Latest 'Restoring America' ad claims Beshear's policies affect energy costs

Republican group Restoring America is sticking with a theme of trying to link Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to federal policies — this time over rising energy costs.

In its latest ad, titled “Mailbox” the group claims Beshear has gone along with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, which coal and power companies have said would increase energy bills on consumers.

The EPA has issued regulations in the last 18 months affecting coal fired power plants as well as new water quality guidelines that coal companies — and the Beshear administration — say has curtailed permitting of new mines. Beshear’s administration has joined the Kentucky Coal Association in a lawsuit against the EPA over those guidelines.

But the ad accuses Beshear of not doing enough and, thus, jeopardizing Kentucky’s utility rates that are among the lowest in the nation.

Beshear has repeatedly criticized the regulations, even telling Obama two weeks ago to reverse the policy.

And Beshear even said in his State of the Commonwealth address that the EPA needs to “get off our backs,” much to the frustration of some of the more liberal Democrats in Kentucky.

The ad is part of a three week, $177,000 ad buy Restoring America has made on cable in the Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky and Henderson TV markets. It also has bought more than twice that amount on Kentucky broadcast networks.

-Reporting by Kenny Colston