• Kentucky Bioprocessing, located in Owensboro, is the world’s only commercial-scale contract plant bioprocessing facility.
  • Partnerships with world class research universities:
    • University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center in partnership with the Owensboro Medical Health System created the Owensboro Cancer Research Program and a state-of-the-art cancer research center in Owensboro. UL researchers in Owensboro are working with plant made pharmaceutical production.
    • University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center bring to bear resources and expertise in natural product uses of tobacco and applied energy development.
    • Western Kentucky University applied research programs, agriculture, energy and biotechnology
  • Biodiesel production at the Owensboro Grain Biodiesel and Union County Biodiesel are currently producing a large share of the Kentucky’s renewable fuels.
  • Peabody Energy has identified Northwest Kentucky as the site of its proposed $2 billion coal gasification plant.
  • Eleven of the 19 sites identified by Kentucky Office of Energy Policy for Coal Liquification and Coal Gasification facilities are within a 40 mile radius of Henderson and Owensboro.
  • Three interstate gas pipelines cross the region.
  • The Northwest Kentucky region has 21.8 billion tons of coal reserves.
  • Northwest Kentucky is an agricultural hub, leading in the Commonwealth’s soybean, corn, and wheat production, and serving as a major source for tobacco. Its farmers have experience in raising crops for biotechnology products and expertise in meeting USDA regulations.
  • Numerous energy companies already call the area home—Big Rivers Elec-tric, Kenergy, Texas Gas Transmission, Southern Star, Orbit Gas, and Patriot Coal among others.
  • The region is part of the Owensboro and Evansville metropolitan areas with workforce, infrastruc-ture, and amenities of a combined population of half a million people.
  • The region has an emerging entrepreneurial atmosphere with two venture/ angel investment groups and the Emerging Ventures Center for Innovation to provide technical assistance and access to financing and capital for high technology businesses.
  • The GREENing Western Kentucky Project, sponsored by Mt. St. Joseph Conference Center, models renewable energy and studies energy sustainability.