Kenlake State Resort Park, in Marshall and Calloway counties, will see a major infrastructure upgrade soon—courtesy of a $7.8 million investment through the Kentucky Grid Resilience Grant Program.
The funding, announced by Gov. Andy Beshear, is part of a larger $15.6 million initiative to strengthen Kentucky’s power grid and support emergency response at key state parks.
Kenlake and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park will each receive $7.8 million to modernize their electrical systems. The upgrades aim to ensure both parks remain operational and available to serve communities during natural disasters, including tornadoes, floods, and other severe weather events.
Kenlake State Resort Park has long been a fixture in the region—not only as a travel destination but also as a reliable emergency shelter. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the park housed first responders. More recently, it provided refuge to families displaced by devastating tornadoes and floods in western Kentucky.
However, aging infrastructure has made it difficult to maintain reliable power at these facilities during extreme conditions. The new investment addresses this vulnerability by improving electrical resilience, allowing parks like Kenlake to act as stable response centers during future emergencies.
Work is expected to begin this fall and finish in 2026.
In total, more than $62 million has been secured under Gov. Beshear’s administration to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing, disaster recovery, and critical facilities such as hospitals, food pantries, and shelters.
