Kentucky legislators work to pass critical bill

Washington politics have become so polarized that it can be tough for Democrats and Republicans to come together to tackle big challenges. But that’s exactly what happened on Capitol Hill, thanks to dedicated Kentucky lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. Reps. John Yarmuth, Hal Rogers, Brett Guthrie, James Comer and Andy Barr.

These legislators hail from different parts of the commonwealth and represent different political parties. But each listened to the concerns of electric cooperative stakeholders who spoke up about a critical need for America’s rural communities. The 2020 spending bill they approved included a provision known as the RURAL Act (Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands Act of 2019), which solved an existential issue for electric co-ops.

Electric co-ops work to secure government grants to help pay for numerous activities that benefit the communities they serve. These include grants for storm recovery, renewable energy and economic development.

Without the passage of the RURAL Act, federal disaster aid could have jeopardized the co-ops’ tax-exempt status if they faced another weather disaster like the 2009 ice storm. Thanks to our elected leaders, Kentucky’s electric co-ops are still eligible to receive this kind of assistance. 

In standing up for Kentucky’s local communities, these lawmakers proved that Congress still works for the people. Notably, the legislation drew the bipartisan support of more than 300 representatives in the House and more than half of the Senate before it was passed. That’s a rarity in Washington these days.

In today’s fast-paced society, it’s increasingly rare to pause to give thanks. That’s unfortunate.

Thank you, Sen. McConnell, and Reps. Barr, Comer, Guthrie, Rogers and Yarmuth. Thank you for looking out for rural communities across Kentucky.

OWENTON, KENTUCKY – The Board of Directors of Owen Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Cobb as its next president and chief executive officer. Cobb boasts extensive knowledge and experience in the electric cooperative industry, including 30 years spent at Owen Electric in accounting and member services; Cobb retired in 2018 as Senior Vice President of Member and Corporate Services.

“Mike successfully performed his duties while serving as Interim CEO for the cooperative, and in doing so, demonstrated exceptional leadership and decision making skills,” said Robert True, Board Chairman. “We are very thankful that he came out of retirement to serve.”

Cobb holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), an exclusive educational program for CEOs and top level management.

Having served as Interim CEO for since September 2019, the Board of Directors looks forward to serving with Cobb in leading Owen Electric forward. 

 “I love this Cooperative and am humbled and honored to once again have an opportunity to serve Owen Electric’s members and employees,” said Cobb.  “I’ve spent over 30 years here and believe we have a noble mission as a Cooperative to improve the quality of life of our members and the communities we serve by providing safe, affordable and reliable electricity, while offering exceptional service to our members.  I look forward to working alongside our dedicated team of employees as we strive to serve our members to the best of our abilities.”

COLUMBIA, Ky.– Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ”LaVoy announced USDA has invested $55.3 million in four, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee.

“High-speed broadband internet connectivity, or e-Connectivity, is essential today to run a successful business or agricultural operation, access specialized health care or education, and connect with loved ones living far away,”LaVoy said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has made the deployment of this critical infrastructure in rural America a top priority, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

LaVoy announced the following investments in rural Kentucky: 

• Ballard Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation will use a $2.4 million ReConnect Program grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network in rural McCracken County. The funded service areas include 578 households and a critical community facility spread over 20 square miles.
  
  
• Duo County will use an $18.7 million ReConnect Program grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in rural Adair, Cumberland and Russell counties. The funded service areas include almost 3,650 households over 45 square miles.

• Gibson Electric Membership Corporation will use a $32 million ReConnect Program loan to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in rural Fulton, Graves and Hickman counties in Kentucky, and in Dyer, Lake, Obion and Weakley counties in Tennessee. The funded service areas include almost 7,400 households spread over 1,056 square miles.
  
  
• Thacker-Grigsby Communications will use a $2.3 million ReConnect Program grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network in rural Breathitt County. The funded service area includes 637 households spread over 109 square miles.

Background:

In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.

These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.

In December 2019, Agriculture Secretary Perdue announced USDA will be making available an additional $550 million in ReConnect funding in 2020. USDA will make available up to $200 million for grants, up to $200 million for 50/50 grant/loan combinations, and up to $200 million for low-interest loans. The application window for this round of funding will open Jan. 31, 2020. Applications for all funding products will be accepted in the same application window, which will close no later than March 16, 2020.

A full description of 2020 ReConnect Pilot Program funding is available on page 67913 of the Dec. 12, 2019, Federal Register (PDF, 336 KB). To learn more about eligibility, technical assistance and recent announcements, visit www.usda.gov/reconnect.

In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

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.

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 2019 Fall College Term.
• Student must attend a Kentucky college or university

The scholarship application deadline is JUNE 12, 2020. 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, KAEC, P.O. Box 32170, Louisville, KY 40232.

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.