News of the terminations came less than a week after Ford and its partner, South Korean battery maker SK On, announced the celebrated joint venture behind the massive plants would be ending.
Most of the people whose jobs are at risk voted for this president, but it appears he doesn't care.Gov. Andy Beshear
The BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County will be converted to a different kind of facility, one focusing on meeting the demand for storage in data centers.
"We're still going to power through. We may also end up being the electric storage battery capital of the United States because that's really important with the grid," Gov. Andy Beshear said.
While Beshear may be sounding cautiously optimistic that the project — and his larger bid to make Kentucky an EV battery hub — can be rescued, he's also pointing to the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," which ended federal EV tax incentives, as a reason for the companies shifting gears.
Prior to the layoff announcement, the governor laid the blame for job losses directly at the feet of President Donald Trump.
"Most of the people whose jobs are at risk voted for this president, but it appears he doesn't care and at least I hope that people see that," the Democrat said. "(U.S. Congressman) Brett Guthrie, whose district these battery plants are in, pushed the bill through and didn't push back on these provisions."
Guthrie has responded to his being singled by the governor, telling WHAS Beshear is trying to "satisfy a very liberal base" while laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run. The GOP representative went on to say public demand for EVs isn't there, describing the goal of the transition to the new vehicles as a "liberal pipe dream."
Beshear maintains that Kentucky got the better end of the new deal, which will see Ford keep its presence in the state.