LEXINGTON, Ky. — Eric King, the executive director of Kentucky's newly created Energy Planning and Inventory Commission, has been appointed to the National Petroleum Council, according to a University of Kentucky announcement. The appointment by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright represents a significant elevation for both King and the state agency he leads, placing Kentucky's voice at one of the federal government's most influential energy advisory bodies.

The National Petroleum Council advises the energy secretary on matters relating to oil, natural gas and the broader domestic energy supply. EPIC, which King has led since October 2025, was created by the 2024 General Assembly to conduct independent energy planning and analysis for Kentucky, reviewing power plant retirement decisions and evaluating the adequacy of the state's electricity supply.

King's appointment fills what state and industry leaders see as a critical gap. Kentucky faces mounting pressure to balance competing energy demands: attracting data centers and other energy-intensive industries while protecting existing ratepayers and maintaining affordable, reliable power. EPIC has already published Kentucky's first comprehensive electricity generating capacity inventory, completed the state's first statutory generation retirement review, and is developing the Kentucky Electricity Adequacy Plan.

"Being part of that federal conversation means Kentucky's circumstances are on the table when the secretary is weighing the big decisions, and what we learn there feeds directly back into the work we do here at home," King said in a statement.

King brings nearly two decades of experience in energy policy. Before leading EPIC, he served as assistant vice president of federal relations at the University of Kentucky for 11 years, representing the university in Washington. His background also includes service as an energy advisor to then-U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and work with the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ashli Watts, who chairs EPIC, praised the appointment. "Having him inside the National Petroleum Council means the people advising the secretary of energy will hear a voice that knows exactly what affordable, reliable power means to Kentucky workers, families and the businesses that employ them," she said.

The council operates as one of the federal government's most consequential and longstanding advisory bodies on energy, having operated for eight decades. Membership, typically around 200 people, is drawn from senior leadership across the American energy industry, including oil and gas executives, utility leaders and select state officials. State-level energy representatives make up a small fraction of council membership, making King's appointment particularly notable.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers called the appointment a recognition of the state's strategic importance to national energy policy. "Kentucky now has a seat at that table, and that matters for our coal communities, our natural gas producers, and every family and business in this state that depends on affordable power," he said.