For folks living in eastern Kentucky, electricity prices have continued to climb up and up in recent years.

The Energy Planning Inventory Commission, or Epic for short, is taking a closer look at why that is and what solutions the state could consider to bring some relief to your wallet.

Our Emily Prince was at the commission's meeting yesterday and has this report.

Affordability has been an issue in eastern Kentucky for many years now.

Erik King, executive director of the Energy Planning Inventory Commission, or Epic for short, says his organization is putting the data together to assess the region's energy costs.

Epic was formed by the General Assembly in 2024 to provide independent analysis on the state's energy capabilities.

During this year's legislative session, lawmakers gave Epic a task to determine if coal remains a viable resource for energy or even other uses, and look at how energy costs could be lowered in eastern Kentucky.

As you recall in 2024, there are many retirements of coal plants.

So a lot of downward pressure on coal fired generation in that part of the state and even across the the state of Kentucky.

We're taking a deeper look into the causation of affordability issues, why bills are are high for some regions and then others, and coming and providing a public discourse about those conclusions.

Yesterday, epic met inside the temporary Capitol Annex structure.

Leaders said they're working to put their analysis together by December 1st, which was the deadline given by the General Assembly.

Epic officials said they're looking at household electricity costs and will give an estimate by county.

They're also reviewing policies in other states to see if there are other rate design options that could reduce costs.

This comes as the Public Service Commission, which regulates the state's electric utilities, announced an audit of Kentucky Power.

That's the utility that serves more than 160,000 customers in the eastern part of the state.

And just last month, the PSC opened an investigation to determine why utility bills have been on the rise.

The PSC said from 2020 to 2025, ratepayers have seen a roughly 22% price increase and data centers are not forgotten in the energy discussion.

Earlier this month, Erik King released an op ed saying Kentucky can attract data centers without dumping the costs on ratepayers.

But he said a statewide policy needs to be in place to make sure that happens.

The data center must pay their own way.

What does that actually mean?

A lot of people disagree in terms of what that means.

So we're defining it in terms of, understanding the complexities of the energy system.

So not just that data center or the transmission or the other substation that's being manufactured can set up to serve that customer.

But broadly to that system where what could be some additional, spikes in prices or, or potential cost that are not being accounted for.

King said epic does not endorse or recruit any type of consumer, including data centers.

I asked him about his thoughts on a hyperscale data center that's moving forward at Hancock County in western Kentucky.

The PSC recently approved the power plants from Terra Wolf as they look to turn an old aluminum smelter into a 400 megawatt data center.

The executive director called the Hancock County Project a unicorn.

That particular project, it's already interconnected to the grid, which makes it very valuable.

It also makes it very attractive in terms of a developer and a community, where you're going to have it isolated.

Infrastructure costs are going to be much less than you would find elsewhere.

That's why the PSC, I think, moved in haste to approve it, because it was very, not cut and dry, but it was very clear of the intent of the data center and the process they were using to get to the grid.

King said even though projects like these are taking shape, Kentucky needs a statewide framework to lay out the ground rules in Frankfort for Kentucky edition.

I'm Emily Prince.

The executive director said because of the Energy Planning Commission, he believes Kentucky will be prepared for whatever comes next in the energy industry.