By Chris Perry
President & CEO
Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives

“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

That quote, attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, is tinged with the regret of someone on the short end of a vote tally. Though Lincoln’s election sentiments are as relevant today as in the 19^thcentury, let’s remember that the consequences of elections can also be positive.

The recognition of the consequences of elections is the motivation behind Co-ops Vote, an initiative led by electric cooperatives here in Kentucky and across the nation, to remind rural Kentuckians that the best way for your interests and concerns to be represented in government is to express them at the ballot box.

Co-ops Vote is non-partisan; it does not advocate or endorse a particular party or candidate. Instead, Co-ops Votetaps into the democratic DNA of rural electric cooperatives that serve their consumer-members in 117 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. A cooperative is uniquely suited to understand and serve a community because it literally belongs to the people it serves and was built by people in that community.

When Co-ops Vote was launched two years ago, it aimed to reverse a downward trend in rural voting. And, this effort appears to have had a positive effect. Compared to the previous national election cycle in 2012, 500,000 more rural voters went to the polls in 2016.

According to an analysis of voter turnout by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, rural voter turnout in Kentucky accounted for an increase of about 85,000 voters between 2012 and 2016.

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

We now face another opportunity. On November 6, all 100 Kentucky state representative seats and all six of the Commonwealth’s U.S. House seats are on the ballot, as well as half of Kentucky’s state senators, in addition to local races.

Elections matter, and the communities we serve are facing challenges that require attention and respect. To ensure that these issues remain part of the discussion, I encourage you 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 Co-ops Vote and take advantage of its resources. Just visit www.vote.coopand 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.

As Lincoln suggested, it’s up to you. It’s your decision. That’s the beauty of the vote.

All’s fair

BRANDENBURG

Each July children in Meade County hop in three-legged raises, shoot basketballs and get delightfully muddy in an array of games. It’s the favorite part of the Meade County Fair for David Pace.

“I have been helping with the fair since 1982,” recalls Pace. “I joined the board in 1984, became manager in 1994, and am still manager.”

The fair is a year-round project. Pace negotiates vendor contracts, looks for new acts, oversees publicity, coordinates volunteers and deals with thousands of details to run a modern fair with a half-million dollar budget. 

Pace also chaired the Meade County Industrial Authority, which attracts new businesses, and was mayor of Brandenburg for eight years. He savors his years coaching Little League football.

Community involvement is part of his job as vice president of Marketing and Member Services for Meade County RECC where he has worked for 24 years.

Behind all his work, Pace has a single goal, which fits nicely with his role as a husband to wife, Sharon, and father to grown children, Bric, Morgan and Braden.

“I like to see the community be as good as it can be so our kids can be the best they can be.”

Blessed

HOPKINSVILLE

“To a child in Africa, a pencil is as valuable as $100 here,” the preacher explained one Sunday morning at the Hopkinsville Church of Christ.

Five-year-old Will Pyle listened intently, then immediately went into action when he got home, collecting all the pencils he could find and designating them for African children. 

Will had seen his mom, Emily Pyle, care for others like this many times before. Emily, who works for Pennyrile Electric, volunteers with an array of organizations including Partners for Africa, a missionary organization the church supports by sending clothes, shoes, medical supplies, blankets, song books—to Zimbabwe and other areas in need. She also volunteers for 4-H, her church’s youth group, Back to Back, Inc., and an animal rescue called Max’s Hope. 

“My parents would always visit the shut-ins from our church,” Emily says. “I was a Girl Scout myself. God has blessed me in so many ways. I have always tried to be a positive influence and help others.”

Each year,  the National Cooperative Bank announces the NCB Co-op 100®, highlighting the business activity and economic power of these member-owned, member-controlled businesses. The only annual report of its kind, the NCB Co-op 100®is an important indicator of cooperative business activity across the country.

Lineworkers deal with heat, fatigue and flying pests to help restore power after Hurricane Michael

It was hours after dark when the first crew made its way into the grainy glow of the generator-powered lights of the tent city. The dimness of the light coupled with crewmembers’ slow, lumbering gait, resembled a scene from a zombie movie.

For many of these workers, they were well into at least their second week of working to help restore power in southern Georgia, a land ravaged in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Within hours, they would soon be up to start another 16-hour day.

More than 100 lineworkers representing 16 co-ops from Kentucky are part of a massive restoration effort in several southeastern states.  Most of the Bluegrass contingency is working for Mitchell and Grady electric cooperatives in Georgia. This area is nearly three hours inland, but the damage has left thousands of people without power.

Hurricane Michael was one of the most powerful storms to hit the southeast. A 50-year employee of Mitchell EMC said it was the worst he had ever seen.

The damage in the area spared few. Stretches of houses with at least one downed tree each. Some homes spared when trees fell safely into the front lawn; others were not so lucky. Along the byways, there were fields where pecan trees were blown over at the root and thousands of less hearty, although no less mature, pine trees were snapped like twigs.

Mobilizing the thousands of workers to help with the restoration is no small task.  In the Bluegrass, it starts when the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives gets the call that help is needed.

Each co-op decides whether it has the workers to share because the first commitment is to its own consumer-members. If a co-op has the available labor, it “releases” the workers who then essentially become temporary employees of the co-ops they are traveling to help.  The workers are compensated by that co-op and will work for it as long as requested unless they need to come home to help with issues in Kentucky or for personal reasons.

“Kentucky crews are typically a hot-commodity,” said Robert Thornton, storm coordinator for the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives. “Geographically speaking, Kentucky crews can be to most affected areas in twelve hours or less.  A hurricane or other tropical storm that affects the Southeast usually does not affect Kentucky co-ops.  Crews can also respond quickly to the Midwest during tornado outbreaks or ice-storms.

“I have had several states and co-ops specifically request help from us. When I travel and meet CEOs and other co-op officials from other states, they always mention how impressed they were with the aid they received. Kentucky linemen are known for getting the job done in a safe, efficient, and timely manner.”

Determining where the crews, usually teams of four, will spend their days is also a complicated process. Each crew is assigned a “birddog” –  an employee of the local co-op who understands the grid and can help navigate the crew through the backroads.

The goal is to work on areas that will have the most impact, that will restore power to the most people. Once the “birddog” finds a location where the crew can repair damage, he goes to find the next location.

And every location can have its challenges.  Often, the crews will come across a downed line that has had more debris pile on top from homeowners anxious to remove limbs from their property.

“We understand that people want to get stuff out of their yard,” says Michael Insley crew foreman for Warren RECC. “But this does make it difficult for us, to have to remove all the debris before we can start to repair the lines.”

And while each morning crews load up on poles and other supplies, there is no easy way to predict what will be needed during the day.

“Yesterday, we ran out of supplies, so we had to rely on our ‘birddog’ to help us find places where we could do work like cleaning up debris and other tasks where we didn’t need new poles or line,” says Insley.

Along with fatigue and the unfamiliarity of the territory, the workers are dealing with heat—temperatures are still in the upper 80s in southern Georgia—along with fire ants and gnats.

Oh, the gnats. Although the locals joke that they are much worse in mid-summer, that is little consolation to the workers who are dealing with these pests constantly flying around their heads, and often into their noses and ears.

“These things are the worst,” says Shane Vickers of Jackson Energy. “Bug spray doesn’t work, and you just can’t get rid of them.”

One thing that has provided comfort has been the support of the local communities.  Companies and individuals have donated everything from drinks to socks to help. Those living in the tent city are provided with portable showers along with hot meals.

Still, the long days away from home begin to wear on the crews and staying upbeat is a constant challenge.

“We just try to keep cutting up, trying to make the most of it,” says Insley. “We are a team and when one gets down, we have to be there for them.”

And while it looks like there may be weeks more work before this area of Georgia has power fully restored, the folks back home can be proud of how these workers have personified the spirit of cooperatives.

“These guys from Kentucky have been great,” said one of the Mitchell EMC lineman working alongside the Kentucky contingency. “They have been out here every day giving 100 percent, and we are so grateful they’re here.”

Greg Lee will replace Mickey Miller, who is retiring in January 2019

The Board of Directors of Nolin RECC has selected Gregory R. “Greg” Lee as the cooperative’s next President and Chief Executive Officer.  Lee, currently Nolin’s Vice President – System Operations, will replace retiring CEO Mickey Miller who will retire on Jan. 4, 2019.

Lee holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky. He is a licensed Professional Engineer.  He is a graduate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program located at the University of Wisconsin.

Lee is an experienced utility professional with a wide array of skills in the electric utility industry and government contracting. Lee has served as Nolin’s Vice President – Ft. Knox Operations, its Operations Engineer and its Special Projects Manager. While attending college, Mr. Lee worked at Nolin as a Student Engineer and an Operations Intern.

His transition into his new role will begin in January. In his role as President and CEO, Lee will be Nolin’s representative in business and political settings, accomplish strategic initiatives established by the Board and direct overall operations of Nolin RECC.

Retiring CEO Miller said, “I’m very pleased with the selection of Greg to lead our cooperative. I’ve known Greg for many years and have seen him grow professionally. His ethics, business knowledge and professional behavior will be an asset to our members and our employees.”

“Nolin RECC is fortunate to have someone of Greg’s caliber and experience as our next President and CEO. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job that will serve the coop and its membership well in the years ahead,” said Chairman David Brown.

Lee, a resident of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is married to Erin Larkin Lee and they have two children, Avery, age four and Harrison, age two. In accepting the new appointment, he stated, “I am honored and excited to be selected to lead Nolin RECC as its next President and CEO.  I want to thank the Board of Directors for affording me such a tremendous opportunity. Nolin’s mission is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective energy solutions.  I look forward to continuing that mission in the future and working in the best interest of our members.”

MAYSVILLE — East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) is beginning work on a series of projects at Spurlock Station to ensure the power plant remains in compliance with more stringent environmental rules for years to come. Totaling over $262 million, these projects are aimed at ensuring future compliance with federal regulations related to handling and storage of coal ash and related materials, as well as handling and discharge of water at the plant.

“These projects will ensure Spurlock Station remains compliant with federal regulations and is viable for many years to come,” said Anthony “Tony” Campbell, EKPC’s President & CEO. “Spurlock Station is EKPC’s flagship power plant and it is critical for providing reliable, affordable power for more than 1 million Kentucky residents served by the 16 co-ops that own EKPC.” Among the projects:

• The systems for removing bottom ash from Units #1 and #2 will be converted to eliminate handling of ash with water. New dry handling systems for bottom ash will be installed, along with redundant dry handling systems for fly ash.
•  A new wastewater treatment plant will be constructed to treat water from scrubbers on Units #1 and #2.
• The existing 67-acre ash pond will be closed and approximately 1.75 million cubic yards of material will be removed and placed in Spurlock Station’s ash landfill.
• A 17-acre water mass balance pond will be established, along with a chemical treatment plant, to process water from various plant process flows.
• New ash storage silos will be constructed.

This post will be updated

LOUISVILLE (October 11, 2018) –  As Hurricane Michael makes its way across several lower southeast states, it continues wreaking havoc and leaving thousands without power.  Crews from 17 Kentucky electric cooperatives are on their way to Georgia to help with power restoration efforts.

Thursday morning, just one day after Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida, the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives deployed 80 lineworkers, including construction crews, service crews and support staff, to assist in recovery.

There are now over 100 workers in Georgia and Virginia. On Monday, crews from Jackson Purchase Energy and West Kentucky RECC, left to help with restoration efforts in Virginia.

Kentucky electric cooperatives from across the state have offered their help and support. Crews from Blue Grass Energy, Clark Energy Cooperative, Farmers RECC, Fleming Mason Energy, Gibson Electric Membership Cooperative, InterCounty Energy, Jackson Energy Cooperative, Jackson Purchase Energy, Licking Valley, Kenergy Corp., Owen Electric Cooperative, Pennyrile Electric, Salt River Electric, South Kentucky RECC, Tri-County Electric, Warren RECC and West Kentucky RECC sent crews to aid in relief efforts.

South Kentucky RECC CEO Dennis Holt says SKRECC’s contract crews were released prior to the storm making landfall to be in place to deal with the turmoil left by Hurricane Michael.

“In addition to the crews, South Kentucky RECC has sent several pieces of much-needed equipment including several digger trucks, large bucket trucks, and small bucket trucks. These crews will assist at Middle Georgia EMC, if needed, or will transfer to a location that they are needed.”

Middle Georgia EMC serves approximately 4,200 members, and their Senior Vice-President Mike McGee says the assistance is very welcome.

“We at Middle Georgia are extremely thankful for the assistance from South Kentucky RECC. At this point, we just don’t know how much damage we may sustain, but here they are forecasting 150-mile-per-hour winds. We appreciate South Kentucky RECC for leaving their daily duties and making the drive here to help restore our members from damage from Michael.”
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.

“Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our guiding principles,” said Clarence Greene, KAEC Safety and Loss Prevention Director. “These deployments are long hours in challenging conditions, but lineworkers are wired to help people. Mutual aid deployments also provide invaluable training opportunities they may not get in their respective area.”

One year ago, 131 Kentucky co-op workers helped restore power in Georgia after Hurricane Irma. The largest mutual aid deployment in Kentucky co-op history came in 2016 when 143 lineworkers responded to Hurricane Matthew.

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.

Providing critical materials

In response to Hurricane Michael, Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative is loading a tractor-trailer with utility supplies for use by affected electric cooperatives in Alabama and the Florida panhandle.

With its main warehouse and headquarters at 4300 Champions Trace in Louisville, UUS also has warehouses in several other states, including Alabama. UUS personnel will assist with the delivery of critical supplies to affected co-ops.

UUS has implemented its storm emergency plan, providing round-the-clock support to meet the material needs of co-ops affected by Hurricane Michael.

In advance of the hurricane, UUS also made pre-storm deliveries to cooperatives in Alabama.

Shelby Energy announces that its board of directors has selected Jack Bragg, Jr. as the next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective December 1, 2018. Mr. Bragg comes to Shelby from Washington Electric Cooperative located in Marietta, Ohio. Bragg was chosen from a large pool of interested and highly-qualified applicants and selected during a comprehensive executive search performed by Mr. Roy Palk, President of New Horizons Consulting with offices in Lexington, Kentucky and Bradenton, Florida.

Mr. Bragg is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He holds master’s degrees of Accountancy and Business Administration from Northern Kentucky University along with bachelor’s degrees of Accounting and Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky. Bragg is an experienced utility professional with a wide array of skills developed across a broad spectrum of utility operations.

Bragg served as the General Manager/CEO at Washington Electric Cooperative in Marietta, Ohio since January 2016. He previously held the position of Vice President of Finance & Support Services at Northern Kentucky Water District in Erlanger, Kentucky from October 2005 to December 2015. In addition, Bragg served as the Chief Financial Officer at Owen Electric Cooperative in Owenton, Kentucky from November 1999 to October 2005.

His transition to Shelby Energy will begin during November 2018, to replace retiring President and CEO, Debra Martin. Martin will remain employed as a special advisor until her retirement on January 2, 2019. In his role as President and CEO, Bragg will be Shelby’s representative in business and political settings, accomplish strategic initiatives established by the Board and direct overall operations of Shelby Energy.

Retiring CEO Martin said, “I’m very pleased with the selection of Jack Bragg to lead our cooperative. I’ve known Jack for a number of years and his ethics, business knowledge and professional behavior will be an asset to our members and our employees.”

“Shelby Energy is fortunate to have someone of Jack Bragg’s caliber and experience as our next President and CEO. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job that will serve Shelby Energy well in the years ahead,” said Chairman Ashley Chilton.

Bragg shared, “I am honored and excited to lead Shelby Energy. Shelby’s mission is providing members with safe, reliable and cost-effective energy, and I look forward to continuing that mission for the future and working for the best of the members.”