Ky. Electric Cooperatives prepared to help restore power after Hurricane Ian

ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Powerful wind with Hurricane Ian will most likely knock out power for millions of Floridians, which is why Kentucky Electric Cooperatives are preparing to help restore power.

Blue Grass Energy in Lawrenceburg is one of 26 electric cooperatives across Kentucky. They are synergizing with cooperatives in the path of Ian. Once Ian strikes and the damage is done, those cooperatives will say, ‘We need help Kentucky,’ and that’s when Kentucky Electric Cooperatives will head south.

“Our mutual aid coordinator at our statewide office has been in touch all weekend long, last few days, with the co-ops in the southeastern US and they have already strategized as far as what’s the best and most efficient and safe way to deploy any co-op crews in Kentucky to go and help the co-ops that are affected by this hurricane,” said Joe Arnold, the vice president of strategic communications with KEC.

Once they arrive, they’ll do more than restore power.

“All the poles, the wires, all the hardware, and the equipment that goes onto the poles, sometimes will have to be replaced, so these crews are not just down there to restore power, sometimes they’re actually there to rebuild the system,” Arnold said.

But more importantly they are building a relationship, one that’s needed when mother nature turns ugly.

“I will tell you that many of the co-ops that we go to and assist during these hurricane situations have already been to Kentucky and helped us after ice storms and after tornadoes that have happened here. So we have a pretty good system down. We know each other, we have good relationships,” Arnold said.

There will very soon be a huge a need to help restore power in Florida and other states across the southeastern part of the country, and that’s when Kentucky cooperatives will head south.

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