Princeton Electric Plant Board General Manager Chris Burton says they are celebrating Public Power Week with a Customer Appreciation Day on Wednesday, while coordinating relief efforts for hurricane-affected areas in the South.
Burton explained that Public Power Week provides an opportunity for utilities to express gratitude to their customers and give back to the community. He also mentioned that Customer Appreciation Day will take place from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Princeton Electric Plant Board.
click to download audioBurton serves as the state coordinator for Kentucky’s electric municipalities, engaging at both national and local levels. He noted that the South has faced some hard weeks due to Hurricane Helene.
click to download audioSix utility crews from Kentucky were deployed to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and had just returned home when they received a call about another storm expected to hit Florida mid-week.
click to download audioHe mentioned that locating areas for the utility crews to stay can be somewhat challenging.
click to download audioBurton also noted that if roads are damaged, utility crews sometimes have to walk into the affected areas.
click to download audioHe estimated that approximately 30 to 36 linemen from Kentucky responded to the hurricane-ravaged areas.
click to download audioBurton added that sometimes crews are positioned in the area even before the storm hits.
click to download audioBurton mentioned that during these storms, they hold conference calls and Zoom meetings every morning to coordinate with working and responding cities, as well as the requests for utility municipalities. He emphasized that this is a valuable opportunity to assist other communities while continuing rebuilding projects within our community from the December 2021 tornado, including those at the University of Kentucky Education and Research Center.
