We’re keeping the safety milestones rolling! At midnight on January 19th, the employees of Green Station reached 11 years without a lost-time injury or incident. Green Station employees work in a wide variety of roles and environments, all tasked with ensuring the plant continues to generate safe, competitive, and reliable power. Congratulations to all of the Green Station employees who help build our safety culture. Reaching this milestone would not be possible without their commitment to work safe every day.

Our members are awesome! In 2019, Jackson Energy’s Operation RoundUP members (who voluntarily choose to round-up their monthly bills to the next dollar) were able to impact over 35 organizations with over $36,000 going back to their communities! A few cents each month adds up to countless benefits by funding grants for our local fire departments, senior citizen centers, youth service centers and civic organizations – just to name a few. Learn more about Operation RoundUP by clicking on the link https://www.jacksonenergy.com/operation-roundup – and don’t forget to RoundUP!

SKRECC Mgr of Energy Services & Member Engagement Alan Coffey and Kentucky Electric Coops Dir of Events & Youth Programs Mary Beth Dennis recently traveled to area schools to present last year’s Washington Youth Tour winners with framed Kentucky Living Magazine covers with their photo. If you are a high school junior, see your guidance counselors or call (800) 264-5112 to speak to Alan Coffey for more information about the Washington Youth Tour!

Powered by the cooperative’s purpose of making life better, the cooperative way, employees organized fundraisers throughout 2019 to raise the money. This total is the largest yearly total collected since Blue Grass Energy began their corporate charity program. Over the last six years, employees have raised and donated over $106,000 to local charities. Thank you to all employees and Blue Grass Energy members who helped make this donation possible!

When Nucor Corp., America’s largest steel producer, decided to expand its operations in North America, it chose Kentucky—specifically, two sites served by electric cooperatives.

“Access to affordable and reliable power was a major reason we chose to expand our Gallatin mill and locate our new plate mill in Kentucky. We’ve enjoyed a great working relationship with the state’s electric cooperatives, so it made sense to continue to grow here,” says John Farris, Nucor Steel Gallatin’s vice president and general manager. 

Nucor Steel Gallatin, a mill producing flat-rolled coils in Ghent, is served by Owen Electric Cooperative in partnership with East Kentucky Power Cooperative, its wholesale energy provider.

After a substantial investment in 2017 of $176 million to add galvanizing and pickling lines to the Ghent facility, Nucor is investing $650 million to nearly double the mill’s annual capacity to approximately 3 million tons.  

“Nucor’s continued investment at their Ghent facility has led to tremendous job creation and economic prosperity in the region,” says Michael Cobb, interim CEO of Owen Electric. “We appreciate our strong working relationship with Nucor and value the opportunity to serve as their electric power supplier.”

Meanwhile, about 120 miles downstream on the Ohio River in Brandenburg, Nucor is investing $1.35 billion in a new steel plate manufacturing mill slated to open in 2022 at the Buttermilk Falls Industrial Park, served by Meade County RECC in partnership with Big Rivers Electric, its wholesale energy provider. 

“Big Rivers and Meade County RECC staff have fostered a productive relationship with Nucor officials to bring their Brandenburg steel plate facility to operation on schedule and economically,” says Marty Littrel, Meade County RECC’s president and CEO. “We are excited about the future and the economic growth that will follow Nucor’s presence in the region.”

In addition to an estimated 2,000 construction jobs, Nucor’s new mill is expected to create about 400 full-time positions with an average annual wage of $72,000.

Some energy efficiency programs have indeed achieved those kinds of results. Get started by looking at some energy saving measures you can do right away for quick savings, and those you can plan for the future for even greater savings.

Dialing for dollars

NOW In most homes, the largest portion of the energy bill goes toward heating and cooling, so set back your thermostat by 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day. In winter, aim for 56 degrees at night and when no one is at home, and 68 degrees when you’re up and around. Throw on a sweater. Note that this tactic is not as effective for some homes with radiant heat systems and it is not recommended to change thermostats on heat pump systems more than 1 or 2 degrees.

LATER Adjust your air conditioning settings this summer. If you have a manual thermostat, consider purchasing a smart or programmable one.

Chilly efficiency 

NOW Make sure your refrigerator and freezer aren’t set to a colder temperature than needed. The fridge should be at 38 degrees to 40 degrees and the freezer compartment should be set at 5 degrees. If you have a separate chest freezer, set it to zero. On the flip side, set your water heater to 120 degrees. 

LATER If you’ve got an old refrigerator or freezer, replace it with a new, energy-efficient model or get rid of it. The refrigerator in the garage that you use to chill drinks could be costing you around $200 a year.

Bright moves

NOW The obvious: turn off lights when not in use. Replace the incandescent bulbs that you use most with LED bulbs, which last longer and use less energy. Prices on LED bulbs have decreased. 

LATER Replace all your old incandescent bulbs over time, and consider smart, programmable lighting options. 

Draft dodging

NOW Look for signs of air leaks. Block gaps under exterior doors with a towel or install weather stripping. Make sure windows are caulked, and seal areas around plumbing and wiring penetrations.

LATER Have an energy auditor do a blower door test, which is the best way to identify all air leaks. In fact, an energy audit can help you develop an overall plan for your home. KL

PAT KEEGAN and BRAD THIESSEN write on energy efficiency for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The Kentucky statewide office and United Utility Supply are giving back to the community during the holidays! Employees donated over 275 non-perishable items to the Dare to Care Food Pantry located at Lighthouse Christian Church in Louisville. Volunteers served a chili supper and were able to provide 50 food boxes to families in need. We are proud to support one of the cooperative business principles- Commitment to Community.

Most people know ceiling fans can keep you cooler in the summer, but did you know they also can help warm a home in winter? 

In warm months, ceiling fans are set to rotate counterclockwise to create a breeze that cools the skin, though they don’t actually cool the air. In the winter, you should set your fan to clockwise rotation. This pushes down warm air—which rises—and redistributes the heated air through the room. Though this won’t warm the whole house, some studies have shown reversing your ceiling fan in the winter can save as much as 15% on heating costs.

To prevent a too-drafty chill, turn the fan on the lowest speed setting. It may take some adjustments to get the right blend of warm air without a cool draft. With a high vaulted ceiling, it may not even be necessary to reverse the rotation if the fan is set on a low speed.

It’s easy to change the direction on most modern ceiling fans. Just turn off the fan and locate the direction switch, usually on the fan motor housing. Flip the switch and turn the fan back on.

A ceiling fan with a built-in heating element is another option for winter. It still can be used in summer like a regular fan with the heating element switched off. And for balancing temperatures in a two-story home, try mounting a ceiling fan at the top of an open staircase.

—Madelynn Coldiron