Sustainability Now! | KCC Summit | Solar + Agriculture | Feb. 8, 2021

On this week’s Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, brings you highlights from the recently concluded 2021 Kentucky Conservation Committee (KCC) Legislative Summit & Annual Meeting which was held virtually over three sessions in January. What we’ll hear today is Session 3 from January 29th, which put the spotlight on Kentucky’s renewable energy future and the potential compatibility of utility-scale solar with sustainable agriculture and land stewardship. This session was opened by Dr. Benjamin Knoll, KCC Board President, Lane Boldman, KCC Executive Director, and Randy Strobo, KCC Legislative Agent. They introduce special guests:
- KY Rep. Mark Hart and Senator Reggie Thomas.
- Matt Partymiller, of the Kentucky Solar Industries Association. The Kentucky Solar Industries Association represents businesses involved in the nation’s leader in new power generation - the solar industry. KYSEIA’s objective is to provide leadership and promote sound policy in the Commonwealth as our power sector enters the solar-age.
- Carson Harkrader, CEO, Carolina Solar Energy. Carson leads Carolina Solar Energy’s business strategy, forging partnerships in new markets. She has recently guided the company into new projects in Kentucky and Western NC. Before joining CSE in 2012, she led teams at GE Energy on worldwide projects. She stepped up to lead the company in early 2018. She lives with her husband and son in Hillsborough, NC.
- Michael Baute, Director of Regenerative Energy and Land Management for Silicon Ranch. Michael is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy and internal plans to establish Silicon Ranch as the industry leader in cost-effective regenerative land management. He is also responsible for conventional vegetation management and creates plans to transition the care of our land towards more holistic methods. Michael comes to Silicon Ranch with more than 15 years of diverse land management experience. From fighting wildfires in Alaska to holistically managing large-scale cattle and bison ranches in Colorado and Kentucky; from local food system innovation work in Fort Collins to grazing sheep on solar farms in Minnesota, Michael’s extensive boots-on-the ground experience is balanced by his formal education in Soil and Crop Sciences and his entrepreneurial background.
- Plus local farmers Nat Colten and Kris O’Daniel.

Learn more about KCC and this year’s Summit at https://kyconservation.org/kcclegislative-
summit-2021

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! airs on FORward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at http://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at http://appalatin.com