Gov. Andy Beshear was on hand in Murray Friday for the unveiling of a newly-installed solar-dependent HVAC system at the Murray State University’s West Farm — touting the future of agri-tech education and agri-voltaics jobs in west Kentucky.
Already working through studies on dark tobacco, fibrous hemp and bio-fuel alternatives, as well as equine and bovine species, MSU’s newest gadget brings much-needed climate control to the farm’s shop — while becoming one of the school’s first solar-energy projects.
A collaborative effort through MSU’s Hutson School of Agriculture, the Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet, Gree Commercial, Beck’s, Helena, Sunway Energy Solutions, and Jim McBee’s Heating & Air LLC, MSU Dean of Agriculture Tony Brannon noted it was important to have Beshear’s support for education and development.
This is another boon for west Kentucky, which has now seen P.J. Clark Lumber in Cadiz, Porter Road in Princeton, iwis-Daido in Calloway County and Ahlstrom-Munksjö in Madisonville all announced since December 2020 — in what is a clear rebound for new jobs in the region.
And Beshear teased another opportunity that’ll be announced in two weeks, as well — one that he said could be among the largest job creators for west Kentucky in the last several decades.
He didn’t allude to which job sector it’ll serve, but he was clearly energized about the region’s future.
Beshear hasn’t had much to joke about over the last 16 months. More than 7,000 Kentuckians have died due to coronavirus complications since March 2020, while record unemployment claims have been rampant with both frequency and fraudulence. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell recently slammed Beshear’s decision to maintain the federal $300 weekly unemployment checks through Sept. 6, and job postings have only ballooned across the Commonwealth — and gone somewhat unfilled — since the state’s full reopening on June 11.
But on Friday, Beshear —whose roots run deep in Dawson Springs — returned to his childhood for a bit of a snicker, in what felt like a needed laugh after lots of grief.
MSU President Bob Jackson has had a particularly packed political week, opening up with a cordial visit from McConnell at a business luncheon in Murray, before greeting Beshear.
Thankful for the visits, Jackson quipped it could be the first of many solar alternative cells to help power the farm — in what continues to be a clean initiative for energy across America.
Kentucky’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Environment Rebecca Goodman further honed the point, too, noting research indicates more than 900,000 jobs will be available in the solar sector by 2035 — which is only three undergraduate cycles away for prospective students.
— Visit MSU’s Hutson School of Agriculture for more information on education opportunities.
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