KCF Kentucky Conservation Foundation

Clean and Sustainable Energy Project: clean energy and efficiency education and outreach. Monitoring of current landscape for dirtier fossil fuel options. Help public connect to resources on how to engage with merchant solar companies. With partners, educate the public on best practices for obtaining solar and energy storage systems including low-income households and focusing on developing energy democracy best practices. Educate the public on transportation related energy issues. Educate the public on health issues regarding fossil fuel usage. Publish solar energy guides for public education. Track merchant solar activity. Serve as a resource for merchant solar companies, farmers, landowners, neighbors, and anyone with questions about merchant solar facilities in Kentucky especially best practices. Work with community organizations, utilities and coalitions on energy efficiency, building codes and electrification.

Infrastructure, Toxics and Waste: Support frontline communities engaging in the impacts of fossil fuel related infrastructure for just energy solutions while delaying the emerging new gas/fossil markets and waste projects that perpetuate the use of fossil fuels and plastics. Help communities make informed choices that improve their health, and their property rights. Educate the public on issues that hinder citizen's rights to protest toxic infrastructure, and to retire old infrastructure. Maintain the kybeyondfossilfuels.org website and Facebook pages. Educate the public and land rights, the Bernheim pipeline project, environmental issues with abandoned gas well and coal mines. Educate the public an the health impacts of waste streams including the impacts of PFAS chemicals. Educate stakeholders on opportunities in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Act opportunities to address local pollution problems.

Climate Plan Education: Build and maintain a climate action web site. Distribute the booklet "Key Steps to Climate Action" guide. Educate the public on current climate change impacts in Kentucky. Educate the public on opportunities through Solarize Projects as new localities are added. Network with other local Climate Action groups and partner on projects as appropriate, amplifying their climate messaging. Inform the public of opportunities through Federal initiatives and tax benefits. Help build a toolkit for the US Climate Action Network actions in partnership with other USCAN members. Educate the public of the impacts of cryptocurrency mining on energy usage. This year we helped state and local governments, community organizations and utilities access funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Act and similar Federal programs.

Biodiversity Education: Promotion of information and awareness of Kentucky's rare and threatened plants and animals, to conserve what is native and threatened. Educate stakeholders about wildlife corridors. Aid the Dept of Transportation in identifying possible wildlife corridors and their application for federal grants for said corridors. Educate visitors to the Louisville Zoo, at Earth Day events, at Perryville's Springfest, Lexington's Greenfest, and Louisville's Earth Walk on biodiversity. Promote wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity.

Non-partisan vote engagement involving texting and social media GOTV and voter registration efforts around the state officer elections.

Land Conservation and Stewardship: Support the land conservation coalition. Support outdoor recreation initiatives to build a constituent base for land preservation. Work to preserve contiguous lands for wildlife corridors. Educate the public on climate resilience and the importance of contiguous lands. Distribute information on Federal funding for land conservation. Use social media and in-person events to educate stakeholders. Collect research on the economic impact of outdoor recreation. Coordinate with other land conservation organizations on projects related to this work. Work on farmland preservation.

Culture and Heritage Project: Use of arts to advance our mission to the public and gain awareness of our organization. This includes the Wild and Scenic Film Festival and our Kentucky Voices evening.