House Speaker Jody Richards wants to put more than $30 million a year into developing and promoting alternative energy in Kentucky, capitalizing on ethanol and biodiesel from corn and soybean crops and liquefying Kentucky coal as vehicle fuel.

The Democratic candidate for governor announced his energy plan from his hometown campaign headquarters at 900 Fairview Ave. this morning.

Richards’ energy plan says the U.S. imports more than 60 percent of its oil consumption, and that will only rise unless other sources are developed. He urges Kentucky to take the lead in alternative fuel research, using its farmland and coal reserves.

Kentucky refineries will soon produce 62 million gallons of biofuel annually, and the University of Kentucky is a leader in coal gasification research, the plan says.

Richards said he’s pushed bills in the past to promote alternative energy study and give tax breaks for energy efficiency. His plan would build on those, establishing a $12 million fund for grants and low-interest loans for start-up and small businesses using diverse energy sources; triple Office of Energy Policy funding to $21 million over two years, backing research and studying alternative energy sites; and set aside $10 million to establish biofuel pump stations.

&#8220The governor sets the agenda,” Richards said.

His agenda, while focusing today on energy, deals largely with education. Education levels are closely tied to later income, so he wants to improve teacher pay – pointing to his backing of a successful bill last year to increase teachers’ pay to the average level in surrounding states – establish statewide all-day kindergarten and put more into early childhood education.

Richards wants to establish a &#8220principals’ academy,” perhaps at Western Kentucky University, and do more to equalize the money spent on education per child across the state, he said.

On health care, Richards said the state needs to provide affordable prescription drugs for senior citizens, possibly joining with other states to import drugs from Canada, Ireland and Great Britain.

He held Bowling Green as an example of how to attract high-paying jobs, and said Kentucky should seek high-tech and computer-related jobs that aren’t tied to big cities.

&#8220Computer businesses are not place-bound,” Richards said.

He and his running mate, John Y. Brown III, faced a friendly crowd containing many current elected officials and ex-officeholders, including former state Reps. Nick Kafoglis and Roger Thomas, and former Mayor Patsy Sloan. Heads of many local organizations were also on hand.

Richards introduced Brown and his family, praising him for modernizing the Secretary of State’s office during eight years there.

Brown said their campaign can’t outspend its rivals – six other Democrats and three Republicans are seeking the governor’s office – but can outwork them. He pulled off his right loafer to display a large hole in the sole.

&#8220I defy any other candidate out there to match the shoe leather I’ve worn off already during this campaign, and we’re just getting started,” Brown said.

He said that western Kentucky has been relatively neglected by previous governors from other parts of the state, but that this area will get its share of attention with Richards, a Warren County resident for many years, in the governor’s mansion.

Richards took a dig at current Gov. Ernie Fletcher, saying he and Brown have served for many years – Brown for eight as Secretary of State, Richards for 31 in the Kentucky House – without headlines accusing them of corruption.

&#8220There’s never been a hint of scandal, and there’s not going to be,” he said.