Program Schedule and Speakers Now Available

When: Saturday, May 16th, 9:30am - 5:00pm

Where: Cathedral of Christ the King, 299 Colony Blvd., Lexington, KY 40502

Keynote Speakers Bishop John Stowe and Josh Van Cleef of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington to discuss the Diocese's groundbreaking Net-Zero Plan.

Featuring presentations on net-zero affordable housing in Letcher County, Solarize Lexington, Solarize Louisville, Plug-In Solar, LG&E-KU's new battery incentive program, integrating utility-scale solar with agriculture (Agrivoltaics), Lexington's Solar Zoning Ordinance, Edelen Renewables' projects, Legislative session review, and updates on PSC & utility work from the Joint Intervenors.  

For the full program and to register, visit https://solarkentucky.org/events/

Registration:  $50

Exhibitor Tables: $200 (free to non-profit community organizations)

Register Here

To reserve an Exhibitor Table or learn about becoming a sponsor, contact Chris Jones, KYSES Board Member, at cjones@kypace.org or 859-468-5598.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Bishop John Stowe at the Church of the Holy Family in Booneville, Kentucky. Photo: Vatican News.

By Andy McDonald

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 across its 59 parishes, as well as schools and other institutions, within 50 counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky. With 41,000 Catholics within the Lexington Diocese, their Net-Zero Plan is a major initiative for reducing carbon emissions and offers a model of environmental stewardship for everyone in the Commonwealth.

The Diocese’s ambitious goal was announced by Bishop John Stowe in April 2024 and was in response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si’, an urgent call for action to confront climate change and protect our common home. Bishop Stowe established a Net-Zero Task Force, composed of diocesan officials and local business leaders, and in October 2025 they released their Net-Zero Plan.

The diocese’s Net-Zero Plan has four steps guiding local parishes as they work to fulfill the plan: (1) Measuring, (2) Efficiency, (3) Solar Development, (4) Transitioning from Gas to Electric. As stated in the Net-Zero Plan:

Measuring provides the basis for understanding the sources of emissions and building an effective plan. Efficiency measures reduce costs, energy usage and energy waste. Solar development and the transition from gas to electric move locations away from reliance on fossil fuels towards renewable energy, while simultaneously offering the possibility of significant savings.

St. Luke’s Parish in Salyersville has already seen the benefits of this approach. The parish was able to reduce electricity use 40% through energy efficiency measures including conversion to LED lighting, smart thermostats, and water heater controls. Like St. Luke’s, parishes across Central and Eastern Kentucky are now actively engaged in seeking ways to reduce their energy usage and evaluate the use of solar on their facilities.

Bishop John Stowe and Josh Van Cleef, Director of the Diocese’s Office of Peace and Justice, will be the keynote speakers at the Kentucky Solar Summit on May 16^th in Lexington at the Cathedral of Christ the King.

To learn more about the Lexington Diocese’s Net-Zero Commitment, visit their website.

A ground mount solar installation at the Church of the Holy Family in Booneville, Kentucky. Photo: Vatican News.

On Earth Day 2026, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Solar Kentucky partnered to launch their 5th annual Solarize Louisville campaign, to give residents, small businesses, non-profits, and places of worship bulk-purchasing power to obtain discounted wholesale rates for solar installation. As always, the Solarize team used a rigorous competitive bidding process to select the installation contractor for this year's campaign. Contractors were screened for their qualifications, experience, customer service, warranties, quality equipment, and pricing. Pure Power Solar was selected from a field of numerous qualified contractors to serve the campaign.

Enrollment runs until October 1, 2026. To learn more and sign up for a free estimate, visit www.SolarizeLouisville.com. 

The City of Lexington is preparing to launch its third Solarize campaign this spring. The contract for the campaign's solar installation contractors is presently out for bid with a May 12 deadline for proposals. Solarize Lexington will be open to residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations within the Lexington-Fayette County Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes the communities of Bourbon, Clark, Jessamine, Scott, and Woodford Counties. 

To learn more about Solarize Lexington, click here.

Would you like to help the Kentucky Solar Energy Society advance the energy transition in Kentucky or know someone who would be a great addition to our team? KYSES is seeking nominations for candidates to serve on our Board of Directors. Our board election opens May 28 and new Board members begin their two-year terms July 1st. If you're interested, please email kysesinfo@gmail.com and include a statement of why you're interested to serve on the board and a copy of your resume.

Click here to become a member or renew your membership.