Ryan Van Velzer
Energy and Environment Reporter, WFPLRyan 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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Electric utilities say ratepayers will be stuck spending more for outdated coal-fired power under a bill that passed the Kentucky Legislature on Thursday. -
Surface mining companies could more easily get permits to dump pollution into streams under a bill moving through the Kentucky legislature. Supporters say it would help keep mines open, while opponents say it would result worse stream quality and increased oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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The Ky. Senate approved a bill that would make it harder for utilities to retire coal-fired power plants. The utility industry says it will raise costs for ratepayers.
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One of the Republican frontrunners for governor in Kentucky has a track record of undermining policies to combat climate change. It’s a strategy researchers say could hurt the state’s long-term prosperity.
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Coyote sightings become more common around this time of the year as the coy canines roam in search of mates.
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Utilities pushed back against Kentucky lawmakers calling for additional hurdles to prevent the retirement of coal-fired power plants. A Senate committee nonetheless passed the bill Wednesday.
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Kentucky has more than 14,000 abandoned oil and gas wells left behind by companies that long ago went bankrupt or no longer exist. A new bill could make sure the same thing doesn’t happen with old solar facilities.
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Chemicals released amid the Ohio freight train derailment continue to flow down the Ohio River, but the levels are diminishing over time and water utilities are equipped to treat the remnants.
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A concentration of chemicals from the train derailment in eastern Ohio has entered the Ohio River. State and local officials say it smells, but it’s unlikely to present a risk to human health.
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For the last three years, Kentucky Democrats have filed legislation to amend the state constitution to include a right to clean air, water and healthy habitats, but the bill has never received a hearing.
