East Kentucky Power Cooperative unveiled a sustainability plan Wednesday that includes targets for increasing its use of renewable energy and reducing emissions of carbon dioxide in coming decades.

“For EKPC, sustainability means remaining a vital resource for providing energy and services to the 16 electric cooperatives that own our co-op, as well as the 1.1 million Kentucky residents they serve,” said EKPC’s President and CEO Anthony “Tony” Campbell. “We must focus on a shifting energy landscape, now and in the future, and this plan will be vital to helping our organization do that.”

EKPC’s Sustainability Plan establishes a framework to:

— Develop strategies to increase fuel diversity, decrease carbon emissions and promote environmental stewardship;

— Ensure EKPC is working closely with its 16 owner-member electric cooperatives to meet their changing needs;

— Attract and retain employees with the knowledge and skills to meet Kentucky’s energy needs;

— Increase the security, reliability and resiliency of EKPC’s electric transmission system; and

— Promote financial sustainability principles that enhance long-term viability.

The plan establishes goals of reducing carbon dioxide emissions 70 percent by 2050 based on 2010 emissions levels, and obtaining 15 percent of energy from new renewables by 2035.

“We must recognize that we face shifting expectations from a growing number of stakeholders, including cooperative members, policy-makers, lenders, and others,” said Don Mosier, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Developing and maintaining this Sustainability Plan better prepares EKPC to monitor the horizon and to quickly adapt to meet changing needs and expectations.”

EKPC provides power through coal-fueled plants, including the Spurlock Generating Station in Mason County, and natural gas-fueled plants. Construction on Spurlock began in 1972 and the plant went on line in 1977.

This sustainability plan is EKPC’s first. In 2018, EKPC’s Board of Directors added “sustainability” to the cooperative’s mission statement. Over the past year, five teams of EKPC employees have been developing plans to address various aspects of sustainability.

“This sustainability plan is a living, breathing document,” Campbell said. “As circumstances change, the plan will continue to evolve to ensure EKPC is meeting its owner-members’ needs as reliably and affordably as we can.”

An overview of the plan is available on EKPC’s web site at www.ekpc.coop