legislators, including Rep. Rocky Adkins, who serves as the board’s vice chairman.
The Southern States Energy Board was formed by governors and legislators throughout the South in 1960, in an effort to improve economic development and quality of life through innovations in environmental and energy programs.
Rep. Gooch noted that the board plays a major role in amplifying Kentucky’s energy goals. Last fall, for example, it put its support behind a resolution that calls on the EPA to recognize different greenhouse standards for coal- and natural-gas power plants.
“Resolutions like this give Kentucky’s arguments a much stronger voice, which is more important than ever as we take on federal regulations that seem determined to reduce the positive impact coal can and should play in meeting our country’s energy needs,” Rep. Gooch said.