Gov. Andy Beshear announced the approval of five new economic development projects across the state after Kentucky was awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at a press conference on Monday.
Beshear says these projects have become feasible thanks to grants from the DOE that total to around $961 million.
At the conference, Beshear spotlighted each of the projects and the industries that are planning to expand in Kentucky. Century Aluminum Co. has plans to build an aluminum smelter in Northeastern Kentucky.
Two projects are designated for Shelby County with Wieland North American Recycling set to develop a metal scrap recycling facility for copper and beverage industry Diageo Americas Supply Inc. plans to fund a project focused on reducing their carbon emissions at their Bulleit Facility.
In Bell County, Rye Development is planning to build a coal to hydropower facility which is said to be the first of its kind.
Moving to Western Kentucky, in Calvert City, ISP Chemicals an Ashland Company, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Electrical Thermal Solutions (ETS) and the DOE are partnering to work on a project to replace natural gas boilers with electric heat from thermal batteries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Calvert City ISP chemical plant.
Beshear says the ISP project could reduce the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 70%.
Now that the projects have been announced, Beshear says it is time to get to work and turn them into a reality.
Photo courtesy of Gov. Andy Beshear on Facebook