All Kenergy offices will be closed Monday, May 30th for the Memorial Day holiday. We hope you have a safe and healthy holiday with family and friends.

As always, you can drop payments at our nightly drop box, make payments on our SmartHub app or by accessing your account 24/7.

Each year, Kenergy selects three high school juniors to attend the Washington Youth Tour. A team of Kenergy-area judges selected students based on their academic resume and a 1,000-word essay on the subject of their choice. Kenergy is thrilled to announce the three delegates for the 2022 Washington Youth Tour.

Conner Blackburn of Hanson – Conner is the son of Ashley Blackburn. He attends Madisonville North Hopkins High School.

Jennavieve Luppino of Centertown – Jennavieve is the daughter of Brad Luppino. She attends Abreka Academy.

Noah Norris of Owensboro – Noah is the son of Scott and Jaime Norris. He attends Daviess County High School.

The delegates will travel to Washington, D.C. for an all-expense paid trip in June. The week-long trip will allow students to learn about leadership, the cooperative model, and also explore the nation’s capital. Our delegates will tour Gettysburg, the Smithsonian Institute, Arlington National Cemetery, the FBI Building, the National Zoo, Library of Congress, U.S. Capitol, and the White House to visit with Kentucky’s congressional delegation to learn more about energy issues.

More than 1,500 students from across America take part in the Youth Tour experience each year. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has been coordinating this program since the 1950’s.
Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Pictures courtesy of Rebecca Sams.

Kenergy member-owners of Districts 1, 3 and 5 will have the opportunity to vote this year for a director in the upcoming election.

Kenergy’s bylaws stipulate that any uncontested candidate will be declared the winner of the board seat without an election. By virtue of being the only candidate nominated, incumbent Craig Roberts of District 1 will retain his seat for another three-year term.

Chris Mitchell has represented District 3 since 1997 and is being challenged by Ryan Hammack who submitted a petition to have his name placed on the ballot.

Bill Denton, who had represented District 5 since 1994, resigned from his position in early February. His term as the District 5 representative expires in June of this year and he had previously announced that he did not plan to seek re-election. Two candidates, Mike Hazelwood and Tom McFarland, each filed a petition to have their names placed on the ballot.

Ballots will be mailed in mid-May. Members have the option of voting online or by mail. Winners of the election will be announced at the cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at Kenergy’s office in Henderson.

Trees add immeasurable value to your property but maintaining them comes with a cost. They need pruning, sometimes heavy trimming or removal.

The most common types of serious tree trimming accidents are:

• Electrocution. You can be seriously injured or killed if you come into contact with an electric line. It’s easy to misjudge the height of a tree or length of a branch. If there’s a chance power lines might be involved at all, always call your electric utility first and its experts will come out and advise you. Even when you think there’s room, if the wind blows a limb into a power line as you’re trimming it, you can be electrocuted.

• Falling. You can be seriously injured or killed if you fall from a tree. Pruning branches or trimming out dead or overgrown limbs sometimes requires getting into the tree. Always make sure you are using appropriate safety harnesses and ropes when climbing. Also wear safety googles, hard hat, gloves, long-sleeve shirt, long pants and appropriate work shoes. Before climbing, inspect the tree to make sure no power lines run through or near the tree.

• Being struck. You can be seriously injured or killed if you are struck by falling trees or limbs. Cutting large limbs and trees can be tricky. Improper cutting can cause the tree to fall where you hadn’t planned. Always have two escape routes planned ahead of time in case the tree starts going the wrong way. A falling tree hits the ground with great force. Branches and limbs crack, bounce, snap and recoil, especially if dead wood is present. Snapped branches can be flung surprisingly far in multiple directions. Tie off limbs to be cut and lower them to the ground with rope. Never turn your back to a falling tree, and always wear a hard hat when trimming and cutting.

• Overestimating. You can be seriously injured or killed if you overestimate your abilities.

Bill Denton has resigned from his position on the Kenergy board of directors effective immediately.  His term as the District 5 representative expires in June of this year and he had previously announced that he did not plan to seek re-election.  Mr. Denton has served on the Henderson Union/Kenergy board of directors since 1994.

Any member who resides in the district and has a Kenergy membership in their name is eligible to serve.  Nomination shall be by signed written petition and must be submitted to the Corporation by 4:30 p.m. on February 24, 2022.  For additional information about the election, contact Debbie Hayden at 270-689-6101 or email dhayden@kenergycorp.com.  

District 5 includes the area of Henderson County east of the Pennyrile Parkway and east of that portion of Highway 41 which runs to the north of the Pennyrile Parkway. 

Kenergy filed an application for a waiver with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (KPSC) in July 2020. This application was seeking a waiver to provide broadband services to Kenergy members. Kenergy received the KPSC findings on October 22, 2020. The order from KPSC approved a portion of the application, but denied other portions.

After taking time to process the information from the KPSC order and evaluate the next best steps for the cooperative, Kenergy board of directors and staff decided to file a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with KPSC on September 10, 2021. The CPCN seeks approval from KPSC to authorize  the construction of a high-speed fiber optic cable network in support of Kenergy’s current and future communication needs as a rural electric distribution cooperative and lease the excess capacity of the fiber network in support of extending and enhancing the availability of broadband to unserved and underserved households and businesses in Kenergy’s service territory.

“Our goal to bring high-speed internet to all Kenergy members has not changed,” Jeff Hohn, Kenergy President and CEO said. “As Kenergy stated from the beginning of this project exploration, there would be many hurdles to make this happen. After we received the last order from KPSC in 2020, we decided this would be our best option to pursue that same goal for our members.”

Since filing the CPCN, we wanted to take our members through a timeline of events to help you better follow the proceedings.

On September 13, 2021, the Office of the Attorney General intervened. This is normal in most applications through KPSC.

KPSC established a procedural schedule that laid out important dates and deadlines for information needed in the application process.

On September 30, 2021, the Kentucky Broadband and Cable Association (KBCA) requested permission to intervene. Members of KBCA include Access Cable, Armstrong, C&W Cable, Charter Communications, COMCAST, Inter Mountain Cable, LYCOM Communications, Mediacom, Suddenlink and TVS Cable.

Kenergy has received their first set of data requests and staff are working to answer those requests.

Under the current procedural schedule, Kenergy is not anticipating a decision from KPSC until summer of 2022.

You can follow the progress and view all information regarding this application under Case No. 2021-00365 on www.psc.ky.gov

We will continue to keep our members updated as more information becomes available in this application.

By: Abby Berry

Solar energy is booming, and the future is brighter than ever. Through the use of rooftop solar panels, many homeowners can now harness the sun’s natural rays to produce their own electricity that’s environmentally friendly and cost effective.

But with the increasing popularity of solar, unfortunately, some businesses are taking advantage of consumers who are interested in generating their own energy through rooftop panels.

While many solar companies are genuine and truly want to help consumers with a successful solar installation, there are the occasional bad apples.

You’ve likely heard a story or two about solar vendors that promised rooftop panels that would generate enough electricity to power the entire home. Then, after the homeowner has paid thousands of dollars for the installation, the solar panels aren’t working, and the vendor is nowhere to be found. Sadly, this story has been the reality for many consumers.  

If you’re interested in solar panels for your home, consider these tips before installation:

• Talk to an energy advisor at your local electric co-op first. We want you to feel confident about any decisions you make about your home energy use, especially decisions about generating energy at home.
• Collect at least three quotes from different solar companies to ensure you’re getting a competitive deal. As with any major purchase, research is key, so thoroughly read customer reviews for each of the three solar vendors.
• If you speak to a solar vendor and they use high-pressure tactics, like an offer that’s only good for 24 hours, run! Any reputable solar company will recognize that you need time to review a proposal and thoroughly weigh your decision.
• You know if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So, if a solar company is making promises that sound unachievable and outlandish, they probably are. Remember, if you have any questions, you can always count on your electric co-op for advice.
• Finally, when it’s time to review and sign a solar contract, make sure the language is clear and easy to understand. Ensure any prior verbal (or emailed)  promises are also included in the contract.

As an electric cooperative, we are member-owned. To say thank you to our members, we host an annual Member Appreciation Day. Kenergy is excited to welcome back Member Appreciation Day on Thursday, October 14^th from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Members can visit the location closest to them and receive a free lunch, including a sandwich, chips, cookie, water with free bucket and LED light bulbs while supplies last.

Our annual Member Appreciation Day is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the wonderful members we serve across western Kentucky. Visit one of our locations near you to celebrate with us!

Owensboro

5000 Frederica Street (inside the former Burke’s at Towne Square Mall)

Barbeque by Jerry Morris of Whitesville

Eat-in or carry-out

Hawesville

315 Hawes Blvd.

Barbeque by Jerry Morris of Whitesville

Carry-out

Henderson

6402 Old Corydon Road

Barbeque by Tom’s Smokin’ Bar-B-Q

Eat-in or carry-out

Hanson

2620 Brown Badgett Loop

Barbeque by Tom’s Smokin’ Bar-B-Q

Carry-out

Marion

3000 Mott City Road

Barbeque by CopperTop Bar-B-Q

Carry-out

A random computerized drawing of 324 applicants was held July 1st for three (3) $1,000 scholarships and twenty-four (24) $500 scholarships. Scholarships can be used for tuition, fees, campus housing, textbooks, computers, school supplies, and other costs directly related to the recipient’s education.

Congratulations to our winners!

$1,000 Winners

Landon Hamilton

Mikayla Medley

Lilly Quinn

$500 Winners

Parker Bates

Elecia Bowman

Sidney Cain

Kalen Carper

Emily Cooper

Dawn Critser

Cassandra Crowder

Sydney Curneal

Rachel Dame

Dylan Davis

Allea Flake

Collier Higgs

Danielle Howard

Julia Howerton

Nicholas Johnson

Maci Mize

Abbey Pike

Mason Potts

Rachel Reid

Sydney Simpson

Markkeyce Vanlue

Maggie Vincent

Haley Wigginton

Audrea Wilson