Month: September 2019

15th Annual Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo

Teams from electric cooperatives around Kentucky will be in the area Sept 26-27

Electric cooperatives power more 1.5 million people across Kentucky. Everyday, lineworkers labor in all conditions to keep the power on for their members. Once a year, some of these lineworkers come together in a unique competition.

The Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo attracts the best lineworkers from around the commonwealth to compete in events based on traditional lineman tasks and skills. This year, Nolin RECC along with Kentucky Electric Cooperatives is hosting this friendly competition at the Hardin County Fairgrounds September 26-27.

The action begins Thursday, September 26 at 9am with individual Journeyman, Apprentice and Senior events. They will compete in Hurtman Rescue, Skills Climb, Angle Clip and a mystery event. On Friday, September 27, there will be a Lineman Memorial at 7:30am with team competition starting at 8:30am. Team events include Hurtman Rescue, Cutout Replace, Suspension Insulator and a mystery event.

“Safety is a priority for all of our lineworkers in everything they do. The Rodeo is about friendly competition, but the focus really is on safety and the skill it takes to do the difficult work that they do in their jobs everyday,” says Nolin RECC Manager of Communications Sarah Fellows.

The first Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo was held in August 2005, with nearly 70 linemen competing. The Rodeo has grown to over 200 teams and 250 apprentices. The event is free and open to the public.

Kentucky co-ops on mission in off-year election

Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are urging local consumer-members in Kentucky’s rural areas to make sure that they are registered to vote and that their registration is up to date ahead of the November 5 statewide election.

Co-ops across the country are joining National Voter Registration Day efforts to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. The registration efforts are in addition to the Co-ops Vote initiative Kentucky co-ops launched in 2016.

Kentuckians can easily register and update their registration with GoVoteKY.com, the Commonwealth’s online voter portal. County clerks’ offices throughout Kentucky will accept online and paper applications until 4 p.m. local time on the deadline. Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked by October 7, 2019.

 

To be eligible to vote, Kentuckians must:

 

  • Be a U.S. citizen.
  • Be a Kentucky resident for at least 29 days before Election Day.
  • Be at least 18 years old on or before the General Election.
  • Not be a convicted felon, or if convicted of a felony offense, must have obtained a restoration of civil rights.
  • Not have been adjudged “mentally incompetent.”
  • Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.
  • Young people who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the November 5, 2019 General Election are eligible to register as well.

 

Voters who have recently moved need to update their voter registration information by no later than October 7, 2019.

Voters may check their current registration status and where they vote at GoVoteKY.com. For questions, contact your county clerk or the State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100.

Ahead of next year’s presidential election, Kentucky is among three states holding elections for governor. National political observers are carefully watching the 2019 contests in Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana for any signs of what they may say about the 2020 national race.

Yet for Kentucky’s electric cooperatives, the off-year election is more than just a barometer of a larger national picture. On November 5, Kentucky voters will elect the commonwealth’s constitutional officers for the next four-year term, and co-ops are again stressing the importance of voting to rural citizens.

“They might call it an ‘off-year election,’ but we are on mission to remind rural voters that they need to stand up for local communities and issues,” says Chris Perry, president of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “That’s why Kentucky co-ops enthusiastically support the Co-ops Vote program.”

In addition to advocating for issues that affect the ability of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity, co-ops are also leading the drive for more voter participation in the rural areas they serve.

In the most recent gubernatorial election in 2015, Kentucky’s statewide voter turnout was only 30.6 percent. Sixty-six of Kentucky’s 120 counties failed to reach 30% voter turnout, mostly in rural areas.

In 2015, three rural Kentucky counties failed to reach even 20% voter turnout.

The following year, the Co-ops Vote campaign began, aiming to reverse the downward trend in rural voting. In the 2016 presidential election, rural voter turnout in Kentucky accounted for an increase of about 85,000 voters between 2012 and 2016.

Despite the increase in the number of voters in 2016, Kentucky’s voter turnout as a percentage of registered voters slightly decreased, down one percentage point compared to 2012, from about 60 percent in 2012 to 59 percent in 2016.

Kentucky’s off-year elections typically draw far fewer voters to the polls. In 2011, the voter turnout was a measly 28.6%, and in 2007, 37.8% of registered voters cast ballots.

“If rural Kentuckians want elected leaders to pay attention to their concerns, voting is the most effective method,” says Chris Perry, president of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “I encourage all Kentuckians to join me in making the commitment to vote.”

Anyone who can vote, no matter where you live or whether you are a co-op member, can participate in the non-partisan Co-ops Vote and take advantage of its voter resources. Just visit www.vote.coop and take the pledge to vote in this year’s elections. Once you’ve registered, you’ll have access to information on registering to vote, where to vote, and background on all the candidates.

“The communities and rural areas served by co-ops are facing challenges that require attention and respect,” Perry says. “It’s easy to attack rural electric cooperatives. We are paying attention to see who gives co-ops and their members a fair shake in Frankfort.”

Kentucky co-op crews shift with Dorian to the Carolinas

(September 5) – More than 100 Kentucky electric cooperative lineworkers are now in South Carolina and North Carolina to help restore power after Hurricane Dorian. Originally assigned to sister co-ops in Georgia, the crews adjusted their deployment with the storm’s trajectory.

Though downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, Dorian is still packing a powerful punch for the Carolinas with flooding from both the storm surge and heavy rain, high winds and tornadoes. On Thursday night, hurricane-force winds were reported in South Carolina with some damage more than 50 miles inland.

Late Thursday night, an estimated 240,000 homes in South Carolina and 46,000 homes in North Carolina were without power, according to public outage maps.

Crews from seven Kentucky cooperatives are assigned to Four County EMC, an electric cooperative in Burgaw, North Carolina.

Meanwhile, crews from five other Kentucky co-ops are assigned to sister co-ops in South Carolina: Black River EC in Sumter and Coastal EC in Waterboro.

The mutual aid response is coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. The statewide association of Kentucky’s 26 electric co-ops participates in daily conference calls with similar co-op organizations in southeastern states to assess potential needs and pair recipient co-ops with available crews and equipment from Kentucky. In addition, Kentucky co-ops have also released dozens of construction and right-of-way contract crews to respond to Hurricane Dorian.

The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members. Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies.

“The Kentucky co-op crews who are on the ground in the Carolinas are making Kentucky proud,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “One of our cooperative principles is ‘Cooperation among Cooperatives,’ and this mutual aid effort takes that cooperation to a whole other level. These men face very challenging conditions. We are praying for their safety and the well-being of everyone in Dorian’s path.”

“Linemen are wired to help people,” said Clarence Greene, Safety and Loss Prevention Director at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Mutual aid deployments also provide invaluable training opportunities so these crews will be better prepared to respond to storm damage when it happens here at home.”

Louisville-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is responding to Dorian by implementing its storm emergency plan and providing round-the-clock support to meet the material needs of affected co-ops.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives has been built to federal standards, line crews from any co-op in America can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.

Hurricane Dorian update | Kentucky co-op crews heading to Georgia

(September 2, 2019) – As Georgia evacuates six coastal counties ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Kentucky co-op crews are heading that way.

More than 100 lineworkers from at least 13 electric cooperatives in Kentucky are preparing to assist sister co-ops restore power after the hurricane passes. Strong winds, heavy rain and flooding are expected in coastal Georgia where Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency for 12 southeast Georgia counties.

Citing the magnitude of Dorian as an “historic” storm, Kemp warns of downed trees, power lines, debris and flooding. Storm surge is a major threat to the Georgia coastline as Dorian moves north. The National Hurricane Center predicts it could reach 4 to 7 feet by Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

The first Kentucky crews to deploy are South Kentucky RECC and Nolin RECC. Both co-ops will help restore power at Satilla REMC in Georgia. Fourteen lineworkers from South Kentucky RECC began their drive on Sunday, while 10 men left Nolin RECC on Monday morning.

The mutual aid response is coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. The statewide association of Kentucky’s 26 electric co-ops participates in daily conference calls with similar co-op organizations in southeastern states to assess potential needs and pair recipient co-ops with available crews and equipment from Kentucky. In addition, Kentucky co-ops have also released dozens of construction and right-of-way contract crews to respond to Hurricane Dorian.

On Tuesday morning, about 25 Kentucky co-op lineworkers will deploy to Excelsior EMC in Georgia. Another 50 Kentucky co-op lineworkers will also deploy on Tuesday morning to Okefenoke REMC, where an additional 8 Kentucky linemen are set to join them on Wednesday.

The Kentucky electric cooperatives with crews assigned to Dorian recovery are Clark Energy, Cumberland Valley, Farmers RECC, Fleming Mason Energy, Jackson Energy, Kenergy, Meade County RECC, Nolin RECC, Owen Electric, Salt River Electric, Shelby Energy, South Kentucky RECC and Warren RECC. Other co-ops may also send crews, yet any other assignments are pending specific requests from affected co-ops.

Recent mutual aid deployments by Kentucky’s electric cooperatives include:

October 2018 – More than 100 Kentucky lineworkers help Hurricane Michael recovery efforts in Georgia and Virginia.

March 2018 – 81 Kentucky lineworkers helped restore power in Virginia after Winter Storm Riley.

September 2017 – 131 Kentucky co-op workers helped restore power in Georgia after Hurricane Irma.

October 2016 – The largest mutual aid deployment in Kentucky co-op history came in 2016 when 143 lineworkers responded to Hurricane Matthew.

The top priority of each local Kentucky co-op is service to its own consumer-members. Before committing resources to mutual aid requests, each co-op ensures it has ample crews available for all local needs, including routine maintenance and emergencies.

“We are so proud of these co-op crews,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “These linemen have stepped up to help without even knowing exactly where they will end up. But for as unpredictable as Hurricane Dorian’s path has been, our safety team will be deliberate and careful as these crews are deployed.”

“Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our guiding principles,” said Clarence Greene, Safety and Loss Prevention Director at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “It’s long hours in challenging conditions, but lineworkers are wired to help people, and mutual aid deployments also provide invaluable training opportunities so these crews will be better prepared to respond to storm damage when it happens here at home.”

In addition, Louisville-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is responding to Dorian by implementing its storm emergency plan and providing round-the-clock support to meet the material needs of affected co-ops. UUS has continued to make pre-storm deliveries to cooperatives in the region and is prepared to meet their needs once storm assessments are complete. UUS has also reached out to other cooperatively owned material suppliers with assurance it stands ready to assist, if needed.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives has been built to federal standards, line crews from any co-op in America can arrive on the scene ready to provide emergency support, secure in their knowledge of the system’s engineering.