Historic Harlan County coal town has ambitious plan to make homes more energy efficient

The city power board in Benham is working with several non-profit organizations on a plan to improve the energy efficiency of scores of homes in the historic coal town in Harlan County, which International Harvester began building in 1909. Many of the homes were not well-insulated when they were built. The goal of the Benham$aves project is to improve the energy efficiency of as many houses as possible, said Carl Shoupe, a retired coal miner who is on the city’s electric utility, called the Benham Power Board.