Kentucky

Bordered to the north by the Ohio River, Kentucky is a state with natural amenities ranging from the Mississippi River to the west and the Appalachian Mountains running through most of the eastern half of the state. In 2010, 4,339,367 residents lived in Kentucky, with the bulk of the population clustering in the metropolitan areas on the shores of the Ohio River. Louisville is the largest city, and Kentucky is also home to Cincinnati, Ohio's southern suburbs. Kentucky's consumption and waste issues vary widely depending upon the region of the state. With such diversity, be it in Louisville or Lexington, at the University of Kentucky, or in the southeastern Appalachian coalfields, the issues facing this state vary largely depending upon location. While cities like Lexington and Louisville are making headway in recycling programs, the rural areas with industry continue to have major problems because of industrial waste. Consumption and waste problems in Kentucky are closely related to the coal mining industry. With large-scale coal mining [Page 463]in the southeastern part of the state, Kentucky has easy access to abundant local coal. This has led to low coal prices, which in turn has resulted in cheap electricity for Kentucky residents from coal-fired power plants.

Kentucky is one of the most coal-dependent states in the United States. Kentuckians spend the same percentage of their income on electricity as residents of any other U.S. state, even though they are paying a lower rate. This means that Kentucky residents use more electricity per person than residents from other states. The cheap access encourages irresponsible energy use. Other than coal-fired power plants, the remaining electricity generation within the state is mostly provided by petroleum-fired and hydroelectric power plants. Kentucky is one of just a handful of states remaining that uses no nuclear power. With their resource-laden mountains, Kentuckians use a lot of energy with little cost and care, leading them to confront significant consumption and waste issues.