PRINCETON ELECTRIC PLANT BOARD
ESTABLISHED: AUGUST 18, 1958
SERVICE SINCE JULY 15, 1961 

In 1961 the people of Princeton, after a community election, brought the Princeton Electric Plant Board (EPB) into being.  It was not that the people of Princeton could not get electricity in their community any other way.  They already had electric power from an investor owned utility.  Rather, they decided that electric power had become such an important commodity for the future of Princeton it should be come democratized, made cheap and available to all. 

That vision was obviously right on the mark for the people of Princeton.  Since the creation of the EPB, the availability of an ample supply of electric power has improved the lives of the people of Princeton in ways not even imagined by those early visionaries.  The early idea of establishing a municipally owned service to provide low cost lighting actually provided much more than that.  The philosophy of using local people to master the technology of electric power and sell it to local people at cost based rates kept millions of dollars in the local economy over the last forty years.  That money and local expertise combined with the robust flow of electricity and access to the West Kentucky Parkway to create a vibrant economy.  Industries and businesses were attracted to Princeton’s readily accessible and aggressively priced electric power network in the same fashion that industries sought out of Louisville and Nashville for their ready access to rivers in earlier times. 

Historical Timeline

August 18, 1958 - City of Princeton Ordinance declaring the desire and intention of the City to accept and operate under the provisions of KRS Section 96.550 et seq., and further authorized the Mayor of said City to appoint a Board, subject to the approval of appointments by City Council as the governing body of said City, and responsive thereto there has heretofore been duly and lawfully created an Electric Plant Board of said City which has been duly organized and pursuant to said Ordinance is now functioning on behalf of said City with respect to the acquisition of a municipal electric plan.

September 8, 1959 - City of Princeton adopted an Ordinance declaring it desirable that said City acquire by condemnation or eminent domain proceedings the municipal electric plant then serving the City and at an election duly called and held in and for said City on November 3, 1959, a majority of all the qualified voters of said City voting at said election on the question voted in favor of said City acquiring by eminent domain proceedings from Kentucky Utilities Company an electric plant and issue revenue bonds in a n amount sufficient to pay the entire damages and cost of such acquisition.

December 1, 1958 – City of Princeton passed an Ordinance to borrow the sum of Five Thousand ($5,000) dollars from the First Bank and Trust Company, Princeton, Kentucky for the purpose of lending said money to the Electric Plant Board of the City of Princeton, Kentucky. The purpose of said loan to the Electric Plant Board of the City of Princeton is to enable said Electric Plant Board to proceed under KRS 96.550.

1960 - McWhorter and Franklin Engineers of Nashville, Tennessee hired by Princeton Electric Plant Board to necessary to issue electric revenue bonds for the purpose of purchasing the electric plant for the City of Princeton, Kentucky.

July 15, 1961 – Princeton Electric Plant Board purchased electric plant from Kentucky Utilities.

October 9, 1961 – Princeton Electric Plant Board adopted resolution providing for issuance and sale of Electric Plant Board Revenue Bonds to the amount of $750,000 for the purpose of acquiring such municipal electric plant an d placing same in municipal operation, a certified copy of which Resolution has been submitted to this City Council and duly examined and considered.

October 9, 1961 – City Council passed Ordinance ratifying Princeton Electric Plant Board Resolution to issue $750,000 revenue bonds to purchase the electric plant for the City of Princeton.

November 25, 1961 – Princeton Electric Plant Board conducted Special Meeting . Princeton EPB voted unanimously to trade the 1957 Ford truck be traded in at Trice Hughes’ Chevrolet Company and adopted the Social Security Program for employees. Present were E. L. Williamson, Rumsey Taylor, Jr., Fredrick Olszeqski, Carl Cunningham, and Lacy Cunningham and Mr. Tilley.

FY2001 - Princeton EPB has grown with the community and distributes more than 100,000,000 kWh to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the community.  PEPB's system takes delivery from TVA at 161-kV and distributes power to more than 4,000 customers from two 30-MW Substations at a high level of reliability.  PEPB's system availability has be more than 99.999% in the year.