Written by Daviess County Judge/Executive Charlie Castlen
When Winter Storm Fern swept across Kentucky, it put real pressure on our communities. Families worked to keep their homes warm, first responders stayed on the roads, hospitals prepared for emergencies, and local governments monitored conditions hour by hour. As temperatures dropped and electricity demand surged, the ability to keep power flowing made all the difference. In moments like that, dependable power is not a luxury – it is a public safety necessity.
As a county judge/executive, I see up close how closely electric reliability is tied to public health and safety. When power is interrupted during severe winter weather, the risks escalate quickly. Frozen pipes can displace families, unsafe indoor heating can lead to fires or carbon monoxide exposure, and food and medications can spoil. At the same time, emergency services face heavier demand just as conditions make response more difficult. Even short outages can become life-threatening for the people local governments serve every day.
During the storm, baseload power sources delivered electricity around the clock, helping keep homes heated, medical facilities operating, and critical services online. That reliability mattered most for seniors and vulnerable residents, who were able to stay warm during dangerous cold.
Winter Storm Fern also highlighted a broader reality. Electricity demand is rising, driven by population growth, advanced manufacturing, data centers, and the electrification of more aspects of daily life. At the same time, Kentucky, like much of the country, is navigating major changes in how electricity is generated. These decisions have real consequences, especially when extreme weather exposes weaknesses in the system.
This is not a debate about choosing one energy source over another. Kentucky benefits from a diverse energy mix, and new technologies have an important role to play. But storms like Fern remind us that the grid must work under the toughest conditions, not just ideal ones. Power must be available every hour of every day, regardless of the weather.
Intermittent resources alone cannot meet that standard. When temperatures plunge and demand spikes, the grid depends on power sources that can deliver continuously and predictably. That is why baseload generation – particularly coal, supported by other firm resources – remains essential to Kentucky’s energy reliability.
Short-term emergency measures can help avert blackouts during crises, but they are not a substitute for sound long-term planning. Retiring reliable power sources before replacements are fully capable of performing under extreme conditions puts communities at risk. Local governments are often left managing the consequences.
Kentucky’s electricity grid has long supported affordable power, economic growth, and public safety. Preserving those strengths requires practical, fact-based decisions that reflect how the grid actually operates. The laws of physics do not change during a winter storm.
Winter Storm Fern served as a reminder that energy policy is ultimately about people – keeping families safe, communities functioning, and local economies running, even when conditions are at their worst. As we plan for the future, we must ensure that dependable baseload power remains a cornerstone of Kentucky’s energy strategy.
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Daviess County Judge/Executive Charlie Castlen is a member of Dependable Power First Kentucky — a statewide coalition working to promote the Commonwealth’s energy security and the economic well-being of Kentuckians by advocating an all-of-the-above approach to power generation that leverages the best aspects of all available sources.