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KY — Power Infrastructure Updated January 8, 2026

Kentucky

PJM Natural Gas Solar Storage Queue Bottlenecks Transmission Constraints

Overview

Kentucky is building new gas capacity and solar farms to replace retiring coal units and meet growing industrial demand, but the state has not yet announced power contracts tied to data center operators. LG&E/KU and East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) are advancing nearly 3,000 MW of new generation, including two large combined-cycle gas plants and a growing solar pipeline. A fragmented grid — split across PJM, MISO, LG&E/KU, and TVA — means developers and large customers face four separate interconnection queues and procedural hurdles.

Generation Projects

Natural Gas

Kentucky utilities have secured approvals for three new gas plants totaling more than 1,600 MW to backstop coal retirements and load growth.

  • LG&E/KU Brown 12 and Mill Creek 6: Two ~645 MW combined-cycle units — one at E.W. Brown Generating Station (Mercer County), the other at Mill Creek Generating Station (Jefferson County) — approved by the Kentucky PSC in October 2025. LG&E/KU expect Brown 12 online in 2030 and Mill Creek 6 in 2031.[1][2]
  • EKPC Liberty RICE and Cooper CCGT: EKPC’s 2025 integrated resource plan (IRP — a utility’s long-term plan for meeting demand) includes certificates of public convenience and necessity (CPCNs) for a 214 MW Liberty RICE plant and a 745 MW Cooper combined-cycle gas turbine, plus gas co-firing conversions at existing coal units.[3]

Solar

Utility solar additions total more than 1,400 MW across EKPC and LG&E/KU, with additional RFP capacity in procurement.

  • EKPC Cooperative Solar Fayette (40 MW) and Marion (96 MW): Two utility solar projects with CPCNs filed and included in EKPC’s 2025 IRP base case.[3]
  • EKPC New ERA solar pipeline (321 MW): Four additional solar farms totaling 321 MW of peak output, tied to USDA New ERA funding applications and awaiting PSC filings.[3]
  • LG&E/KU solar and storage additions (>1,000 MW): LG&E/KU report prior PSC approval for more than 1,000 MW of solar and battery storage, with a 2024 RFP seeking new solar, wind, and hydro projects starting in 2026 to support large-load supply needs.[4]

Transmission and Grid

MISO and EKPC are advancing new transmission capacity to relieve constraints and accommodate generation interconnections.

  • MISO LRTP Tranche 2.1 Reid EHV to Culley 345 kV line: A new ~26-mile 345 kV line from Reid EHV Substation (Kentucky) to Culley Substation (Indiana), selected under MISO’s long-range transmission plan (LRTP — a regional plan for new transmission lines). LS Power will build the project, targeted for in-service by June 2032, to improve reliability and capacity across the Kentucky–Indiana border.[5]
  • EKPC 15-year transmission plan (2025–2039): EKPC’s IRP outlines 69 kV and 138 kV line rebuilds, 51.3 miles of new 69 kV line, 1.78 miles of new 161 kV line, new switching stations, substation upgrades, and capacitor banks to support generation interconnections.[3]

Battery Storage

Kentucky has approved one large utility-scale battery project and withdrawn another.

  • E.W. Brown BESS (125 MW): A 125 MW battery energy storage system (BESS — a utility-scale battery facility) at KU’s E.W. Brown Generating Station in Mercer County, approved by the Kentucky PSC. The four-hour system will occupy a roughly 7.5-acre facility within the existing station boundary.[6]
  • Cane Run BESS (400 MW) withdrawn: LG&E/KU proposed a 400 MW battery at Cane Run in February 2025 but withdrew the proposal by October 2025 as part of a settlement, reserving the right to file a future CPCN.[2][7]

Interconnection Queue

Kentucky’s split across four grid operators — PJM, MISO, LG&E/KU, and TVA — creates queue fragmentation and slows large-load interconnection.

  • PJM queue pressure in EKPC territory: EKPC reports 84 active merchant projects in the PJM queue seeking interconnection to its transmission system, totaling 7,198 MW of capacity, almost all solar or solar-plus-storage. Only seven projects had executed interconnection agreements as of January 1, 2025.[3]
  • Statewide queue mix (12.4 GW in study): A December 2025 snapshot from the Southern Renewable Energy Association shows Kentucky split across four interconnection processes, with 6.4 GW of solar, 1.6 GW of standalone storage, 1.3 GW of hybrid solar+storage, and 3.1 GW of gas in study — highlighting procedural friction for new large loads.[8]

What to Watch

  • LG&E/KU 2024 RFP outcomes: The May 2024 request for proposals for new solar, wind, and hydro projects starting in 2026 could add significant capacity and may include supply arrangements for large customers.
  • EKPC New ERA solar CPCN filings: Four solar farms totaling 321 MW are awaiting PSC filings tied to USDA funding, which would accelerate EKPC’s renewable buildout.
  • Future Cane Run BESS filing: LG&E/KU reserved the right to file a future CPCN for the withdrawn 400 MW battery project, which could return if load growth justifies the investment.

Sources

[1] Kentucky Public Service Commission. “PSC Approves LG&E and KU Plan for New Generation.” Press release, October 28, 2025. https://psc.ky.gov/agencies/psc/press/102025/1028_r01.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[2] LG&E and KU. “LG&E and KU receive approval on plans to meet Kentucky’s growing energy needs.” Press release, October 30, 2025. https://lge-ku.com/newsroom/press-releases/2025/10/30/lge-and-ku-receive-approval-plans-meet-kentuckys-growing-energy (accessed January 8, 2026).

[3] East Kentucky Power Cooperative. 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (Public Redacted Version). Filed April 1, 2025 (PSC Case No. 2025-00087). https://psc.ky.gov/pscecf/2025-00087/jessica.fitch-snedegar@ekpc.coop/04012025042343/EKPC_2025_IRP_-_Public_Redacted_Version.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[4] LG&E and KU. “LG&E and KU pursuing new opportunities to add renewable energy.” Press release, May 1, 2024. https://lge-ku.com/newsroom/press-releases/2024/05/01/lge-and-ku-pursuing-new-opportunities-add-renewable-energy (accessed January 8, 2026).

[5] LS Power (PRNewswire). “MISO Awards LS Power Affiliate with Another Competitive Transmission Project.” July 30, 2025. https://www.lspower.com/news/miso-awards-ls-power-affiliate-with-another-competitive-transmission-project/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[6] Kentucky Public Service Commission. Order, Case No. 2024-00082 (E.W. Brown BESS site compatibility certificate). November 26, 2024. https://psc.ky.gov/pscscf/2024%20Cases/2024-00082//20241126_PSC_ORDER.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[7] LG&E and KU. “LG&E and KU power Kentucky’s growth with plans for new generation and battery storage.” Press release, February 28, 2025. https://lge-ku.com/newsroom/press-releases/2025/02/28/lge-and-ku-power-kentuckys-growth-plans-new-generation-and (accessed January 8, 2026).

[8] Stacey Svendsen. “Fall 2025 Updates to the Kentucky Generator Interconnection Queue.” Southern Renewable Energy Association, December 18, 2025. https://southernrenewable.org/news-updates/fall-2025-updates-to-the-kentucky-generator-interconnection-queue (accessed January 8, 2026).