What does the future hold for Eastern Kentucky?

Artificial intelligence and nuclear energy were among the topics as the Soar summit, or shaping our Appalachian region, wrapped up last week in Corbin.

Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers and former Governor Steve Beshear founded the initiative in 2013.

Their goal was to unite the counties of southern and eastern Kentucky and ensure the coal centered region could keep prospering.

Our Emily Sisk was there last week and has the latest.

You cannot tell the story of the United States of America without talking about Eastern Kentucky.

And because of everyone here, this region's going to play a major role in the future of our country, too.

What role will Eastern Kentucky play in the future of the Commonwealth and the country?

That was the question at the annual Soar Summit in Corbin.

State Senate President Robert Stivers said, to start, eastern Kentuckians need to view themselves as part of one region.

We cannot sit here and define ourselves by county lines.

We need to think about the region and how we participate with each other, because each of us have our own individual assets.

But when they come together, it makes a huge difference about how we attract people here and how they look to come and live.

Stivers said one of his biggest focuses is attracting remote workers from across the country to find their home in eastern Kentucky.

To do that, he said, they'll need better access to roads and infrastructure, which is something Governor Andy Beshear touted after announcing an expansion of the Mountain Parkway.

So I am the first governor that can ever look at you and say every part of the four laning of the Mountain Parkway is now complete or under construction.

How about that?

Eastern Kentucky is still adapting from natural disasters, with deadly flooding in recent years and tornadoes in recent months.

The governor discussed rebuilding efforts.

I think about what we've done in this last year, which is a lot of of this summit, about the resilience that we are seeing and about the leadership we're showing.

I think about the eight high ground communities that we are building in eastern Kentucky, the most ambitious and innovative rebuild I think we've seen in U.S. history.

We have done more than simply build back the idea of these high ground communities are to move people out of danger while addressing affordable housing all at the same time, to make sure that no one ever goes through a night like they did, and that we never lose the number of people that we lost.

Drug abuse has also plagued Eastern Kentucky.

Statistics are providing hope, however, as the number of deadly overdoses has decreased three years in a row.

Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky's fifth district said he expects that pattern to continue.

And today, Kentucky is now leading the country in the decline.

And now that we have secure borders, I expect those numbers to get even better.

Attendees of the Soar summit heard from panelists about Eastern Kentucky's potential for nuclear energy sources and artificial intelligence data centers.

Senate President Stivers said he believes these industries are the future for not only the region, but the country.

One of the biggest issues being discussed here is AI and energy.

It is not just a local issue.

It is really a geopolitical issue.

And you heard some of the discussion is now US and China.

Who is going to be the leader in the next ten, 15 years.

And it's imperative that we are the leader said these industries can bring more jobs and the government support to eastern Kentucky, with an ultimate goal of repopulating the region.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Sisk.

Thank you much, Emily.

At the end of the summit, the state provided nearly $26 million to economic development organizations in East Kentucky.

Governor Beshear and Congressman Rogers presented those checks on Friday afternoon.