PPL Corporation’s regulated subsidiaries, Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), have entered into a partnership with Rye Development to evaluate the Lewis Ridge Pumped Storage Project, a 266‑megawatt pumped‑storage hydroelectric facility that would use former coal‑mining lands in Bell County, Kentucky.
The project would store up to eight hours of energy and could begin construction as early as 2027, with commercial operation targeted for 2031. The preliminary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permit was issued in 2022, and the estimated cost is $1.3 billion, including $81 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The facility would be the first pumped‑storage project in Kentucky and one of the first of its type in the United States in more than three decades.
The partnership aligns with PPL’s net‑zero carbon emissions goal for 2050 and its broader clean‑energy strategy, which includes expanding storage capacity to support the growing demand from data centers and to enhance grid resilience. Pumped‑storage hydro provides a proven, long‑duration storage solution that can balance intermittent renewable generation and stabilize electricity prices.
If approved, the Lewis Ridge project is projected to create roughly 2,300 construction jobs and generate about $1.65 million in annual local tax revenue. The development would also repurpose abandoned coal‑mining land, contributing to the economic transformation of southeastern Kentucky.
John R. Crockett III, president for LG&E and KU, said the project “is a compelling initiative to explore with Rye Development because it would be the first of its kind for Kentucky and would further diversify our flexible, sustainable power generation fleet supporting the commonwealth’s economic growth momentum.” Paul Jacob, CEO of Rye Development, added that “Large‑scale energy storage systems like Lewis Ridge not only strengthen the grid; they are significant long‑term investments, providing economic benefits to communities and stabilizing energy prices for decades.” Vincent Sorgi, PPL president and CEO, noted that PPL “is committed to developing creative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges we face in today’s changing energy landscape” and that the partnership “shares our passion to deliver America’s AI dominance and to help address resource adequacy concerns within PJM.”
The partnership is focused on evaluating the technical, financial, and regulatory feasibility of the project. If the evaluation is successful, LG&E, KU, and Rye Development will move forward with detailed design and permitting, positioning the utilities to add a flexible, clean‑energy asset to their generation mix.
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