LOUISVILLE, Ky — With the deployment of an additional 33 linemen to North Carolina on Sunday morning, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives now have 143 linemen assigned to co-ops in South Carolina and North Carolina following Hurricane Matthew.  This is the largest number of Kentucky cooperative linemen deployed out of state since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Among the new deployments is a crew of five Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation workers who departed early Sunday morning to travel to North Carolina to assist with power restoration.

“JPEC is part of a network of more than 900 electric cooperatives across the nation,” said Dennis L. Cannon, JPEC’s president and CEO.  “During emergencies, we help each other restore power quickly and safely.”

The JPEC workers will be restoring power for Pee Dee Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) in Wadesboro, North Carolina. As of Saturday evening, approximately 40% of Pee Dee EMC’s 20,000 consumers were without power.

Coordinated by the Safety and Loss Prevention Team of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, the mutual aid effort is in response to requests from affected electric cooperatives.

Here’s a breakdown of the assignments:

South Carolina [110 linemen]

• Berkeley Electric Cooperative:
  •  South Kentucky-8
  • Licking Valley-6
  • Clark-6
  • Cumberland Valley-13
  • Warren-8
  • Farmers-8
  • Jackson Energy-13
• Aiken Electric Cooperative:
  • Nolin-16
  • Blue Grass-8
• Palmetto Electric Cooperative:
  • Owen-14
  • Shelby-4
  • Salt River-8

North Carolina [33 linemen]

• South River EMC:
  • Fleming-Mason-5
  • Big Sandy-4
  • West KY-5
• Pee Dee EMC:
  • Jackson Purchase-5
  • Meade-2
  • Kenergy-12
• Pennyrile Electric Cooperative crews are assisting a municipal system in Florida.

All four of the Kentucky electric cooperatives who had planned to compete in the KC International Rodeo have instead sent linemen from their rodeo teams to assist with this storm restoration (Nolin, Owen, Clark & Blue Grass).

“KAEC commends the sacrifice and commitment of linemen crews and staffs from our member cooperatives across the commonwealth who are demonstrating the co-op spirit to help our co-op brethren affected by Hurricane Matthew,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of the statewide association.

LOUISVILLE, Ky — As of noon Saturday, October 8, 111 linemen from 12 Kentucky electric cooperatives are deployed to South Carolina to assist in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

Coordinated by the Safety and Loss Prevention Team of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, the mutual aid effort is in response to requests from affected electric cooperatives. In advance of potentially damaging weather events, out-of-state crews are requested to travel to the area, then workers are on call depending on the severity of the destruction and path of the storm.

KAEC has additional offers of assistance from six more Kentucky co-ops with 35 additional linemen ready to go.

Kentucky co-op crews now assigned to Berkeley Electric Cooperative in South Carolina:  South Kentucky, Cumberland Valley, Jackson Energy, Licking Valley, Clark, Warren & Farmers.

Five co-ops who were initially assigned to an electric cooperative in Florida, have been reassigned to other electric cooperative service areas in South Carolina.
Kentucky crews assigned to Aiken Electric Cooperative:  Nolin & Blue Grass
Kentucky crews assigned to Palmetto Electric Cooperative:  Owen, Shelby & Salt River

“May the Kentucky electric cooperatives employees who leave their families to restore power in areas damaged by Hurricane Matthew return safely home after helping cooperative families in need,” said Clarence Greene, KAEC Director of Safety and Loss Prevention.

KAEC is preparing for the likelihood that North Carolina co-ops may also be asking for assistance.  Crews from Kenergy, West Kentucky, Jackson Purchase, Meade, Fleming-Mason & Big Sandy electric cooperatives have all offered to assist.

All four of the Kentucky electric cooperatives who had planned to compete in the KC International Rodeo have instead sent linemen from their rodeo teams to assist with this storm restoration (Nolin, Owen, Clark & Blue Grass).

“KAEC commends the sacrifice and commitment of linemen crews and staffs from our member cooperatives across the commonwealth who are demonstrating the co-op spirit to help our co-op brethren affected by Hurricane Matthew,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of the statewide association.

Linemen from Kentucky’s Electric Cooperatives are heading south to assist with damage inflicted by Hurricane Matthew.   Following requests sent ahead of the storm by co-ops in Florida and South Carolina, nine Kentucky electric co-ops are sending workers to provide manpower and assistance for an area of the country that is expected to be hit by the hurricane today.

Over 80 co-op linemen left Friday morning, travelling toward South Carolina and the area between Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida as part of a staging effort by co-ops there.  Prior to a storm, affected co-ops will often ask for out-of-state crews to travel to the area.  Workers are then on call depending on the severity of the destruction and path of the storm.

“KAEC meets several times a year with other states across the south – including Florida and South Carolina – to get together the contingency plans and action plans that we are exercising now,” said Robert Thornton, a member of KAEC’s Safety and Loss Prevention Team. “Georgia has not pre-staged crews at this time, but if something happens on that coast, other Kentucky crews could potentially be dispatched as well.”

The Kentucky crews are working with co-ops further inland than some of the areas already experiencing severe storms on the coast.  Clay Electric Co-op in Florida and Berkley Electric Co-op in South Carolina are likely to receive the bulk of Kentucky workers.

As of Friday morning, more than 500,000 homes and businesses have been reported without power in Florida.  Governor Rick Scott of Florida has urged evacuations and President Barack Obama declared an emergency for the state.  Kentucky co-ops heading to the area include employees from South Kentucky RECC, Cumberland Valley RECC, Jackson Energy, Nolin RECC, Owen Electric, Blue Grass Energy, Salt River Electric, Shelby Energy, and Pennyrile RECC.

A team of three Clark Energy employees outperformed 23 other teams from 15 Kentucky electric cooperatives to capture the first place team award at the 2016 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo July 29-30. This was the 12th year for the rodeo and Shelby Energy Cooperative hosted at the Shelby County Fairgrounds.

The Clark Energy team—journeyman linemen David Dennis, Raymond Turner and Kevin Vance—completed a series of tasks–hurtman pole swap and and two “mystery” events concocted by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives safety and loss prevention staff–in a time of 30 minutes and 26.38 seconds and a perfect score of 400.

Phillip Cornell, an employee of West Kentucky RECC, was named the top apprentice lineman. Cornell completed a series of four tasks–hurtman rescue, skills climb, de-energizing a line, and cutout & feed change–in 23 minutes and 46:55 seconds and a perfect score of 400.

Jackson Energy’s Jeremy Rayborn was named top journeyman lineman. Rayborn completed the same four tasks as the apprentice competition in 21 minutes and 53.53 seconds and received a perfect score of 400.

“The rodeo is not a speed event,” says KAEC’s Director of Safety and Loss Prevention Clarence Greene. “It’s a test of safety skills and dexterity. The journeyman tasks are really hard because the linemen have to wear rubber gloves to do the same work that the apprentices do in just leather gloves.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year,” says Chris Perry, president and CEO of KAEC/UUS. “We celebrate the best of the lineman in our electric cooperative program through professionalism, safety and the cooperative spirit.”

The 2017 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo will be in London, KY and hosted by Jackson Energy.

To learn more about the rodeo, click “Safety” above and choose “Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo” from the drop-down menu.