Community Action Agencies across Kentucky have extended the enrollment period for the Crisis Component of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Applications for the Crisis Component will now be accepted through April 15, 2021, or until designated funds are depleted on a first-come, first-serve…
Though the concept of serving “the last mile” is often spoken in the relatively new challenge of delivering high-speed internet to rural Kentucky, electric cooperatives have embraced “the last mile” for generations, and to this day. Not-for-profit electric co-ops are led by, belong to and were…
Congress has approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that could help struggling electric cooperative consumer-members pay their electric bills. The American Rescue Plan Act provides an additional $4.5 billion in emergency funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The money, available through September 2022, helps…
In a significant win for the electric cooperative program in Kentucky, the General Assembly approved legislation Tuesday that allows regulated electric cooperatives to add broadband service, and earmarks $250 million in federal funding to encourage broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas. The bill now…
To protect co-op consumer-members, Kentucky's electric cooperatives are urging lawmakers to vote down any attempts to tack broadband costs onto the electric bills of local ratepayers. Some for-profit telecommunications companies are behind an effort to pass along the “pole attachment” costs of broadband expansion to…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
