Last year, cooperative members across the nation helped the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association tell the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about our concerns concerning the EPA’s proposed “Clean Power Plan.”

In all, more than 1 million Americans sent messages through Action.coop and TellEPA.com because EPA’s actions jeopardize rural America’s supply of safe, affordable and reliable electricity.

The EPA addressed a few concerns in its final rule. But the rule still has serious flaws.

It is outside of the EPA’s authority. It will force electric co-ops to close power plants that consumers should be able to rely on for decades to come. Most importantly, without these plants, many co-op members will face higher energy bills.

Even though the rule is final, electric cooperatives aren’t giving up.

Instead, we are filing suit, asking a federal court to turn back this harmful rule.

For more information about our fight and how to stay involved visit www.action.coop.

About 130 members in the south Hancock County area will be affected by a brief outage on Thursday, Nov. 5, between 9 and 9:30 a.m.

This outage is needed to upgrade the area’s power system.

Affected areas will be Hwy 69, Lyonia-Easton Road, Fred Morris Road, Smith Bridge Road, Pellville Road, Water Tower Loop, Stinnett Lane, Luke Mercer Road and West Phillips Lane.

Kenergy apologizes for this inconvenience.

Prior to Kenergy’s Annual Membership meeting to be held on June 14, 2016, 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.

District 1, which currently is represented by Glenn Cox, includes all of Lyon and Caldwell counties and that portion of Hopkins County west of Highway 109 and the area south of Highway 70 in Crittenden County.

District 3, which currently is represented by Chris Mitchell, includes all of Webster County and that portion of Hopkins County east of Highway 109.

District 5, which currently is represented by Bill Denton, 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.

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 Kenergy 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., Feb. 25, 2016. Thereafter, if the petition is valid, the name of the nominee will be posted.

HENDERSON, Ky. — On Friday, Oct. 30, Kenergy plans to file a request with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) for a 2.46 percent rate increase.

This is the first rate increase the electric distribution cooperative has sought since 2011. At that time, the PSC approved a 2.87 percent increase.

If the PSC approves Kenergy’s proposal, the cooperative expects its new rate to take effect by May 1, 2016.

If approved, the proposed rate would increase the average residential bill by $3.90 a month. Kenergy’s average residential use is 1,352 kilowatt hours.

Did you know it is illegal to post garage-sale signs on utility poles?

Some linemen find signs, deer stands, basketball hoops and satellite dishes — to name a few items — attached to utility poles.  Attaching items to poles deteriorates them faster and creates a work hazard for linemen, who can be killed or injured if a staple or nail pokes a hole in their gloves.

Linemen must remove items attached to power poles before they can climb a pole, so it slows the restoration process during outages.

Also, the public should never climb a power pole to attach items or for any other reason.  Energized power lines can be deadly.

Learn about this and other electrical safety tips by watching this video.

The Kenergy family mourns the passing of Director Schuyler Randolph “Randy” Powell, 84, of Little Dixie.  He died Saturday, Sept. 12, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville surrounded by his loving family.

This year marked his 40th year on the co-op’s Board of Directors.  He was elected to the Henderson-Union RECC board on July 1, 1975.  After that electric cooperative merged to form Kenergy in 1999, he continued serving the membership in District 4.

He was a farmer and cattleman known for his excavating abilities. In 2011, he received the Henderson County Agricultural Lifetime Achievement Award.

He developed a trademark look by wearing Stetsons, bolo ties, collar tips and cowboy boots.  He was known for his ever-present smile and infectious laugh.

Learn more about reading your new meter.

To learn more about Kenergy’s new digital meter project, please read our frequently asked questions.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 21, 2015) – The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a settlement that permits Big Rivers Electric Corp. to sell wholesale power to several customers in Nebraska.

In an order issued today, the PSC said revenue from the contracts – although relatively modest – should help pay a portion of Big Rivers’ fixed operating costs that would otherwise be borne by its Kentucky customers.

A unanimous settlement agreement reached in the case also provides that, under certain conditions related to the financial health of Big Rivers, the profits from the sales would go into funds that are being used to cushion the impact of recent rate increases on Big Rivers customers in Kentucky.