Kenergy has hired Jacob Throgmorton to fill a line tech position in Henderson.
Throgmorton started his duties with Kenergy on Monday, March 7.
Before coming to Kenergy, he worked for Five Star Construction Group, a line contracting firm.
Throgmorton is married to Alison Throgmorton. They have a son and daughter — 9-year-old Corben and 8-year-old Laney.
Jacob Throgmorton grew up in the Clay area. He and his family now reside in Henderson.
By Justin LaBerge February 2016
America’s electric cooperatives have launched a non-partisan, nationwide effort to promote civic engagement and voter participation in the communities they serve.
Jeffrey Connor, interim CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, unveiled the Co-ops Vote program at the association’s 74th annual meeting in New Orleans.
“Through Co-ops Vote, we want to help our members know when elections are, what’s at stake and how to make their voices heard,” Connor said. “Who folks vote for isn’t really as important as the fact that they do vote.”
The Co-ops Vote initiative will focus on eight issues that are important to health and prosperity of communities served by electric cooperatives:
“Electric cooperatives are perfectly designed to help address these important issues,” Connor said. “We can make politics ‘local’ again because civic engagement is part of our DNA.”
A new website, vote.coop, offers co-op members information on the voter registration process in their state, dates of elections, information on the candidates running in those elections, and explanations of the eight key issues the campaign aims to address.
In keeping with its non-partisan goals, the initiative will not be endorsing specific candidates for office.
Mel Coleman, president of NRECA and CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative, said the program would help ensure the voices of rural Americans are heard.
“We want to make sure our government knows that rural America matters,” Coleman said. “This campaign isn’t about divisive, partisan issues. It’s about real people in real places facing real challenges. It’s about our co-ops living out the principles of our movement: concern for community and democratic control.”
Connor cited partisan gridlock in Washington, the explosive growth of money in politics and the effects of gerrymandering as important reasons for launching the program. In 2014, 318 of 435 House races had a margin of victory of 20 points or more[1], and 30 House candidates – 16 Democrats and 14 Republicans representing 11 states – didn’t even face an opponent in the general election[2].
[1] https://ballotpedia.org/Margin_of_victory_analysis_for_the_2014_congressional_elections
[2] http://atr.rollcall.com/elections-2014-running-unopposed-congress/
Prior to Kenergy’s Annual Membership meeting to be held on June 14, individuals will be elected to represent Districts 1, 3 and 5.
A ballot listing the qualified candidates in a contested district election will be mailed in May to each Kenergy member residing within the district. Members will also have the option to vote online.
Seats up for re-election are:
Any 15 or more members may make nominations of eligible persons for district director.
Such nominations shall be by signed written petition and shall be submitted to the corporation not less than 110 days prior to the Annual Meeting. Only members eligible to vote in a district are authorized to sign a petition nominating a member from that district. Directors shall be elected only from nominations by petition.
It is not a requirement to use a petition form prepared by Kenergy; however, anyone wishing to do so may request one by contacting Debbie Hayden at 270-689-6101 or email at dhayden@kenergycorp.com.
The petition must be submitted to the cooperative by 4 p.m. on Feb. 25. Thereafter, if the petition is valid, the name of the nominee will be posted.
A contractor named Alamon will start pole inspections the week of Feb. 15.
Inspectors will begin their work in Kenergy’s Owensboro District. Poles located near these substations will be inspected: Horse Fork, Masonville, South Dermont, Utica and Nuckols.
In Marion, the Crossroads poles will be inspected.
In Henderson, poles on the Little Dixie, Sebree and Weaverton substations will be inspected.
About four to six individuals will conduct inspections. They are expected to knock on doors before entering property. However, if no one is home or answers the door, they will continue with their work.
These crews will pair up to treat poles.
Alamon vehicles will have Kenergy magnetic stickers.
Crews will also use all-terrain vehicles to do pole inspections.
Big Rivers Electric Corporation, the generation & transmission cooperative owned by Kenergy and two other distribution cooperatives (Jackson Purchase Energy Corp. and Meade County RECC), is applauding a Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Power Plan. In a 5-4 vote announced earlier this month, the court agreed to temporarily halt the enforcement of federal climate change regulations until legal challenges are resolved.
The move is a major victory for Kentucky and 28 other states, plus a number of utilities and energy groups, who have filed appeals to stop the regulations. They believe the EPA’s Clean Power Plan oversteps the law and would be harmful to the affordability and reliability of electricity in the U.S.
The ruling is also welcome news to your power provider. Big Rivers is able to keep electricity rates low by using coal for nearly all of its power generation. Coal is a reliable fuel source readily available in our region, allowing us to significantly save on transportation costs.
The Clean Power Plan will have a substantial impact on coal generation due to its aggressive limits on carbon emissions. If the regulations were allowed to proceed, electric cooperatives, like Big Rivers, would be forced to make costly decisions on whether to retire power plants prematurely, undergo extensive renovations or switch to alternative fuel sources. Any of those changes would cause electricity rates to rise for Members and lead to a serious loss of good paying jobs in our community.
“The Supreme Court ruling to temporarily stop the regulations comes at a crucial moment,” said Big Rivers President and CEO, Bob Berry. “Without the stay, Big Rivers may have taken expensive and irreversible steps to meet the Clean Power Plan, only to have the rule overturned later in the legal process.”
Big Rivers will continue to work with lawmakers and our stakeholders to reduce or mitigate the negative impact this unnecessary regulation may have on your electricity cost.
For immediate release
February 10, 2016
Contact: Joe Arnold • (502) 815-6372 • jarnold@kaec.org
LOUISVILLE, Ky — Kentucky’s member-owned electric cooperatives commend the action taken Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend the implementation of new, harmful federal regulations of electric power plants. The EPA’s so-called Clean Power Plan (CPP) threatens the affordability and reliability of electricity for the 1.5 million Kentuckians served by cooperatives.
“The high court’s halt of the regulation comes at a critical time,” said Chris Perry, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives. “Without this stay, co-ops would have been forced to take expensive and irreversible actions to comply with the rule.”
The EPA plan targets coal, the main source of Kentucky’s electricity, in new and aggressive limits on carbon emissions. About 90 percent of electricity generated in Kentucky is by coal fired power plants. The CPP fundamentally changes how electricity is generated, distributed and consumed in the United States.
Because the time frame of the EPA’s rule is inconsistent with the time needed to build alternative energy sources, the rule’s implementation would increase the likelihood of increased costs and potential reliability problems in Kentucky. Co-op members would also be on the hook for the debt of prematurely retired coal-fired plants as non-producing stranded assets.
KAEC applauds the leadership of several Kentuckians who have played key roles in the issue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has steadfastly and effectively voiced his objections to the rule. Governor Matt Bevin is striking a responsible balance, challenging the EPA rule’s legality while seeking an extension until implementation is effective. And, both former Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and current Attorney General Andy Beshear have provided solid legal arguments against the heavy-handed regulations. Conway initially filed suit against the EPA, while Beshear has continued the challenge with 28 other states.
KAEC, its 26 member cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association are actively working to communicate the consequences as the courts continue to contemplate the regulations.
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ABOUT KAEC
Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives is the statewide association that provides services for the 24 local, consumer-owned electric distribution utilities in the state, as well as two generation and transmission cooperatives that produce power. Electric co-ops in Kentucky serve 843,000 member-owners, providing power to one-third of Kentucky’s population. KAEC services include representation before the Legislature, Congress, and regulatory bodies; safety training; coordination of management training; and public relations support including publication of Kentucky Living magazine, the largest circulation publication in the state with nearly 480,000 copies mailed monthly, with a readership of 1.2 million.
Kenergy recently announced its 2016 Washington Youth Tour delegates.
The cooperative chooses six students annually to attend the seven-day, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Nationwide, the Washington Youth Tour brings about 1,600 high school juniors to the nation’s capital in June every year.
Students must live in a home powered by Kenergy to be eligible. They are selected from 1,000-word essays they submit. Students are asked to feature any topic about which they are passionate.
In alphabetical order, this year’s delegates are:
Shelby Cecil of Owensboro, the daughter of Laura and Brian Cecil, was selected as the alternate. She will take the trip if one of the six delegates is unable to attend.
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The board room at Kenergy’s headquarters is now named the Randy Powell Board Room.
The co-op’s board did so in honor of Powell of Little Dixie, who died in September. He served as a director for Henderson Union RECC and Kenergy a total of 40 years.
Here is the resolution the Kenergy board earlier entered into co-op records:
A RESOLUTION IN MEMORIAM
WHEREAS, Randy Powell served with distinction on the Henderson Union/Kenergy Board of Directors for 40 years; and
WHEREAS, Randy Powell gave so unselfishly of his time, energy and talents to his church and family, and to the betterment of the rural electric cooperative program, agriculture, and his community;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Directors of Kenergy, that the passing of Randy Powell is a deep and personal loss to the Corporation and to its members. We express to the family of our deceased friend our true and sincere feeling of affection and remember him with respect as a man who gave much of himself to helping others;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution become a permanent part of the minutes of this meeting and a certified copy of same be presented to his family.
Photo caption: Board Chairman Bob White, right, presents a plaque inscribed with the above resolution to Powell’s daughters, Susie Givens, right, and Bonnie Baggerly, both of Henderson County.
On Monday, Jan. 18, Kenergy selected Logan Harpole to fill the position of substation/meter tech.
Logan joined the cooperative as an apprentice line tech in May 2012. His last job title was meter tech, which he has had since July 2015.
In part, a substation/meter tech is responsible for the construction and maintenance of Kenergy’s substations and line reclosures, along with assisting electronic techs in the operation and maintenance of SCADA and other electronic equipment.
Logan lives in Beaver Dam.
Effective Monday, Jan. 18, Bo Thomas will assume the duties of crew leader in the Henderson District.
Bo came to work at Kenergy in September 2013. He hired in as a line tech.
Among many duties, a crew leader oversees job orders for underground and overhead infrastructure. Also, crew leaders are responsible for crew safety, welfare and work performed.
Bo lives in Sebree with his wife, Kendall.