According to the most recent information from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, for the month of September, 2018, Kentucky had the 7^th lowest average residential electric rate in the nation at 10.70 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). The overall average residential electric rate for all 52 states was 13.01 cents per kWh. For this same month, the HES residential electric rate was 8.801 cents per kWh, which was 18% lower than the average residential electric rate in Kentucky and a whopping 32% lower than the average U.S. residential electric rate.

Hopkinsville Electric System (HES) is a municipal public power system. That means HES is a not-for-profit corporation whose primary purpose is to provide electricity to the residents and businesses of Hopkinsville. Because HES is not a publicly owned company, we are not beholden to shareholders, nor required to pay dividends. Our rates are set only high enough to maintain the fiscal health and operational stability of the utility for the residents of Hopkinsville.

HES is fortunate to purchase low-cost power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). TVA is a federally-owned corporation which generates electricity using hydro-electric dams, coal, natural gas and nuclear plants, as well as from green energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. TVA also serves as the regulator for HES, approving all policies and rates.

All in all, the residents of Hopkinsville enjoy some of the lowest electric rates in the nation. HES is proud of its legacy of keeping rates low for the benefit of our customers and works hard daily to continue this tradition.

For more detailed information about HES residential electric rates, and a comparison to the residential electric rates throughout the U.S., click here. For information on ways to reduce your electric usage and lower your bill, hover over the “Energy Efficiency” tab at the upper right portion of this website.

TVA’s EnergyRight Solutions for Business and Industry (ERSB+I) helps industrial customers find ways to reduce energy waste and operational costs, and boost their bottom line. Consider the case of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC) in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Industrial operations like USSTC, a leading producer and marketer of moist smokeless tobacco and a tremendous agriculture partner for more than 37 years in southwestern Kentucky, rely heavily on lift trucks for material handling. Internal combustion forklifts can be noisy and require significant maintenance, which is why Hopkinsville Electric System (HES) partnered with TVA on a $2,000 incentive grant to help USSTC replace four internal combustion forklifts with electric-powered units.

“We are proud to work with our commercial customers to find ways to reduce their energy usage and offer incentives that help them operate more efficiently,” said HES General Manager Jeff Hurd. “Lift trucks are one of the most widely used material handling vehicles, so we were glad to offer U.S. Smokeless the TVA EnergyRight Solutions Electric Forklift Program.”

While the initial cost of an electric forklift can be greater than a diesel- or propane-powered forklift, the savings in fuel and maintenance can provide a quick return on the investment, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The cost to purchase, maintain and charge an electric forklift over five years is about $58,000, versus about $80,000 for a propane-powered combustion engine lift truck during that same time, yielding a savings of about $22,000.

“We are thankful for TVA’s efforts to incentivize ways that can help us reduce our operational costs and provide a cleaner environment for our employees to serve our customers,” said USSTC Hopkinsville Plant Director Greg Baker.

​U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Manufacturing Company and its predecessors have had a presence in Kentucky for more than 70 years. The 41-acre Hopkinsville tobacco receiving and processing complex employs approximately 90 full-time and 250 seasonal employees, and has another Hopkinsville facility used to process aged tobacco, including shredding, drying and flavoring.