For the first time in the 87-year history of electric cooperatives in Kentucky, lawmakers in Frankfort have made the historic move to form the Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Caucus, advocating for the interests of local co-op consumer-members across the commonwealth. 

“Electric cooperatives are a vital and vibrant part of rural communities,” says Sen. Robin Webb (D-Grayson), one of the four founding caucus chairs. “This caucus was formed to give legislators an up-close look at their local co-op and develop a better understanding of how the electric grid functions.” 

As consumer-owned utilities, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives are the consumer advocates for the people they serve. The consumer-members of a local co-op elect the board of directors for that local co-op. 

“Just as a local co-op board is accountable to the co-op members who elect them, state legislators like me also serve these same people,” explains caucus co-chair Rep. Wade Williams (R-Earlington). “The co-op caucus provides a great opportunity to connect so we can all serve more effectively.” 

Electric cooperatives provide power to more than 1.8 million Kentucky residents and businesses in 117 counties. 

“Co-ops power some of our largest industries,” says caucus co-chair Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R-Lexington). “It is crucial that co-ops have reliable fuel sources to keep the lights on for these businesses, which provide good paying jobs and critical community services.” 

The formation of the caucus comes at a critical time for electric co-ops that face new rules and regulations monthly from Washington, D.C. 

“Co-ops rely on informed and dedicated public servants to help them fight for affordable, reliable and safe power,” says Chase Crigler, community and government affairs director for Kentucky Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association representing all 26 electric co-ops in Kentucky. 

“It is always important that the voices of our constituents are heard,” says caucus co-chair Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty (D-Martin). “We are proud to form this caucus to ensure the voices of local co-op members are heard on critical issues affecting the reliability and affordability of the electric grid and more affordable power bills.” 

KENTUCKY RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CAUCUS 

Sen. Jared Carpenter (R-Berea) 

Sen. Danny Carroll (R-Benton) 

Sen. Matthew Deneen (R-Elizabethtown) 

Sen. Greg Elkins (R-Winchester) 

Sen. Shelley Funke Frommeyer (R-Alexandria) 

Sen. Rick Girdler (R-Somerset) 

Sen. David Givens (R-Greensburg) 

Sen. Jimmy Higdon (R-Lebanon) 

Sen. Jason Howell (R-Murray) 

Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R-Lexington) 

Sen. Stephen Meredith (R-Leitchfield) 

Sen. Gerald A. Neal (D-Louisville) 

Sen. John Schickel (R-Union) 

Sen. Brandon Smith (R-Hazard) 

Sen. Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) 

Sen. Brandon J. Storm (R-London) 

Sen. Lindsey Tichenor (R-Smithfield) 

Sen. Robin L. Webb (D-Grayson) 

Sen. Stephen West (R-Paris) 

Sen. Whitney Westerfield (R-Fruit Hill) 

Sen. Gex Williams (R-Verona) 

Sen. Mike Wilson (R-Bowling Green) 

Sen. Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) 

Rep. Chad Aull (D-Lexington 

Rep. Shane Baker (R-Somerset) 

Rep. Kim Banta (R-Ft. Mitchell) 

Rep. Danny Bentley (R-Russell) 

Rep. Adam Bowling (R-Middlesboro) 

Rep. Josh Branscum (R-Russell Springs) 

Rep. Josh Bray (R-Mount Vernon) 

Rep. Randy Bridges (R-Paducah) 

Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton (D-Shively) 

Rep. Mike Clines (R-Alexandria) 

Rep. Jennifer Decker (R-Waddy) 

Rep. Jonathan Dixon (R-Corydon) 

Rep. Myron Dossett (R-Pembroke) 

Rep. Robert Duvall (R-Bowling Green) 

Rep. Daniel Elliott (R-Danville) 

Rep. Daniel Fister (R-Versailles) 

Rep. Patrick Flannery (R-Olive Hill) 

Rep. Deanna Frazier Gordon (R-Richmond) 

Rep. Chris Freeland (R-Benton) 

Rep. Jim Gooch Jr. (R-Providence) 

Rep. Daniel Grossberg (D-Louisville) 

Rep. David Hale (R-Wellington) 

Rep. Mark Hart (R-Falmouth) 

Rep. Richard Heath (R-Mayfield) 

Rep. Samara Heavrin (R-Leitchfield) 

Rep. Thomas Huff (R-Shepherdsville) 

Rep. Mary Beth Imes (R-Murray) 

Rep. Kevin Jackson (R-Bowing Green) 

Rep. DJ Johnson (R-Owensboro) 

Rep. Kim King (R-Harrodsburg) 

Rep. Matthew Koch (R-Paris) 

Rep. Nima Kulkarni (D-Louisville) 

Rep. William Lawrence (R-Maysville) 

Rep. Derek Lewis (R-London) 

Rep. Scott Lewis (R-Hartford) 

Rep. Matt Lockett (R-Nicholasville) 

Rep. Candy Massaroni (R-Bardstown) 

Rep. Bobby McCool (R-Van Lear) 

Rep. Shawn McPherson (R-Scottsville) 

Rep. David Meade (R-Stanford) 

Rep. Michael Meredith (R-Oakland) 

Rep. Suzanne Miles (R-Owensboro) 

Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R-Taylor Mill) 

Rep. Amy Neighbors (R-Edmonton) 

Rep. David W. Osborne (R-Prospect) 

Rep. Michael Sarge Pollock (R-Campbellsville) 

Rep. Phillip Pratt (R-Georgetown) 

Rep. Rebecca Raymer (R-Morgantown) 

Rep. Brandon Reed (R-Hodgenville) 

Rep. Steven Rudy (R-Paducah) 

Rep. Scott Sharp (R-Ashland) 

Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson (D-Lexington) 

Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty (D-Martin) 

Rep. Nancy Tate (R-Brandenburg) 

Rep. Walker Thomas (R-Hopkinsville) 

Rep. Killian Timoney (R-Nicholasville) 

Rep. James Tipton (R-Taylorsville) 

Rep. Timmy Truett (R-McKee) 

Rep. Ken Upchurch (R-Monticello) 

Rep. Bill Wesley (R-Ravenna) 

Rep. Wade Williams (R-Earlington) 

Rep. Nick Wilson (R-Williamsburg) 

Bold denotes co-chairs 

Caucus list as of December 6, 2023. Updated membership roster available on legislature.ky.gov.

For their leadership on issues affecting the ability of electric cooperatives to deliver reliable electricity as efficiently as possible, two veteran lawmakers are the recipients of the 2023 Kentucky Electric Cooperatives Power Partner Award. 

Sen. Brandon Smith, of Hazard, and Rep. Jim Gooch, of Providence, received the awards October 19 in Lexington at a meeting of the managers of Kentucky’s 26 electric cooperatives. Co-ops serve about 1.8 million people in 117 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. 

“With the interests of local Kentuckians their priority, both Sen. Smith and Rep. Gooch are tireless in their advocacy,” says Chris Perry, president and CEO of Kentucky Electric Cooperatives. “As many new public officials take office, the leadership of these knowledgeable and conscientious legislators is invaluable.” 

In their respective roles as chairmen of the Senate and House Natural Resources & Energy committees, Smith and Gooch are consistent and articulate advocates for safe, reliable and cost-efficient electricity. In their long-term service and commitment to their constituents, both legislators have demonstrated diligence, staying up to date on the often complicated issues involving electric utilities. 

“This is an incredible honor and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight my commitment and the legislature’s work to ensure Kentuckians have access to reliable and affordable energy,” Gooch says. “I consistently hear from constituents, both individuals and businesses that are job creators. Energy is a fundamental priority for them. Simply put, it is a basic need. I value my partnership with the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives and look forward to continuing to work together to identify the best ways to provide our residents with the energy security they deserve.” 

“This award is truly humbling, and I can’t thank Kentucky Electric Cooperatives enough for their partnership in helping the General Assembly deliver a good energy policy to benefit Kentucky residents,” says Smith. “We as lawmakers should be laser-focused on the safety and security of our residents, and a big part of that is ensuring that Kentucky has adequate power generation to provide our residents affordable and reliable energy. I look forward to continuing to work with Kentucky’s electric cooperatives to identify legislative action that will provide the energy security our Kentucky families deserve and need.” 

Succeeds Bob Berry after nationwide search 

After an extensive, nationwide search, the Big Rivers Electric Corporation board of directors has named Don Gulley as the organization’s next president and chief executive officer. Gulley has been president and CEO of Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), a generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, for ten years. He will succeed Bob Berry who is retiring from Big Rivers after a 43-year career with the cooperative and nine years serving as CEO.

Gulley has over 35 years of diverse utility management experience working for regulated & merchant investor-owned utilities (IOUs), as well as G&T cooperatives. Before joining SIPC, Gulley served as Vice President of Regulatory and Market Affairs for Sunflower Electric, a G&T cooperative located in western Kansas. Gulley began his career with Ameren, formerly Union Electric, in 1988, where he worked in various leadership capacities for both the regulated and merchant business units.

Gulley will start with Big Rivers on January 8.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 29, 2023) – Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Chris Perry, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO, presented the 2023 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award to Whitney Lewis of Cleaning Up Kentucky today. For the seventh year in a row, the Governor’s office, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives and their flagship publication, Kentucky Living, partnered on the Beautify the Bluegrass initiative to recognize Kentuckians who help make the Commonwealth a great place to live and call home.
 
“All of the beautification projects we’re celebrating today have made Kentucky a better place to live and raise a family,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “I am so grateful to every individual, family and organization that volunteered their time and showed love to their communities by improving their hometowns. I also want to thank Kentucky Living for sharing these amazing Kentucky stories.”
 
The program recognizes Kentuckians who take an active role in preserving the state’s natural beauty and helping their communities shine.
 
“I’ve always picked up trash when I’m out in nature. I take my girls and we go out and enjoy nature. Now we pick up trash while we’re there to give back a little bit,” said Whitney Lewis, recipient of the 2023 Beautify the Bluegrass Governor’s Award. “Thank you to everyone that has supported me. I’m so very grateful. I’m thankful for my girls and my friends that believed in me and I hope to inspire others.”

Whitney Lewis of Jessamine County has made it her mission to make Kentucky cleaner while kayaking or hiking. She attempts to make the places she visits a little cleaner and better than she found it. While recording her trash pick-ups on social media, she inspires others and posts often to keep track of her trash pickups. As of this year, she has collected more than 2,000 bags of trash. 
 
“Like the electric co-ops that were built by local Kentuckians to improve their communities and help their families, these Beautify the Bluegrass projects are homegrown,” said Chris Perry, Kentucky Electric Cooperative President and CEO. “These projects were not completed to win an award. They were the result of these Kentuckians taking it upon themselves to identify how they can make our Commonwealth a better and more attractive place to live. We love sharing these stories in Kentucky Living – which celebrates the energy of Kentucky – and we greatly appreciate the Governor and his team partnering with us to make sure that these efforts do not go unnoticed.”
 
In August, Kentucky Living and Governor Beshear announced five Beautify the Bluegrass finalists, and Kentucky Living readers voted online for their choice to receive the 2023 Governor’s Award. The other finalists included: 

• Somerset Veterans Memorial Park (Pulaski County)   
• Manchester Splash Park Upgrade (Clay County)  
• Art in the Garden (Marshall County)
• “Community Crossroads” Mural (Shelby County)

 
It takes every Kentuckian to beautify the Bluegrass, so start your 2024 Beautify the Bluegrass project today and watch for the nomination form to go live next year. This annual program is about more than recognition or honor, it’s about making the state and our communities as beautiful as they can be.

The broadband expansion efforts in the Pennyrile Electric service territory are getting a $12 million boost from the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund. In 2021, the Kentucky General Assembly allocated $300 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars to the fund for the construction of high-speed internet infrastructure to connect areas currently without access. On Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 56 grants totaling more than $196 million.

“Pennyrile Electric Cooperative is honored to be selected as a recipient of broadband funding support from Gov. Beshear and the state of Kentucky,” said President and CEO Alan Gates. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the state to build a fiber-to-the-home network for our members who are without access to reliable high-speed internet in unserved or underserved rural areas. This funding will allow these areas to grow and thrive economically. We are grateful to the state of Kentucky for their support of the members in the Pennyrile Electric service territory.” 

“Kentucky’s historic investments in broadband expansion would not have happened without the vision and commitment of Rep. Phil Pratt, Speaker Pro Tem David Meade, and Representative Brandon Reed,” said House Speaker David Osborne. “They recognized the need to expand broadband services throughout the commonwealth and drove the legislative initiatives that created and funded the Kentucky Broadband Deployment Fund and the Office of Broadband Development, despite the Governor’s vetoing critical provisions of the plan.”

Kentucky Co-ops Present Award at 77^th Annual Meeting that Emphasized Grid Reliability

Kentucky Electric Cooperatives recognized outdoorsman and television host Tim Farmer as its 2023 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian during the co-op association’s 77^th Annual Meeting in Louisville. As the host of “Kentucky Afield” for 20 years, and on the nationally syndicated “Tim Farmer’s Country Kitchen” since 2012, Farmer casts a positive light on Kentucky. Overcoming a traumatic injury while a U.S. Marine in the 1980s and a persistent painful condition to this day, Farmer’s story exemplifies the best of Kentucky.
 
Distinguished Rural Kentuckian is the highest honor bestowed by the association, which consists of 26 electric cooperatives across the commonwealth. It recognizes outstanding individuals who have devoted their lives to Kentucky in a way that matches the co-op mission of enhancing the quality of life here. Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Chris Perry presented Farmer with the award following a special video tribute. The full video can be viewed on the association’s YouTube channel.
 

“If I ever did anything worthwhile, it’s because I have been surrounded with wonderful worthwhile family and friends,” said 2023 Distinguished Rural Kentuckian Tim Farmer. “And having the best parents in the world is the greatest blessing. Some of the wisest words I have ever heard came from the deepest hollers. What an honor to be in the company of folks that have preceded me in this tradition.”
 
Farmer is the 39^th Distinguished Rural Kentuckian. Since 1982, the association has honored recipients from the arts, politics, journalism, business, education, religion, athletics, and agriculture. Three former honorees were in attendance at this year’s banquet, including 2004 recipient Jim Host, 2017 honoree Byron Crawford and 2021 recipient David Beck.
 
“We are so proud to celebrate another outstanding year for Kentucky’s cooperatives and to recognize Tim Farmer’s inspirational story and dedication to Kentucky,” said Kentucky Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Chris Perry. “Behind our responsibility to deliver safe and reliable energy at the lowest cost possible, is the underlying mission to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. This meeting made clear, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives will advocate for their consumer-members, no matter what it takes.”
 
The Annual Meeting’s banquet also featured a keynote address from Hall of Fame basketball coach John Calipari of the University of Kentucky. Speaking to several hundred co-op members, friends and guests, Calipari praised Kentucky’s cooperatives, saying: “They serve half of our state. They’re about people first, not profits. And they’re big basketball fans. My goal for my team is to have the same commitment and resolve as you do in this room.”
 
With a theme of Support, Advocate, Educate, the meeting also included remarks by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Youth Leadership Council delegate Brennan Christmas of Logan County High School and nationally known energy journalist Robert Bryce, who urged co-ops to push back against government policies that threaten reliable and affordable power.   
 
During the Annual Meeting, the co-ops also celebrated the 75^th anniversary issue of Kentucky Living magazine, the flagship publication of the association that spotlights the people, places and activities that make Kentucky a great place to live, work and play.

Kentucky-based United Utility Supply Cooperative (UUS) is congratulating its sister cooperative and strategic partner ERMCO, Inc. upon the manufacture of its eight-millionth transformer since the company was founded in 1972.

At a ceremony at ERMCO’s Dyersburg, Tennessee plant on June 29, ERMCO President and CEO Tim Mills delivered the milestone pad-mount transformer to Chris Perry, president and CEO of both UUS and Kentucky Electric Cooperatives.

“ERMCO is the largest producer of distribution transformers and components in the United States,” Mills said. “We continue to invest in expanding our output, including the recent acquisition of Spire Power Solutions. We’re also increasing manufacturing efficiencies and developing our workforce to accelerate production to meet the nation’s critical infrastructure needs.”

In 2015, Kentucky Electric Cooperatives reached an agreement with ERMCO for UUS to utilize its industry-leading warehouse and distribution network to distribute ERMCO transformers across the UUS footprint primarily in the eastern United States. As part of the agreement, ERMCO purchased the assets of the Kentucky cooperatives’s transformer manufacturing plant.

“UUS and ERMCO were once fierce competitors,” Perry said. “But my board and I saw recognized our mutual commitment to cooperative principles and that together we would be successful. It is our duty as cooperatives to diligently look out for the best interests of our members, and thanks to the dedicaton of our respective workforces, our members have greatly benefitted from this partnership.

ERMCO is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc (AECI).

“The board of directors of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. are committed to ensuring that ERMCO has the support needed to achieve its commendable production goals,” said Buddy Hasten, president and CEO of AECI. “AECI has a 50 year investment in the organization and will continue to serve as an advocate for ERMCO as the company continues its efforts to provide products that are critical to our nation’s power delivery infrastructure.”

ERMCO and United Utility Supply have worked together to meet supply chain challenges and industry pressures.

“ERMCO has stepped up to meet the growing needs. Our partnership is a testament to our shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” Perry added. “Together, we will redefine industry standards, develop groundbreaking technologies, and drive the transition toward a sustainable and resilient energy future.”

Mills provided perspective on the tremendous growth of the cooperative’s transformer manufacturing.

“Our first million took 258 months to produce, and reaching eight million took 27 months,” he said. “Moving forward, we see the potential to produce one million transformers each year. With our incredible team, we will make that happen.”

Column by U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell

“I want you to look me in the eyes,” President Biden told a young woman during his 2020 presidential campaign. “I guarantee you. We’re going to end fossil fuel.”

Well, the President is making good on that promise with yet another assault in his War on Affordable Energy. The Biden Administration announced new regulations in May that will further cripple America’s domestic energy production, threaten our national security, and squeeze workers and job creators in Middle America.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest rule will resurrect devastating emissions standards that liberals have spent more than a decade trying to drop on folks in Kentucky and the rest of coal country. The measure revives the Obama Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ with the intention of drastically reducing coal-fired power plants. In fact, the new requirements would require a whopping 60 percent of power plants in our country to either slash their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent over the next decade or shut down.

By imposing unworkable deadlines and requiring unproven technologies that are not commercially available, the Biden Administration’s message to Kentucky’s power plants and the rest of coal country is clear: shut down.

“This could rein in Kentucky’s ability to generate further economic development moving forward,” said one Kentucky energy producer.

Jim Matheson of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association warned: This new rule would “force critical, always available power plants into early retirement.”

It “will further strain America’s electric grid and undermine decades of work to reliably keep the lights on across the nation,” he went on.

This latest version of the ‘Clean Power Plan’ comes at a time when energy usage is up 73 percent over the past four decades and widespread power outages continue to surge. Power plants that fail to meet the EPA’s stringent new requirements will be forced to shut down, further threatening the reliability of our power grids.

For two years, President Biden has given liberal activists the green light to push a radical climate agenda that only compounds the pain of Washington Democrats’ inflation. Lower-income ratepayers in particular will see their energy bills creep up as a result of these new mandates. And Eastern Kentucky, the heart of our coal country, could see more plants close and even more jobs lost.

By hollowing out production of affordable and reliable American energy, the Biden EPA’s new rule will threaten our energy security. Rather than unleash our own abundant reserves, Washington Democrats would apparently prefer to lean even further on our adversaries for critical supply chains.

Sadly, this is a story Kentuckians know all too well. For eight years under the Obama Administration, they watched the “War on Coal,” kill jobs and cripple communities across Appalachia. In his eight years in office, President Obama helped put more than 10,000 Kentucky miners out of work. Coal employment declined to levels we haven’t seen since the 1800s. And the damage is still being felt to this day. Now President Biden is picking up where he and President Obama left off. The Obama-Biden War on Coal has come in many different forms, but the same basic disdain for Middle America keeps showing its face.

Given President Biden’s track record on executive overreach, it should come as no surprise that the Supreme Court struck down a similar EPA mandate only a year ago. Last April, the Court made it clear that it’s Congress that gets to create energy policy, not unelected bureaucrats. But the Biden Administration’s climate activists are trying to ram this policy through again anyway. So I’m proud to stand with my Republican colleague, Senator Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, who is leading the charge in Congress against this punitive measure.

Washington Democrats’ latest power grab from the EPA is a recipe for soaring energy prices, electricity blackouts, and less national security. Working Americans cannot afford it — and Kentuckians least of all.

Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is the Senate Republican Leader.

Congratulations to Big Rivers Electric Corporation as it officially opened its new headquarters with a ribbon cutting in Owensboro on Tuesday.

The cooperative’s board and staff were joined by representatives from member-owners Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative, Kenergy Corp and Meade County RECC, as well as city officials, community members and Governor Andy Beshear.

“Big Rivers Electric has always been there for Kentuckians,” Beshear tweeted. “From ensuring service reached our farmers at the company’s inception to now serving new business and fueling economic growth, Big Rivers Electric Corporation is helping us succeed and the new Owensboro headquarters will be another win.”

The 47,000-square-foot modern facility positions Big Rivers in a central location to serve the entire 22-county service territory. The new construction at 710 W 2nd Street consists of a four-story building and a design incorporating more modern meeting and collaboration spaces that match future utility needs. 

The City of Owensboro provided incentives to offset the projected $10.8 million building cost, including a full rebate of the downtown property purchase price.

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.