Curtis Tate
@tatecurtis.bsky.social
Energy & environment reporter, West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Son & grandson of immigrants. Dog dad. Rail enthusiast. He/him.
This story follows me wherever I go. This time, with expert testimony that repairing or replacing Mitchell’s structurally compromised cooling tower would cost more than refueling the existing plant with natural gas.
wvpublic.org/story/energy...
wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Repairing Mitchell Plant Is Too Costly For Kentucky Power Customers, Expert Says - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The Kentucky Public Service Commission should reject Kentucky Power’s plan to keep its half of the Mitchell plant past 2028 according to Devi Glick, an energy analyst with Synapse Energy Economics sai...
wvpublic.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:49 PM
This story follows me wherever I go. This time, with expert testimony that repairing or replacing Mitchell’s structurally compromised cooling tower would cost more than refueling the existing plant with natural gas.
wvpublic.org/story/energy...
wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Two former Kentucky governors and political rivals, Steve Beshear and Ernie Fletcher, shared the stage at the Kentucky Chamber’s luncheon in Lexington today.
November 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Two former Kentucky governors and political rivals, Steve Beshear and Ernie Fletcher, shared the stage at the Kentucky Chamber’s luncheon in Lexington today.
Reposted by Curtis Tate
Reminder that 10x (and growing) as many people in Kentucky work in the renewable energy space kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/01/k...
Kentucky adds clean energy jobs but Trump policies threaten continued growth, says report • Kentucky Lantern
Clean energy jobs continued to grow in Kentucky last year, according to an annual report focusing on the economic impact of such jobs.
kentuckylantern.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reminder that 10x (and growing) as many people in Kentucky work in the renewable energy space kentuckylantern.com/2025/10/01/k...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
The number of workers employed in Kentucky coal mines fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest total on record. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social at @weku.bsky.social
Kentucky Coal Employment Slumps to Record Low In 2nd Quarter
Employment in the Kentucky coal industry drops to record lows
www.weku.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The number of workers employed in Kentucky coal mines fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest total on record. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social at @weku.bsky.social
Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet data shows statewide coal employment fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest level on record. The slump is most pronounced in eastern Kentucky.
www.weku.org/the-commonwe...
www.weku.org/the-commonwe...
Kentucky Coal Employment Slumps to Record Low In 2nd Quarter
Employment in the Kentucky coal industry drops to record lows
www.weku.org
November 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Kentucky's Energy and Environment Cabinet data shows statewide coal employment fell below 3,800 in the second quarter, the lowest level on record. The slump is most pronounced in eastern Kentucky.
www.weku.org/the-commonwe...
www.weku.org/the-commonwe...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
You can't make this up.
November 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
You can't make this up.
Reposted by Curtis Tate
Kentucky's first — and, thus far, only — woman governor has died.
Martha Layne Collins was 88.
One of Collins’ most enduring achievements was luring Toyota to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs and has had a lasting economic impact on the region.
Martha Layne Collins was 88.
One of Collins’ most enduring achievements was luring Toyota to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs and has had a lasting economic impact on the region.
Martha Layne Collins, KY’s first woman governor & Toyota dealmaker, dies at 88
One of Collins’ biggest achievements in office was luring a Toyota plant to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs in the region.
www.kentucky.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Kentucky's first — and, thus far, only — woman governor has died.
Martha Layne Collins was 88.
One of Collins’ most enduring achievements was luring Toyota to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs and has had a lasting economic impact on the region.
Martha Layne Collins was 88.
One of Collins’ most enduring achievements was luring Toyota to Georgetown, a move that created thousands of jobs and has had a lasting economic impact on the region.
Reposted by Curtis Tate
A new Kentucky Public Service Commission order set rates & terms for future data center customers of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, which serves 89 counties. It would give the regulator final approval on data center contracts & encourages transparency with the community where they locate. #kyga26
Kentucky regulators approve power co-ops’ rates, terms for future data centers
The Kentucky Public Service Commission set rates and terms for future data center customers of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, which serves 89 counties.
www.lpm.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Curtis Tate
Two aging, unprofitable out-of-state coal plants are costing Kentucky electricity customers with higher bills. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social
Unprofitable Out-Of-State Coal Plants Costing Kentucky Electricity Customers - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Behind the rates paid by the companies’ customers is a hidden cost that doesn’t show up on their bills. Customers receive electricity from two aging, out-of-state coal plants that lose a lot of money.
wvpublic.org
October 31, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Two aging, unprofitable out-of-state coal plants are costing Kentucky electricity customers with higher bills. From @tatecurtis.bsky.social
Not sure whether to call this my last story for West Virginia or my first story for Kentucky. Let’s say it’s both. I extended my previous scrutiny of what two aging, unprofitable coal plants in Indiana and Ohio was costing Appalachian Power customers to LG&E and KU. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Unprofitable Out-Of-State Coal Plants Costing Kentucky Electricity Customers - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Behind the rates paid by the companies’ customers is a hidden cost that doesn’t show up on their bills. Customers receive electricity from two aging, out-of-state coal plants that lose a lot of money.
wvpublic.org
October 31, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Not sure whether to call this my last story for West Virginia or my first story for Kentucky. Let’s say it’s both. I extended my previous scrutiny of what two aging, unprofitable coal plants in Indiana and Ohio was costing Appalachian Power customers to LG&E and KU. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
Kentucky Public Radio spoke with food banks across the state bracing for a surge in clients ahead of the Nov. 1 suspension of federal food assistance www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...
Kentucky food pantries call for community support ahead of SNAP cliff
Kentucky Public Radio spoke with food banks across the state bracing for a surge in clients ahead of the Nov. 1 suspension of federal food assistance.
www.lpm.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Kentucky Public Radio spoke with food banks across the state bracing for a surge in clients ahead of the Nov. 1 suspension of federal food assistance www.lpm.org/news/2025-10...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
“In Country,” the first novel from renowned western Kentucky novelist Bobbie Ann Mason, turned 40 this fall. The writer looked back on the occasion in an interview with WKMS.
www.wkms.org/arts-culture...
www.wkms.org/arts-culture...
Western Kentucky writer Bobbie Ann Mason looks back at “In Country” forty years later
Celebrated author and Mayfield native Bobbie Ann Mason reflects on the Vietnam War, history and how people learn from it as she reflects on the publishing of her first novel.
www.wkms.org
October 29, 2025 at 10:30 PM
“In Country,” the first novel from renowned western Kentucky novelist Bobbie Ann Mason, turned 40 this fall. The writer looked back on the occasion in an interview with WKMS.
www.wkms.org/arts-culture...
www.wkms.org/arts-culture...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
"The PSC has rubber-stamped LG&E/KU’s expensive & unnecessary plan to funnel Kentuckians’ hard-earned money into coal & gas facilities that rake up our electricity bills & poison our air... LG&E/KU prioritizes the needs of speculative data centers & their secretive Big Tech owners over those of KY"
Kentucky regulators grant LG&E/KU permission to build power plants for future data centers
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers.
www.lpm.org
October 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM
"The PSC has rubber-stamped LG&E/KU’s expensive & unnecessary plan to funnel Kentuckians’ hard-earned money into coal & gas facilities that rake up our electricity bills & poison our air... LG&E/KU prioritizes the needs of speculative data centers & their secretive Big Tech owners over those of KY"
Reposted by Curtis Tate
I’m sorry, if someone has a birth certificate that proves they were born here but a mobile app with face recognition software disagrees, they will side with the app?
What?
What?
New incredible detail here: ICE says a match in its facial recognition app Mobile Fortify is a "definitive" determination of a person's status, and that this overrides birth certificates. This is an app ICE is using in the field to scan people
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-...
October 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I’m sorry, if someone has a birth certificate that proves they were born here but a mobile app with face recognition software disagrees, they will side with the app?
What?
What?
Reposted by Curtis Tate
i cannot believe that “mamdani calls a close adult relative an ‘aunt’ even if they are not literally their parent’s sister” is what counts as a “scandal” these days
October 28, 2025 at 9:14 PM
i cannot believe that “mamdani calls a close adult relative an ‘aunt’ even if they are not literally their parent’s sister” is what counts as a “scandal” these days
Reposted by Curtis Tate
First intended as an entrance for social events, the East Wing became the first lady's office space. Historians say the shift was a key part of professionalizing staff for the president's wife. n.pr/4qA1nG0
The East Wing gave women a space to thrive in the White House…here's why
First intended as an entrance for social events, the East Wing became the first lady's office space. Historians say the shift was a key part of professionalizing staff for the president's wife.
n.pr
October 29, 2025 at 11:23 PM
First intended as an entrance for social events, the East Wing became the first lady's office space. Historians say the shift was a key part of professionalizing staff for the president's wife. n.pr/4qA1nG0
Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power parent AEP recorded nearly $1 billion in profits in just one quarter. While also seeking double-digit rate increases in Kentucky and West Virginia. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
AEP Reports Nearly $1 Billion Profit In Third Quarter - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
American Electric Power recorded $972 million in profits in the three months ending Sept. 30, up from $960 million a year ago.
wvpublic.org
October 29, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power parent AEP recorded nearly $1 billion in profits in just one quarter. While also seeking double-digit rate increases in Kentucky and West Virginia. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
I’ll say this again: Aging coal plants prove they’re not as reliable as advertised, especially during extreme weather events. Had other generation not stepped up, we would have had trouble in the grid like in December 2022. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Appalachian Power Coal Plant's Winter Failures Raise Reliability Questions - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Data the company provided to utility regulators in Virginia show one of the plant’s three units failed on Jan. 21 and 22. This was during one of the coldest periods of the year, with record demand for...
wvpublic.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I’ll say this again: Aging coal plants prove they’re not as reliable as advertised, especially during extreme weather events. Had other generation not stepped up, we would have had trouble in the grid like in December 2022. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
NEW from me:
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers and AI. #kyga26
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers and AI. #kyga26
Kentucky regulators grant LG&E/KU permission to build power plants for future data centers
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers.
www.lpm.org
October 28, 2025 at 10:56 PM
NEW from me:
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers and AI. #kyga26
State regulators are allowing Kentucky’s largest power companies to spend $3 billion on two new gas power plants, which LG&E/KU say are needed for future data centers and AI. #kyga26
Cobra monthly premium when I left Gannett in 2020: $500+. Premium in 2025 as I leave state employment: $900+
October 27, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Cobra monthly premium when I left Gannett in 2020: $500+. Premium in 2025 as I leave state employment: $900+
You know what I think this means? Trump has ironically helped coal by increasing LNG exports, making gas more expensive to generate electricity and coal more competitive. Yet the export coal market has cratered. Trade policies to blame? wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Norfolk Southern Coal Shifts From Export To Domestic - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
In the three months ending on Sept. 30, Norfolk Southern moved nearly 8.8 million tons of coal for U.S. power plants, according to a financial presentation on Thursday, a 6% increase from the year bef...
wvpublic.org
October 24, 2025 at 11:54 PM
You know what I think this means? Trump has ironically helped coal by increasing LNG exports, making gas more expensive to generate electricity and coal more competitive. Yet the export coal market has cratered. Trade policies to blame? wvpublic.org/story/energy...
I was frankly a little disappointed by the NPR story from Georgia about the Public Service Commission. It gave too much emphasis to the political intrigue and not to the substance. These ‘obscure’ state regulators have tremendous say over people’s lives.
October 24, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I was frankly a little disappointed by the NPR story from Georgia about the Public Service Commission. It gave too much emphasis to the political intrigue and not to the substance. These ‘obscure’ state regulators have tremendous say over people’s lives.
I think it’s more than worth pointing out that Appalachian Power customers in West Virginia and Virginia receive electricity from the same coal plants in WV. However, the Virginia customers’ bills are going down. Why? Renewables. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Citing Renewables, Appalachian Power To Lower Virginia Bills - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
That’s in contrast to the company’s April filing in West Virginia, which asked regulators to charge customers $5 more a month to pay for fuel expenses.
wvpublic.org
October 23, 2025 at 11:47 PM
I think it’s more than worth pointing out that Appalachian Power customers in West Virginia and Virginia receive electricity from the same coal plants in WV. However, the Virginia customers’ bills are going down. Why? Renewables. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Reposted by Curtis Tate
#MVP pipeline update: The WV Department of Environmental Protection has issued a total of five notices of violation to the Mountain Valley Pipeline since it became operational last year.
More from @tatecurtis.bsky.social with @wvpublic.bsky.social!
More from @tatecurtis.bsky.social with @wvpublic.bsky.social!
Mountain Valley Pipeline Receives More Violations In W.Va. - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
The MVP received three notices of violation from the DEP this year, in addition to the two it received last year after becoming operational in June 2024.
wvpublic.org
October 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
#MVP pipeline update: The WV Department of Environmental Protection has issued a total of five notices of violation to the Mountain Valley Pipeline since it became operational last year.
More from @tatecurtis.bsky.social with @wvpublic.bsky.social!
More from @tatecurtis.bsky.social with @wvpublic.bsky.social!
The Mitchell coal plant is 54 years old and runs at a capacity factor of 25%. Its owner is plans to ask state regulators for permission to reinforce or rebuild a failing concrete cooling tower. It also wants to ask for federal help to pay for the project. wvpublic.org/story/energy...
Kentucky Power Coal Plant Needs A Big Repair. Could The Feds Help? - West Virginia Public Broadcasting
One of Mitchell’s two concrete cooling towers is failing structurally and needs to be reinforced or replaced.
wvpublic.org
October 14, 2025 at 9:47 PM
The Mitchell coal plant is 54 years old and runs at a capacity factor of 25%. Its owner is plans to ask state regulators for permission to reinforce or rebuild a failing concrete cooling tower. It also wants to ask for federal help to pay for the project. wvpublic.org/story/energy...