National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jim Matheson today released the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) advance notice of proposed rulemaking to replace the Clean Power Plan:

“We are pleased that EPA has taken this necessary step to replace the Clean Power Plan. America’s electric cooperatives support the development of a common-sense, durable policy that is focused on improvements that are specific to each electric-generating unit. This approach is consistent with decades of policy precedent and would produce greater regulatory certainty for electric cooperatives and their members.

“At its core, the regulation should maintain electric reliability and minimize the economic impact on consumers. We look forward to working with EPA on a rulemaking that achieves these critical goals.”

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.

Shelby Energy Cooperative and Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives are using high-tech tools to help draw employers to a high-profile Shelbyville, Ky., site.

The 400-acre Norfolk Southern property, located adjacent to Interstate 64 in Shelbyville, is the latest site showcased on www.DataIsPower.org, which features locations available to commercial and industrial businesses looking to expand or relocate. Videos and detailed data about the property appear on the PowerVision page of the web site.

The property features ready accessibility to rail and interstate transportation, as well as the nearby Louisville International Airport and UPS Centennial Hub.

Working closely with Norfolk Southern, which owns the property, the cooperatives used aerial drones to film and digitally map and analyze the land, producing a five-minute flyover video and another video featuring three-dimensional analysis of the site.

“Shelby Energy is always ready to work with our members to bring jobs and investment to our community,” said Debbie Martin, President & CEO of Shelby Energy Cooperative. “We’re excited about the possibilities it offers for the community.”

Jake Weir, Industrial Development Manager for Norfolk Southern, welcomed the cooperatives’ assistance in promoting the site to businesses.

“This project has been a great collaborative effort between all of our organizations,” he said. “This shows there is a high level of cooperation, we’re all pulling in the same direction to bring jobs and investment to Shelby County.”

Rodney Hitch, Economic Development Manager for Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives agreed.

“Thanks to the assistance of all our partners, our cooperatives are putting PowerVision to work marketing this prime property to companies around the globe,” Hitch said. “The DataIsPower.org web site puts extremely detailed information about the tract at the fingertips of site scouts everywhere.”

Data about the property can be downloaded from the web site and plugged into computer-aided design programs. The videos even feature a computer-generated view of how the property could be developed with five commercial/industrial buildings.

“The accessibility of the data is extremely valuable to prospective buyers,” Weir said. “You can download the files from the public web site in a matter of minutes and quickly see the benefits that our property has to offer.”

“It is very exciting to bring technology into marketing these types of properties,” said Libby Adams, Executive Director, Shelby County Industrial & Development Foundation Inc. “Prospects can see the property from anywhere. They can be on the other side of the world and take a look at detailed information.”

To view the online information about the Norfolk Southern property, visit:https://dataispower.org/project/norfolk-southern-site/

About Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives

Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives comprise 16 not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives that serve more than 1 million Kentucky residents across 87 Kentucky counties.

They include:

• Big Sandy RECC, Paintsville, Ky.

• Blue Grass Energy, Nicholasville, Ky.

• Clark Energy Cooperative, Winchester, Ky.

• Cumberland Valley Electric, Gray, Ky.

• Farmers RECC, Glasgow, Ky.

• Fleming-Mason Energy, Flemingsburg, Ky.

• Grayson RECC, Grayson, Ky.

• Inter-County Energy Cooperative, Danville, Ky.

• Jackson Energy Cooperative, McKee, Ky.

• Licking Valley RECC, West Liberty, Ky.

• Nolin RECC, Elizabethtown, Ky.

• Owen Electric Cooperative, Owenton, Ky.

• Salt River Electric, Bardstown, Ky.

• Shelby Energy Cooperative, Shelbyville, Ky.

• South Kentucky RECC, Somerset Ky.

• Taylor County RECC, Campbellsville, Ky.