STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Barren Inc hosted its final Coffee and Commerce of 2026 Friday morning at the Cave Area Conference Center. Rep. Brett Guthrie delivered a legislative update, and keynote speaker Anthony Conder shared a story about artificial intelligence helping a small business manage routine tasks.
The chamber of commerce for Glasgow and Barren County also invited photo submissions for its upcoming magazine.
Guthrie, who represents Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District and chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, discussed energy demand and data center development.
“We’ve had a demand for energy bubble up the last several years,” Guthrie said. “We haven’t built any big production, really, in the last generation, because we really haven’t needed it because of de-industrialization.”
“But with jobs coming back, and with the demand for data centers, we have to build more energy,” Guthrie said.
“There’s actually a bill ready to come out of the senate, that the House can take up when we get back, to make it easier to get permits — not change any standard for clean air, clean water — … where people can’t just use the courts to keep from building any generation of power,” Guthrie said.
He said there is another bill, The Rate Payer Protection Pledge, in Congress related to protecting rate payers.
“If any computational industry, which is data centers, … comes to a community, they have to pay for all of the upgrades of power. The rate payers of a community can not be held accountable for building the power for the data centers.”
Guthrie said there will be no bill out of his committee that says a local community can’t decide where they want data centers to go. “Local communities get to decide if they want an assembly plant, they get to decide if they want a distribution center, they get to decide what part of their community is neighborhood, what part is industry.”
He said his committee is also working with “Silicon Valley” technology companies with regards to online safety for children.
Guthrie said they are requiring social media companies to develop protections for children as far as what they are able to see on the platforms, and to develop age verification tools.
Anthony Conder with The Cecilian Bank was the keynote speaker for the final Barren Inc Coffee and Commerce for 2026. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
Conder, the keynote speaker, told the story of a small business that was able to use artificial intelligence to develop processes that cut down on the menial tasks of managing the business. Those tools included writing emails, developing proposals, and meeting plans.
He said early in the process the business owner discovers how using AI works.
“Sarah learns that managing AI feels remarkably similar to managing a very talented intern. One with unlimited energy, unlimited confidence, and occasionally questionable judgement. The difference is this intern can read thousands of pages in a second, never eats your breakroom doughnuts,” Cander said.
As the business owner becomes more proficient with the artificial intelligence as a tool, she learns a different lesson.
“Humans are most valuable when they are solving problems, building relationships, making decisions, showing judgement, and AI can organize the information, and people should use that information. That’s a partnership, not a replacement,” Cander said.
Key Facts:
– Barren Inc held its final Coffee and Commerce of 2026 on Oct. 30.
– The event took place at the Cave Area Conference Center.
– Rep. Brett Guthrie discussed energy policy and data centers.
– Keynote speaker Anthony Conder discussed small-business AI uses.
– The chamber requested photos for its upcoming magazine.
What’s Next:
Photo contributors can follow a submission link on Barren Inc’s Facebook page. Guthrie said the House could take up the Senate permitting measure when members return.
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