Dr. Eric Godoy teaches philosophy at Illinois State University, specializing in environmental, social and political philosophy. This past week, he visited Kentucky to give a public lecture at Centre College in an event co-sponsored by the University of Kentucky's Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment.
Godoy's talk, "Imagining Infinite Energy," is a thought experiment. It presents the possibility of abundant, inexhaustible, and imminent clean energy alongside a question: would access to an infinite, green resource create a just energy system on its own?
"Absolutely not," answers Godoy. "There's no guarantee it would be just. The current energy system is not just."
A full switch to renewables comes with tradeoffs. Land remains a limited resource, both for the construction of green energy facilities and for the mining of crucial materials for energy storage, like lithium.
"Who benefits?" asks Godoy. "With something like energy, which is an essential good, why don't we have a collective say in shaping how those policies affect our lives?"
That's the idea behind energy democracy - the idea that people deserve a voice in energy decisions. It's the subject of Godoy's upcoming book, tentatively titled Public Power.
Cara Cooper coordinates Kentuckians for Energy Democracy, a statewide coalition working on energy affordability and utility accountability. She spoke with Godoy at UK's Appalachian Center the morning after his lecture, and shared that the number one issue she hears from Kentuckians is cost.
"Our energy is unaffordable," Cooper said. "People are making hard decisions every month. Do I pay my electric bill? Do I buy groceries? Do I buy my prescriptions?"
One way people are fighting for affordability is through engaging with the Kentucky Public Service Commission - the regulatory body which approves utility rate increases. Cooper says public comment is working.
"The Public Service Commission, for the first time ever, cited public comment as the reason why they weren't awarding the full rate increase to Kentucky Power," explained Cooper. "They actually awarded a lower rate increase."
While public engagement can push the system in the right direction, Godoy cautions against putting too much weight on individual choices alone. He points to recycling as an example.
"Recycling was a response from the beverage industry to pass responsibility on to individuals, consumers, rather than taking a more systemic approach," Godoy said. "And that is part of the reason recycling became such a core tenet of modern environmentalism."
The same logic, he argues, applies to energy. Real change requires systemic, collective action - but that doesn't mean individual action isn't worth taking.
Kentuckians for Energy Democracy goes door to door in communities like Hazard, helping residents cut their energy use at home. One woman they visited had an electric bill totaling $750 - three-quarters of her $1,000 monthly disability check. Cooper said a loose duct had been heating her crawl space all winter, fixable with a few dollars of tape and sealant.
"The cheapest electricity is the electricity we never have to use," Cooper said. "We're leaving so much on the table. It's not even low-hanging fruit. It's fruit that's rotting on the ground."