Meet the Organizers: Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light

The faith-based KIPL community has galvanized effective public action on behalf of the planet

Kentucky IPL is a community of congregations, faith-based organizations, and individuals of faith responding to climate change as an ethical and moral issue, through advocacy, education, energy conservation, energy efficiency, stewardship, and the use and promotion of clean, renewable energy.

In the past 12 months, KIPL has achieved concrete actions to mitigate climate change and empower faith organizations to influence public policy on behalf of a healthy climate and planet. These efforts included working with the Louisville Climate Action Network to help religious organizations to reduce their (and their congregation members’) climate footprints, to take at least 44 tons of carbon permanently out of the air—and to cut network members’ energy bills in half.

KIPL also has played a pivotal role in galvanizing public action against fossil fuels and on behalf of the planet, including: 

• filling the courtroom with members of the public during legal arguments around Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities’ plans to build a pipeline through Bernheim Forest;
• successfully advocating for a Louisville Metro Council resolution condemning the Bernheim Forest pipeline plan; and
• working with Kentuckians for Energy Democracy to turn out a historic level of public comments regarding Louisville Gas & Electric’s plans to continue burning coal until late in the 21^st century. 

“Rev. Elisa Owen and KIPL have been invaluable to our work with the Save Bernheim Now Coalition,” the coalition’s Deborah Potts Novgorodoff says of KIPL and its executive director. “The depth and breadth of Rev. Owen’s knowledge regarding energy and utility regulation has informed us, guided our strategy, and fired us up as we support Bernheim and respond to the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss here in Kentucky.”

“Elisa brings the unique combination of a clear understanding of the problems with the LG&E monopoly and the ability to inspire others to take meaningful action,” adds Terrell Holder, also a member of the Save Bernheim Now Coalition. “Leadership you can count on. We worked on a press conference project together where Elisa eloquently called for us to ‘put the public back into public utilities.’” 

“As Inside Climate and Energy News states routinely, the climate crisis and humanity’s response to it are simply the most important, frightening, and thus potentially redemptive story of our time,” says Rev. Owen. “KIPL exists to help Kentuckians of all faiths come together to mitigate this crisis, starting with the religious institutions that, at their best, have earned a place as the conscience of Kentucky’s communities. If these institutions and the individuals in them who are committed to ‘the good’ can’t work together to meet the challenge of global warming with faith, hope, and fierce love, who can? 

“Ultimately, KIPL’s work is the work of encouraging and equipping religious organizations to take steps to care deeply, publicly, and consistently for our earth even as, together, we mourn earth’s sickness and face the frightening prospect that the worst traits of our species may make us unsuccessful in our attempts to love our struggling planet back toward the abundant life both humans and other creatures deserve.”

Click here to contribute to Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light.

Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light is one of the partners organizing the 2023 Louisville Earth Walk on Saturday, October 28, at Shawnee Park in Louisville. Register or organize a walking team and come join us for a day in the park! We are also looking for volunteers to help us with the logistics of the day. Find more information at the Louisville Earth Walk website.