Rural Kentucky’s long and frustrating wait for high-speed internet broadband service may soon get an historic boost.

With an overwhelming and bipartisan 91-4 vote on Wednesday, the Kentucky House approved legislation that allocates $250 million for broadband expansion and allows electric cooperatives to add broadband service.

“Those of us from the rural areas of this state have waited and waited and we’ve become impatient,” said House Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade (R-Stanford). “And it’s time to do something. The funds are here. The need is evident. So, let’s strike while the iron is hot.”

Sponsored by Rep. Brandon Reed (R-Hodgenville) and Rep. Jason Petrie (R-Elkton), House Bill 320 now heads to the Kentucky Senate, where it has the backing of rural advocates such as the Kentucky Farm Bureau and Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

Introducing the bill on the House floor, Reed explained “it moves broadband forward in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with significant investment,” and “will clear the way for rural electric cooperatives to feasibly provide broadband service in unserved and underserved households and businesses through an affiliate.”

Though electric cooperatives did not spearhead the legislation, co-op leaders said they welcome and appreciate the confidence and trust legislators place in co-ops’ ability to serve the last mile.

“On the whole, areas served by regulated electric cooperatives in Kentucky are underserved by current broadband providers,” said Chris Perry president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of co-ops. “Because our co-op members need and deserve access to reliable high-speed broadband service, co-ops are encouraged that House Bill 320 breaks down unnecessary restrictions on who is allowed to provide broadband service and identifies crucial funding to make rural broadband service a reality.”

As the bill was introduced on Wednesday, an amendment offered by Meade boosted funding from $100 million to $250 million.

“Some of our areas have three to four homes per mile, and those areas will never be enticing to those large communication companies to service,” Meade said. “We’ve seen that year after year as we have been up here passing legislation to deregulate telecom companies and to establish avenues for additional money to entice them to expand to that last mile. And when I say ‘last mile,’ I mean to that last house on that small county back road in rural areas.

“We have seen that everything we have done has not been able to accomplish this ultimate goal. But with this bill, we are making a giant leap towards that goal. With this bill, we are saying to rural Kentucky, we know your need, we have heard you, and we care for you.”

The legislation would permit a local electric co-op to assess the practicality of offering broadband service through a subsidiary. Currently, 19 of Kentucky’s 24 local distribution cooperatives are not permitted to provide broadband service to their members. Yet four electric cooperatives in Kentucky are among hundreds nationally already successfully engaged in broadband expansion. House Bill 320 would put all co-ops on equal footing regarding broadband service.

House Bill 320 does not mandate that an electric cooperative provide broadband service. Instead, each co-op would determine whether entering the broadband business could be accomplished without jeopardizing the co-op’s primary objective of providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity to its members.

“Throughout every discussion, co-ops have insisted that any broadband expansion should not result in electric cooperative members paying more on their current electric bill,” Perry said. “This principle holds true with House Bill 320 which co-ops support as written and strongly oppose any amendments to this legislation that would pass the costs of broadband expansion onto the electric bills of local Kentuckians.”

As senators prepare to consider the bill, it’s being sent with a passionate call for action.

“We have 32,000 children in the state of Kentucky without internet,” said Rep. Phillip Pratt (R-Georgetown), “We have counties everywhere that do not have internet. This is a move forward to get this to the unserved and underserved areas of Kentucky. I would encourage everyone to be a Yes vote because this is sorely needed without a doubt.”

Millions of Americans were without power Tuesday as brutal winter weather spiked demand for electricity, causing widespread outages and forcing Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states to institute rolling blackouts to conserve energy.

Texas was by far the hardest-hit, with more than 4 million customers without power as of Tuesday afternoon. Oregon, Kentucky, Louisiana and West Virginia also had more than 100,000 outages, according to poweroutage.us.

Electric cooperatives and other utilities struggled to meet consumer demand that exceeded power supply as temperatures plunged and ice and snowstorms wreaked havoc. More storms are expected later this week.

“Due to continued frigid weather across Texas, the regional electric grid is operating under emergency conditions,” Pedernales Electric Cooperative said in a statement on its website. “Utilities statewide, including Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), have been directed to reduce demand. As a result, service interruptions will occur throughout the PEC service territory.”

PEC said the service interruptions will continue “as long as the regional grid operator experiences peak demand.”

Neighboring Louisiana reported nearly 156,000 outages throughout the state early Tuesday, according to poweroutage.us.

“Due to the increase in power usage caused by the colder than normal temperatures and strain on the electrical infrastructure, our grid and transmission operators are no longer able to meet the demand of the network of transmission lines, and as a result load-shedding measures have become necessary until further notice,” said the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives in a statement Tuesday. “At this time, Louisiana electric cooperatives have not been given an estimated time on how long these load-shedding outages will last.”

Kentucky co-ops were reeling from back-to-back ice storms.

“With the help of daylight, co-ops are assessing the extensive damage to their systems from back-to-back ice storms with crippling accumulations,” Kentucky Electric Cooperatives said in a tweet Tuesday morning. “About 100,000 consumer-members are without power in what looks to be a prolonged restoration effort.”

Missouri, Oklahoma and Virginia each reported outages in the range of 50,000 to 100,000. Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and Ohio reported 10,000 to 50,000 outages.

Some co-ops urged their consumer-members to reduce their use of electricity during the weather emergency so that everyone could get at least some power.

“The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas ask members to immediately limit the use of electric service through the next 24 hours to ensure that members will continue to receive at least a minimum of electric service,” the statewide association said in a statement Tuesday. “Additional appeals may be necessary.”

Andrew Lachowsky, vice president of planning and market operations for the Arkansas association, said that rolling outages are possible unless electric consumption is reduced immediately. Because of the extremely cold weather, demand is exceeding supply for utility customers in the western part of the state, he said.

“This is an unprecedented time, and we urge electric cooperative members to immediately reduce the use of electrical requirements by turning off or not using non-essential lights and electric appliances, especially electric water heaters, clothes dryers and dishwashers and to turn heating thermostats to lower settings,” Lachowsky said.

Co-ops rushed to assist their neighboring co-ops whenever possible, but many were unable to divert crews from their own territories as more storms headed their way.

Crews from Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative in Virginia were helping restore power Tuesday to consumer-members of Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative in the aftermath of a weekend ice storm.

“Here’s a look at what our crews are facing,” SVEC said in a tweet that showed photos of downed trees hitting power lines. “Your continued thoughts and prayers are welcome through the restoration process!”

Erin Kelly is a staff writer at NRECA.

Kentucky weather can be unpredictable. Many think the danger is over after the storm passes, but the most dangerous time can be during the storm recovery period.  

Keep your distance from downed power lines and know what to do if you see one. 

If you see a downed power line, which could be making contact with tree limbs, vehicles and puddles, always stay clear at least 40 feet as the ground around the line may be energized up to 35 feet. Avoid walking in water after a storm.

Assume that all downed lines are live power lines and never attempt to move a line or anything else touching it. There is no way of knowing whether or not the power line is still live. Large overhead power lines can carry more than 700,000 volts of electricity. Fatalities can occur when someone comes in contact with a live wire of only a couple hundred volts.

If a power line has made contact

If someone has made contact with a power line, do not try to rescue the person. You can’t help if you become a victim. Immediately call 911 for assistance, and contact your local electric utility to turn off the power.  

If your vehicle comes in contact with a downed power line, stay inside. Call 911 or honk your horn for help, but tell everyone to stay away from the vehicle. 

If you must exit the vehicle for safety reasons, jump clear of the vehicle. Do not let any part of your body or clothing touch the vehicle and ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and shuffle away (in small steps or a bunny hop, making sure to keep your feet together) to avoid electric shock. Keep moving away until you are at least 40 feet from the vehicle. 

Downed lines on your property 

If you have a downed power line on your property, do not go near it; assume it is energized and dangerous. Contact your local electric cooperative with specific information on the location of the downed line. Wait until after the co-op crew or emergency officials have confirmed it is safe to clear the debris. 

For power restoration, make sure the co-op has your current contact information on file. 

We know firsthand how dangerous electricity is because Kentucky’s electric cooperatives work with it all day, every day. It is no accident that safety is our top priority.

NRECA is urging the Biden administration to review the winners of $9.2 billion in federal funds for rural broadband to ensure they can truly meet their bid obligations.

“We stand up for the 42 million people we serve,” NRECA CEO Jim Matheson said. “When it comes to the unserved, it’s disproportionally rural communities. Broadband may be provided by electric cooperatives or someone else, but we must make sure the technology and the level of service are accurately reflected in the bids.”

Matheson on Feb. 1 sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission accompanied by a white paper from NRECA and NRTC describing concerns about certain winning bids in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I and offering remedies if an FCC review finds winners unable to meet their commitments.

“Our focus is on making sure that every unserved American has access to reliable and robust broadband that will meet not just their needs today but also into the future,” Matheson wrote. “NRECA and our member cooperatives stand ready to work with the FCC and other stakeholders to make sure RDOF Phase I is a success and to move forward with planning for phase II.”

This is the third consecutive year for the guide, which includes photo maps of state legislators and their respective districts, as well as a listing of legislators and counties served for each electric cooperative in Kentucky.

Click here to download the 2021 Legislative Guide.

The Kentucky Chapter of Women in Rural Electrification (WIRE) is offering three $1,000 scholarships to Kentucky college students.

The scholarships are open to any applicant who meets the following criteria:

Student or Student’s family must be served by a Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative.
Student must have completed at least 60 credit hours at the end of the 2020 Fall College Term.
Student must attend a Kentucky college or university
The scholarship application deadline is JUNE 14, 2021. Scholarship recipients will be notified in July.

Scholarships will be awards based on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, career goals, recommendations from professors and community leaders, and financial need.

Application should be returned to Mary Beth Dennis, c/o Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232.

2021 WIRE application

When schoolchildren learn about electricity, the lesson often focuses on how energy is generated, showing the transformers and wires that ultimately connect power to their homes and schools. It can be easy to overlook one of the most vital components of safe electric service: the utility pole.

Electric utility poles are most everywhere people live and work, so it may seem like they are natural growths, like trees that miraculously sprouted at just the right distance and height for Kentucky’s electric cooperatives to string 100,000 miles of power lines. In reality, co-ops built their pole system and they regularly inspect, maintain and, when necessary, replace poles to keep electric service safe and reliable.

Because co-ops operate in areas with terrain and distances that can be difficult to serve, they proactively manage vegetation and change poles under optimal conditions rather than waiting for a natural disaster. These electric service maintenance costs are built into each co-op consumer-member’s bill.

Pole attachments

The electric utility pole network also is used by cable, telephone and broadband companies, relieving them of the burden of having to build, maintain and expand their own systems. Before a telecommunications company can make a “pole attachment” to an electric utility pole, the co-op first must ensure that the pole is structurally sound for all intended uses and meets electric reliability and safety standards, including those that apply to adverse conditions, such as ice storms.

Given the inherent dangers of electricity, the line technicians who work on these poles are specially trained and equipped. If an electric utility pole is sufficient to provide electric service but needs to be replaced to accommodate a new pole attachment, the telecommunications company is required to pay for the “make-ready” cost. However, a recent telecommunications campaign is arguing that electric utilities should subsidize the costs of these pole attachments, ultimately impacting the rates that co-op members pay for electric service.

Rates and regulations

The rates and procedures for a telecommunications company to attach its equipment to a co-op pole are set by mutually agreed upon contracts. Attachment rates for cable TV providers are part of filed tariffs regulated by the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) and are some of the lowest in the nation. Over the past several months, the Kentucky PSC has been reviewing regulations governing pole attachments. Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide co-op association, is involved in these proceedings.

“Co-ops support discussions by the Public Service Commission about how to effectively and fairly regulate pole attachments,” says Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Kentucky co-ops are proud of their solid infrastructure and affordable costs, and welcome communications providers, as we always have, to attach to co-op systems and serve our members.”

Co-ops and state tech schools team up with line technician training centers
When the sun rises on Coin Road in Pulaski County, most of the time you can hear an unusual sound: the popping of steel-toe boots from students climbing poles at the Somerset Community College Lineman Training Center.

Early one morning, teachers at the center watched patiently as nine young men quickly moved up the poles. With one week to go in their eight weeks of training, four already had jobs at electric co-ops or other companies that continue replacing a generation of line technicians moving into retirement.

“This is class No. 62,” says Coordinator Dean Rhodes, who has run the program for the college in Somerset for 12 years. “They get hired right away, make about $28,000 to $31,000 that first year and double their salary in five years. I tell them, ‘This isn’t a job. It’s a career, and it’s all yours. All you have to do is work hard.’”

Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and the Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) worked hard to launch the program in partnership with other utilities and contractor companies. By all counts, the program has been a phenomenal success.

“The teachers are great and make you feel right at home,” says Marcus Anderson, 19, from Campbellsville. “It’s great facilities with amazing people.”

Improving lives

Most of the KCTCS’s nearly 1,200 line technician graduates have come from the Somerset Community College program, and around 600 more have graduated from KCTCS colleges based in Ashland, Madisonville, Maysville, Prestonsburg and Hazard. Programs vary from five to 16 weeks, but all are achieving the same positive results. About 1,000 graduates from the Somerset program alone are working as line technicians today.

“We stay in touch, and most are now married,” Rhodes says. “That’s 2,000 lives we have impacted. And it just multiplies and multiplies. It’s so gratifying when they come up and just say, ‘Thank you for what you did, and what you taught me.’”

In addition to its outdoor training grounds, the Somerset center includes a 26,000-square-foot building equipped with an indoor climbing yard with 40-foot-tall poles and adjacent classrooms. It’s one of the largest indoor training facilities in the nation, enabling training to continue regardless of weather.

It’s not just students out of high school who attend. In one class, almost half were out-of-work coal miners. Many graduates have overcome other challenges. One young woman showed she could meet the physical demands of line work, while some have dealt with economic hardships.

“One young man slept in his car in the parking lot. He didn’t have the money for a motel or gas money to drive home and he was too proud to tell us,” Rhodes says. “We found out and took care of him. He was employed straight out of the program, and was doing very well last time I checked.”

The vital role of co-ops

South Kentucky RECC played a key role in launching the Somerset Community College program by securing a federal Rural Economic Development Loan for construction. The co-op continues to take care of students by stocking the kitchen and providing much additional support.

Jackson Energy CEO Carol Wright, who previously worked at South Kentucky RECC, was instrumental in launching the Somerset center and continues supporting it in numerous ways. If equipment needs mechanical repairs, Sandy “Shorty” McDaniel, one of Jackson Energy’s auto-truck technicians, is always ready to assist. Tables, desks and cabinets have often been donated after visits by co-op employees who saw a need and wanted to help.

“If I need any maintenance or repairs for equipment, I can call Jackson Energy or South Kentucky, and they will take care of it,” Rhodes says. “East Kentucky Power always does our first aid/CPR class.”

After Big Sandy RECC CEO Bruce Aaron Davis suggested that a line worker program be relaunched in Johnson County, Big Sandy Community & Technical College worked with the co-op and other utilities to get the program started there. In October, 14 students graduated.

Rachelle Burchett, director of the Big Sandy college program, says the effort illustrates how outstanding results can happen when people work together.

“You know RECC’s slogan, Our Power is Our People,” she says. “In our community, our power is in our people and being able to collaborate to make a difference in eastern Kentucky.”

Several co-ops offer tuition scholarships for their members who attend. At the Somerset Lineman Training Center, these scholarships cover the $4,200 cost of the program.

“I can’t thank the co-ops and everyone else involved enough for what they have done,” Rhodes says. “It’s been a success because of the collaboration of all the co-ops, the utility industry and the contractors. They came in and backed this program. It’s nothing that I or anyone else did individually.”

Filling a need

One of the key reasons the KCTCS colleges have been successful in placing graduates is because a wave of line technicians are retiring.

This also has increased the demand and compensation for line technicians. In Kentucky, the median line technician salary is $74,304, according to salary.com.

“The people who laid the groundwork for this, the whole idea was to replace people who are retiring,” Rhodes says. “That hasn’t slowed down since we started.”

Paul Czarapata, KCTCS interim president, says that’s why the mission of the community colleges has never been so important.

“Like many of our courses, the lineman training program has transformed lives,” he says. “We haven’t just helped the graduates find jobs. We’ve launched careers that support many families.”

Dan Newberry, 74, a longtime instructor in Somerset, says he enjoys passing along skills from 31 years of working as a line technician to a new generation and watching the students become successful in good jobs.

“You want them to have a good chance in life,” he says.

Tanner Blair, a 20-year-old from Oil Springs who graduated from Big Sandy Community & Technical College, says the program is enabling him to work in his dream career.

“Every instructor taught the importance of safety on the job and how to be successful,” he says. “I am very thankful for the opportunity provided by BSCTC and recommend anyone interested in the lineman career field to pursue it.”

Ethan Gooch, 19, a student from Richmond, likes the job security and many other aspects of a line technician’s career.

“I love it. I like being outside and way up high,” he says. “I’m willing to travel. It’s fun. You can make a good living, and you always have a job.”

Story by KEVIN OSBOURN
Photo by TIM WEBB

Where there is a disaster, there is likely a Kentuckian helping, according to Jeff Free, coordinator for the Daviess-McLean Baptist Association Disaster Relief, a subsidiary of Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief.

“Our two crews are part of recovery,” says Jeff, who also is a planner with Big Rivers Electric Corporation.

“We use chain saws to remove trees that have fallen on houses, roadways and driveways, especially for the elderly or those who have health issues.”

Jeff has been all over the world since he began volunteering in 1994— to South Africa twice and most recently to Louisiana after Hurricane Laura. He also has helped at the site of wildfires. In Louisiana, he and his crew helped a Black grandmother with 10 grandchildren after a big limb had fallen on her home.

“We loved them and they loved us,” Jeff recalls. “The whole world is not like what we see on television. I have a big compassion for people who are hurting.”

Better lives

MILAN, TENNESSEE

The Red Bird Mission Work Camp in the Bell County community of Beverly is hardly a dot on any map, but it holds a huge place in Bobby Cotham’s heart.

For 18 consecutive years, Bobby, a field engineer with Gibson EMC, has joined as many as 23 and as few as seven other people for a week to tackle much-needed projects that Beverly’s residents cannot afford to do in the former coal mining town.

Bobby says it’s impossible to choose the most memorable project, but each helps expand someone’s world or makes his or her life better, or sometimes just livable. The team has built handicapped-access ramps that enable people to get out of their home for the first time in years. The crews have rebuilt porches, installed lots of roofs, added rooms, repaired windows and put up decks.

“It is one of the most rewarding experiences,” Bobby says. “Every job is different, but you get to meet these people and by Friday everyone feels blessed.”

Story by DEBRA GIBSON ISAACS
Photo by OSCAR GORDON