Ryan Van Velzer
Ryan Van Velzer is the Energy & Environment reporter at Louisville Public Media. He is dedicated to covering climate change and environmental issues across Kentucky.
Ryan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and has more than a decade of experience in the industry. He has worked for The Arizona Republic, The Associated Press, The South Florida Sun Sentinel and as a travel reporter in Central America and Southeast Asia.
He has won numerous awards including regional Edward R. Murrow awards, Associated Press Broadcasters awards and Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter awards.
Email him at rvanvelzer@lpm.org.
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LG&E/KU plan to retire nearly a third of their coal generation by 2028. They want to replace it with a combination of natural gas, solar and battery storage. At the end of the hearing, utility regulators at the Public Service Commission will decide how to implement a new law that makes it harder to retire coal-fired power plants. -
Bitiki plans to invest around $25 million in its facilities on the former mine site in Waverly, Kentucky, and is expected to create five jobs as part of the deal. Under the terms, Bitiki would have access to as much as 13 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power tens of thousands of homes. -
Kentucky’s rural water systems face a complex series of challenges. Much of the state’s infrastructure is deteriorating. Many water utilities lack the necessary workforce, and the funding to upgrade their systems. -
Eastern Kentucky’s largest power provider told lawmakers Thursday they plan to raise rates next year even as officials acknowledged their customers already face some of the highest electricity bills in the state. -
Some leading elected officials in Kentucky shared thoughts and prayers after the country’s latest mass shooting took place in downtown Louisville. Others called for solutions. -
A Bullitt County judge has ruled Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities can seize conservation lands in Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest to build a natural gas pipeline. -
Electric utilities say ratepayers will be stuck spending more for outdated coal-fired power under a bill that passed the Kentucky Legislature on Thursday. -
Coyotes were once a rare sight in Kentucky, but today they’re as common among the hills and hollers as they are along the creeks, streets and parks of Louisville and Lexington. -
A bill adding hurdles for utilities to retire coal-fired power plants passed the Senate Natural Resources and Energy committee Wednesday. -
The same chemicals found in non-stick pans and fire-fighting foam have permeated the environment in Kentucky. These so-called “forever chemicals” have been found in lakes and rivers across the state, in fish, and in drinking water and are associated with adverse health impacts.
