FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 22, 2023) – After disappointing voter turnout in the 2022 election, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives again partnered with Secretary of State Michael Adams today to launch Co-ops Vote, a non-partisan effort to increase civic engagement. 

In Kentucky’s 2022 General Election, 41.9 percent of registered voters cast a ballot, the lowest turnout for a mid-term election in nearly 30 years. National voter turnout was several percentage points higher at approximately 46.6 percent. In 11 Kentucky counties, the voter turnout was below 35 percent.
 
“With all statewide offices at stake in the 2023 off-year election, co-ops across the commonwealth are making a special effort to remind their consumer-members of the power of the ballot,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “The members of rural electric cooperatives democratically elect their co-op boards, and it’s important their voices and the concerns of Kentucky’s local communities are also heard in elections for public office.”
 
At the Kentucky State Capitol on Wednesday, 100 high school students representing electric cooperatives across the commonwealth on the Frankfort Youth Tour joined Sec. Adams to kick off 2023 Co-ops Vote. The non-partisan initiative began in 2016 with the goal of reversing a downward trend in rural voting.
 
The Co-ops Vote initiative includes several programs to connect voters with their elected officials and publicize registration and ballot deadlines through social media and Kentucky Living, the flagship publication of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives.
 
Since the creation of Co-ops Vote in 2016, voter turnout has outpaced the 2015 rate in each election. Turnout in the most recent election of constitutional officers in 2019 rose to 44.2 percent, an increase of more than 15 percentage points since 2011.
 
The 2023 ballot will again include contested elections for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, treasurer and agriculture commissioner. Sec. Adams, Governor Andy Beshear and the General Assembly have worked across party lines in recent years to enact significant election reforms to improve accessibility, security and to address pandemic concerns.
 
”If you want the government to pay attention, you need to vote,” said Sec. Adams. “I encourage all Kentucky voters to take advantage of the recently increased ease in voting, and to be heard.”

Kentuckians can connect with elected leaders and candidates and stay informed on issues facing rural Kentucky on RuralPowerKY.com, a grassroots portal that links to Co-ops Vote resources.
 
“We are grateful to Sec. Adams for his partnership on Co-ops Vote,” said Joe Arnold, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives vice president. “Like our youth tour program, Co-ops Vote is non-partisan and does not endorse any candidate. This is all about civic engagement.”
 
In addition to helping Sec. Adams launch this year’s Co-ops Vote initiative, the civically-minded Kentucky Youth Tour students also met with Gov. Andy Beshear, Senate President Robert Stivers and State Representative Samara Heavrin.

Ted Hampton, CEO of Cumberland Valley Electric in Gray, Kentucky, and the longest-serving co-op manager in America, is the winner of the NRECA President’s Award. It recognizes individuals who have made outstanding leadership contributions to rural electrification, the nation, their states or communities. Hampton became manager of the co-op in 1964.

“Ted has led Cumberland Valley expertly through periods of enormous change, while never faltering from his commitment to provide reliable and affordable power to his consumer-members,” said NRECA President Chris Christensen. “Today, Cumberland Electric has some of the lowest electricity rates in the country.

“Not long ago, Ted faced a struggle few can imagine. He contracted a severe COVID-19 infection that required a long hospitalization, including a month spent in a coma, and six weeks of rehabilitation.

“But after spending more than 100 days hospitalized, he returned home and was back at work as soon as he was able. Through it all, Ted has used his vast knowledge and experience to guide others and sets a shining example for young leaders—calm under pressure, humble in success and always respectful of others.”

Hampton said that, during his 59 years as the co-op’s manager, “I have had plenty of bad days, but many more great or good days. I was very humbled to win this award. As any of my fellow co-op managers know, you don’t do these things for awards, you do them for people. I am very grateful for NRECA to recognize me and my career.”

More than 1,000 broken utility poles

All across Kentucky, local electric cooperatives are wrapping up massive power restoration efforts five days after an historic windstorm snapped more than 1,000 utility poles and threw trees and other debris into power lines.

From a high of more than 300,000 consumer-members without power on Friday, as of 8pm (eastern) Wednesday, about 2,000 consumer-members remain without service, primarily in Kentucky cave country where restoration could take until the end of the week in the most severely damaged areas. Hundreds of members are without power in Edmonson and Grayson Counties. Much of that area is served by Warren RECC where local crews are working alongside mutual aid crews from several states. At Warren RECC alone, at least 385 broken poles are reported.

“We continue to ask for patience as we restore the remaining areas,” said Kim Phelps, Sr. Dir., Communications and Public Relations. “We are in the stage of restoration where pole replacements, removing trees from power lines, and putting up lines allows us to turn the power on to just a few houses at a time.”

Even as co-ops complete restoration efforts, linemen are still on the job, checking on areas that still have power but where infrastructure is damaged.

“Crews are coming across broken poles where electric service is live,” said Randy Meredith, Director of Safety & Training at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the association which supports local co-ops. “We cannot emphasize this enough. Please report such broken poles to your co-op and stay away from these dangerous situations, including damaged trees leaning into electric lines.”

Most of the mutual aid crews from more than 60 sister co-ops in 11 different states are now headed home. Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is 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.

Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative continues to assist with storm response to cooperatives across the region. Its Cooperative Distribution Center in Louisville is responding with transformers, power lines, poles and all other materials needed to outfit an electric utility.

Co-op crews continue massive restoration

Though Kentucky’s electric cooperatives have restored service to 94 percent of the consumer-members who lost power in Friday’s windstorm, co-ops are not letting up on their massive response to the natural disaster.

“It’s all hands on deck,” said Randy Meredith, Director of Safety & Training at Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the association which supports local co-ops. “Co-op crews are not letting up. We are working around the clock. Each crew is working 16 hour shifts at staggered times, so there are crews working 24/7.”

Co-ops are making steady progress restoring power. At the height of the windstorm on Friday, more than 300,000 consumer-members lost power in Kentucky. As of 1:00pm (EST) on Tuesday, about 15,000 members remain without power. The remaining outages are among the most difficult to address.

“In addition to the many communities, industries and neighborhoods served by electric cooperatives, co-ops also pride themselves in providing electricity to the most remote, most difficult to serve areas of Kentucky,” said Joe Arnold, Vice-President of Strategic Communications. “These areas are also often among the most difficult to restore service after a natural disaster given the terrain and other factors. Our co-ops value every co-op member, and with the help of mutual aid crews from co-ops in 11 states, they have made significant progress.”

About 500 personnel have arrived from more than 60 sister co-ops. Coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of co-ops, crews are working here from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is 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.

Several co-ops are receiving assistance from other utilities within the state, as well as hundreds of contract crews. Co-ops report more than 600 broken utility poles and thousands of power lines down across the 117 counties served by co-ops across the commonwealth.

Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is assisting with storm response to cooperatives across the region. Its Cooperative Distribution Center in Louisville is responding with transformers, power lines, poles and all other materials needed to outfit an electric utility.

Remaining outages are among most difficult

The mutual aid response to power restoration in Kentucky continues to grow, as two more states have sent crews to sister co-ops here.

With the addition of co-op crews from Indiana and Arkansas, co-ops from 11 different states are now assisting, not including the crews from within Kentucky who are also traveling to neighboring cooperatives.

With damage as widespread as any natural disaster in Kentucky electric cooperative history, co-ops are making steady progress restoring power. At the height of the windstorm on Friday, more than 300,000 consumer-members lost power in Kentucky. As of 4:00pm (EST) on Monday, about 34,000 members remain without power. With the ground saturated from heavy rains, heavy trucks have had difficulty accessing damaged infrastructure.

About 475 personnel have arrived from more than 60 sister co-ops. Coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of co-ops, crews are working here from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is 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.

In addition, several co-ops are receiving assistance from other utilities within the state, as well as hundreds of contract crews. Co-ops report more than 600 broken utility poles and thousands of power lines down across the 117 counties served by co-ops across the commonwealth.

“Though co-ops have made steady progress restoring nearly 90 percent of the outages since Friday, this last 10 percent will likely be the most challenging and time consuming,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Co-op staff take these outages personally and share the urgency of co-op members to restore service as quickly as possible. The messages of support from the membership are so encouraging.” Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is assisting with storm response to cooperatives across the region. Its Cooperative Distribution Center in Louisville is responding with transformers, power lines, poles and all other materials needed to outfit an electric utility

Massive windstorm damage prompts cooperation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 5, 2023) – With damage as widespread as any natural disaster in Kentucky electric cooperative history, co-ops are making steady progress restoring power.

At the height of the windstorm on Friday, more than 300,000 consumer-members lost power in Kentucky. As of 3:00pm (EST) on Sunday, about 74,000 members remain without power. With the ground saturated from heavy rains, heavy trucks have had difficulty accessing damaged infrastructure.

Because all 26 of Kentucky’s electric cooperatives sustained damage in this historic event, Kentucky co-op crews have stayed at home to restore power locally. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 375 personnel have arrived from 58 sister co-ops. Coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of co-ops, crews are working here from Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is 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.

In addition, several co-ops are receiving assistance from other utilities within the state, as well as hundreds of contract crews. Co-ops report hundreds of snapped utility poles and thousands of power lines down across the 117 counties served by co-ops across the commonwealth.

“With the help of our fellow co-ops, power restoration work is continuing around the clock.” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “Our member co-ops understand this prolonged outage is a major inconvenience for members. We hear and share their frustration. We are thankful that most homes and businesses were spared damage in this event, but the persistent high winds and hurricane-strength gusts on Friday took a tremendous toll on electric infrastructure.”

Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is assisting with storm response to cooperatives across the region. Its Cooperative Distribution Center in Louisville is responding with transformers, power lines, poles and all other materials needed to outfit an electric utility.

Mutual aid crews demonstrate power of cooperatives

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 4, 2023) – After a day of relentless high winds and hurricane-strength gusts, Kentucky’s 26 electric cooperatives are making progress restoring electric service and are advising consumer-members it will take days before all power is restored.

Co-ops report hundreds of snapped utility poles and thousands of power lines down across the 117 counties served by co-ops across the commonwealth.

Because surrounding states were also affected by the damaging winds, mutual aid crews are traveling from farther distances to help. Coordinated by Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association of co-ops, crews are arriving from Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

At the height of the windstorm, more than 300,000 consumer-members lost power in Kentucky. As of 1:00pm (EST) on Saturday, about 148,000 members remained without power. In the initial response, restoration efforts were complicated by persistent winds of more than 40 miles per hour, well after the gusts that topped 70 miles per hour. In addition, soft ground from heavy rains slows the progress of heavy equipment such as the line trucks to access damaged infrastructure. Co-op crews welcomed the calm conditions on Saturday.

“The damage from this event is as widespread as any natural disaster I have ever seen in Kentucky co-op history,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “All 24 distribution co-ops and both of our generation and transmission co-ops sustained damage in the windstorm.”

In a briefing at the state capitol Saturday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear acknowledged power restoration efforts and the tall task ahead of crews.

“The biggest damage appears to be trees and power lines and the poles on the power lines,” Beshear said. “Utility partners are working quickly to restore services, but this may take some time. This is very significant, widespread damage throughout Kentucky. It is multiple utility providers that are working and it’s going to take at least days to get power up in some places.”

Kentucky Emergency Management Director Jeremy Slinker echoed co-op safety messaging, reminding Kentuckians about generator safety and staying away from power lines.

“Always remember not to use generators indoors,” Slinker said. “Countless numbers of poles and lines are down – always assume they are hot, and do not get near them. Report these downed lines to authorities.”

Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is assisting with storm response to cooperatives across the region. Its Cooperative Distribution Center in Louisville is responding with transformers, power lines, poles and all other materials needed to outfit an electric utility.

Because the national network of transmission and distribution infrastructure owned by electric cooperatives is 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.

Cutting-edge technology, time-tested material and up to $240 million in new facility investments are headed to Bowling Green thanks to O-I Glass, the world’s largest manufacturer of glass containers. 

The company’s new glass bottle manufacturing facility builds on a long tradition of innovation. In 1904, company founder Michael Owens revolutionized the glass industry with a machine that automatically manufactured glass bottles. And when production begins at the new plant in 2024, the Kentucky Transpark facility will be the first of its kind to use a new technology, known as Modular Advanced Glass Manufacturing Asset (MAGMA). 

MAGMA benefits include increased overall speed and efficiency in the manufacturing process. The Warren County operation will include renewable electricity, gas-oxy fuel and other innovative technology and processes. 

“O-I is determined to be the most innovative, sustainable and chosen supplier of brand-building packaging solutions,” says Andres Lopez, CEO of O-I Glass. “The new plant is an important milestone as we continue the pursuit of our expansion plan in the United States and globally, building a bright future for the company and its stakeholders. Glass is more relevant than ever, and we’re proud to support our customers with innovative solutions.” 

The plant’s innovative energy needs will be served by Warren RECC. The electric cooperative’s president and CEO, Dewayne McDonald, anticipates continued growth for O-I Glass, which employs about 24,000 people across 70 plants in 19 countries. 

“We are excited to welcome O-I Glass as a new Warren RECC member,” McDonald says. “We look forward to working with them as they grow their world-class business right here in Warren County.” 

O-I says the Warren County location will significantly increase its production capacity of glass bottles for a variety of consumer beverages, with a focus on the premium spirits market. 

The proximity to key customers in bourbon country will reduce logistics and further enhance O-I’s customer service, flexibility and sustainability, company officials say. The first production line is expected to start mid-year 2024, followed by up to two more production lines to serve the growing market and continued development of MAGMA, creating about 140 jobs.

FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, Tony Campbell has been writing to President Joe Biden, pleading on behalf of Kentucky electric co-op consumer-members for the U.S. government to rethink policies that undermine the reliability and affordability of electric service. 

In late December, when electric utilities across the country struggled to meet record demand triggered by sustained subzero temperatures, Campbell’s repeated warnings leapt off the page, now describing a real-world crisis. 

In each of his six letters to the White House, Campbell, the president and CEO of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, which serves 16 member-owned cooperatives in the state, has stressed the life-or-death consequences of the U.S. prematurely shutting down traditional power plants while allocating hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to incentivize unreliable alternatives. 

“The threat is that, without proper planning, our grid operators could find themselves without enough resources to serve power demand, leading to rolling blackouts,” Campbell warned in February 2021. 

In late December, that’s exactly what happened. To prevent a catastrophic system failure that could have led to prolonged power outages, local power companies in more than a dozen states implemented emergency plans to reduce the energy load. Utilities asked account holders to cut back on unnecessary power use and some had to take the extraordinary step of creating short, temporary power outages. 

Announcing a thorough review, the Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves five member-owned cooperatives in Kentucky, is pledging to share what they learn, “and—more importantly—the corrective actions we take in the weeks ahead to ensure we are prepared to manage significant events in the future.” 

The renewables dilemma 

Because electricity is generated at the same time it is used, the electric grid needs to be built to meet peak demand, such as during the extreme cold temperatures this past December. 

Although solar panels and wind turbines generate electricity, they work only when the weather cooperates. Meanwhile, plants powered by coal, natural gas and nuclear, are “dispatchable,” meaning they can generally respond quickly to electricity demands. But the retirement of reliable coal and nuclear plants has forced utilities to rely heavily on natural gas to fill the gaps when wind and solar are not available. Meanwhile, the U.S. has not expanded its gas pipelines to keep pace with this growing reliance, and there is rising worldwide demand for U.S. natural gas, leading to extreme price swings along with declining reliability. 

In his letters to the White House, Campbell politely corrects rampant misinformation that has been used to rush the transition to solar and wind resources. 

“The rapid expansion of renewable capacity creates the façade that America has plenty of surplus energy for emergencies,” Campbell wrote President Biden in November 2021. “However, the U.S. is rapidly painting itself into a corner where there are few options to provide reliable, affordable energy when extreme situations arise.” 

The 24/7 reliability of renewables depends on developing dependable, cost-effective utility-scale batteries that can be mass-produced, he wrote. Despite promising advances, that technology is years or perhaps decades away, Campbell said. 

Consumers pay the bill 

In addition to his White House letters, Campbell collaborates with Big Rivers Electric Corporation President and CEO Bob Berry on op-eds that speak up for Kentucky electric consumers. (Big Rivers Electric serves three member-owned Kentucky co-ops.) In July, they explained how Kentucky electric ratepayers are paying the price for policies that are driving coal and nuclear plants into retirement. 

“The high costs they are experiencing are largely the result of years of unsound government energy policies, which have cut options to fuel reliable energy,” the co-op leaders wrote in July. “U.S. electricity producers have been forced to depend more on natural gas and must compete against foreign nations for our domestic natural gas supplies.” 

Cooperative hopes 

Campbell hand-delivered five of the letters to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm when she visited EKPC’s 60-acre Cooperative Solar Farm in March. 

Commited to advocating for local co-op consumer-members, he and Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are speaking up. 

“I understand the importance of reducing carbon emissions to address the effects of climate change,” Campbell wrote. “But make no mistake, there will be disastrous consequences if we do so in a manner that continues to make the electric grid vulnerable to widespread outages during extreme temperatures and inflates the price of electricity, making it unaffordable for our most vulnerable populations—the poor and the elderly.” 

Kenergy Corp’s Board of Directors has announced the selection of Tim Lindahl as the cooperative’s new President and CEO. Lindahl succeeds Jeff Hohn, who will be retiring in March.  Hohn, who has served as CEO since October 2015, will remain at the co-op until Lindahl starts his duties on Monday, March 13.
 
“Tim has more than 28 years of experience in executive management in the agricultural, information technology and energy industries, and for more than 15 years has worked at rural electric cooperatives.  He also served on the board of directors at a rural electric cooperative for a year,” says Billy Reid, chairman of Kenergy’s Board of Directors.  “He believes wholeheartedly in this business model and understands the important relationship between a cooperative and its member-owners.  The Kenergy board is confident in Tim’s experience and leadership abilities.”
 
In addition to his time spent with rural electric cooperatives, Lindahl was a co-founder and led a technology group dedicated to bringing technology and telecommunications to rural areas from 1995-2005.