Saving Money, Testing Wind Power, Frankfort Youth Tour

Big energy savings
Lexington
Blue Grass Energy Co-op based in Nicholasville helped a 396-unit Lexington apartment complex save up to $300 a month in winter heating bills for a two-bedroom unit. The co-op’s assistance to the Stoney Falls complex included help installing heat pumps, load control devices, and low-flow shower heads. Those efforts will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million pounds a year. Roy Honican, Blue Grass residential services coordinator, worked with the apartment complex owner to offer more than $100,000 in energy-efficiency rebates.

Wind pioneer
Eddyville
In April, Pennyrile Electric based in Hopkinsville announced its first member to start generating electricity with a windmill. Achille Biagi of Eddyville completed the effort by working with the co-op and its power supplier, TVA. Through the Generation Partners Program, TVA buys power from renewable energy projects. Biagi, a retired mechanical engineer, says, “I realize this thing will probably never pay for itself; there isn’t much wind in this part of the country, but we are on a high point and I just wanted to try it.”

Capital studies
Frankfort
More than 125 high school juniors from around the state spent an April day in Frankfort learning about state government on the 2010 Kentucky Rural Electric Frankfort Youth Tour. Hosted by the 19 sponsoring electric co-ops and coordinated by the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, the event included a tour of the Capitol and the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Among those meeting with the group were State Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington from northern Kentucky; Kentucky Court of Appeals Chief Judge Sara Combs; Megan Cumins, Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship coordinator of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority; and Renee Shaw, KET producer and host. Many of those on the Tour were selected to attend the Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour, a weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. For info, contact your local electric co-op, call (502) 451-2430, or go to www.kaec.org.