KENTUCKY — According to the state energy and environment cabinet, although coal is Kentucky’s primary energy source, the Commonwealth also produces small amounts of oil and natural gas and the cabinet says the bluegrass state also has growing renewable energy resources and opportunities.

Adam Edelen is the founder and CEO of Edelen Renewables, which is a Lexington-based solar development company, known for structuring partnerships between coal interests in Appalachia and global renewable energy giants.

During this “In Focus Kentucky” segment, Edelen joins the program to share some common misconceptions about renewable solar energy and efforts that his company is taking to “leverage new energy to build a New American Dream.”

“Edelen Renewables is a developer of large and small scale solar projects in 16 states across the country. So we stay very busy. And the point I would make is that the green energy revolution is the greatest wealth creating opportunities since the advent of the internet. And we can leverage this rare moment, this confluence of economics and finance and culture and technology, the shift to meet the climate challenge. We can leverage this unique moment to leave communities better off as a result for our development. And we’re doing truly amazing work. We have helped pioneer coal to solar. We’ve led the largest capital investment in the history of Martin County...We’re doing it all over Appalachia, where the community benefit manager on a $90 million grant from the Department of Energy on a project we’re helping advance in Pennsylvania. And so this is one of those rare moments, and what Kentucky policy policymakers have to decide is are we going to be relevant to the opportunities of this extraordinary green energy transition, or are we going to be run over by it,” explained Edelen.

You can watch the full In Focus Kentucky segment in the player above.