This GIS data pertains to the electric, natural gas, telecommunications, and water and sewer utilities in Kentucky. This is raw data intended for users to download and use with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Automated Mapping/Facilities Mapping (AM/FM), or Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) software. This data has been used to produce maps that are available on the PSC web page.
The following information applies to all of the data files available to download from the Public Service Commission:
This data was created using software produced by the Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI).
Data is available as ArcView (ESRI) shapefiles. A shapefile is actually composed of a minimum of three files: *.shp for the feature geometry;*.shx for the index of the feature geometry; and *.dbf, a dBASE file that stores the attribute information. These files can be used in any ESRI software and in many CADD packages.
All geographic features are in decimal degrees NAD83 and the Kentucky Single Zone State Plane Coordinate System.
Each data set has metadata which includes information about the spatial coordinates and their accuracy, the source of the data, and definitions for the accompanying attributes. The metadata is included as an *.xml file with the shapefiles for ESRI users and as an *.htm file for other users.
All data is provided in ZIP file format which will require unpacking for use.
In order to view the data use the free ESRI software, ArcExplorer.
Data which has relatively precise locations of utility structures is available to government agencies by written request. See PSC Procedure for Distributing Maps and GIS Data that are Security Sensitive
Power Plants: Point locations for electric power plants in Kentucky have attributes for the plant's operational status (existing or proposed), the Kentucky Public Service Commission's regulatory status, generating capacity, and fuel.
This data is only available to public agencies when the data will be used to serve a legitimate governmental need or is necessary in the performance of a legitimate government function. The request must be in writing and must also include a signature, printed name, name of the public agency, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address. The letter must contain a signed or authenticated Use Constraint Agreement, reading: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this data or maps made using this data on the Wide Web. I will not redistribute this data to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Electric Service Areas: The PSC has digitized the certified service territories of all retail electric suppliers in Kentucky at a scale of 1:24,000. The establishment of geographical service areas for retail electric suppliers, the rights of utilities operating within their own territories, and the requirement of map submission to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) are provided for in Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) sections 278.016 to 278.020. This data is available as a geodatabase for ESRI users, since there are both polygon and arc attributes linked by topology rules. This data is also provided as a set of two shapefiles, one of lines and one for polygons. The polygon attribute table identifies the utility operating in a service territory and the arc attribute table details the source and regulatory classification of the boundary segments.
Electric Transmission Map: In 2004 the PSC produced a reference map titled "Electric Generation and Transmission in Kentucky", which is updated as needed. The map is available at 34" x 22" or 17" x 11". This map shows electric transmission lines, their operators and kilovolts, as well as electric generating power plants with their fuel type and name. The smaller map does not have the kilovolts labeled on the transmission lines. The electric data is superimposed on Kentucky counties. The large map is $6 plus postage. Adobe PDF map files can be mailed electronically at no cost. Maps or pdf files are available only by written request.
The written request must include a signature, printed name, company/firm name if applicable, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. A signed Use Constraint Agreement must be included that reads: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this map or any part of it on the World Wide Web. I will not redistribute this map to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) and I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request for maps or pdf files to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Electric Transmission Lines: This is a statewide layer of the electric transmission system at a scale of 1:24,000. Data was collected from electric transmission companies beginning in late 2001, except for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The data for TVA was compiled from publicly available sources and must be regarded as preliminary data.
This data is only available to public agencies when the data will be used to serve a legitimate governmental need or is necessary in the performance of a legitimate government function. The request must be in writing and must also include a signature, printed name, name of the public agency, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address. The letter must contain a signed or authenticated Use Constraint Agreement, reading: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this data or maps made using this data on the World Wide Web. I will not redistribute this data to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
1984 Pipelines: The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) scanned the paper map published by the Kentucky Department of Economic Development in 1984 into a 1.1 megabyte *.gif file. Given the scale of the original map and the way that adjacent pipelines are symbolized, it is estimated that the pipelines are depicted within 2 miles of their ground location. The map, gif file, or pdf file is available by written request.
The written request must include a signature, printed name, company/firm name if applicable, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address. A signed Use Constraint Agreement must be included that reads: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this map or any part of it on the World Wide Web. I will not redistribute this map to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) and I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request for maps or pdf files to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Natural Gas Storage Fields: These are depleted natural gas fields used by utilities to store natural gas during off season when gas prices are low, and to draw from during periods of peak consumption. Three state agencies, the Division of Oil and Gas Conservation, the Public Service Commission, and the Kentucky Geological Survey, by state statute, have a regulatory or programmatic interest in natural gas storage fields. Data has been compiled from all three agencies. For further instructions on acquiring maps or data files, please contact James Gallagher, at the Division of Oil and Gas Conservation, by e-mail at james.gallagher@ky.gov or by telephone at (502) 573-0147.
National Pipeline Mapping System(NPMS): The NPMS is a GIS database that contains the locations and selected attributes of natural gas transmission lines and hazardous liquid trunk lines in the United States. It does not contain gathering or distribution pipelines, such as lines which deliver gas to a customer's home. All pipeline operators are required to review and update their information in NPMS once a year. There are several components to this web site.
Click on "Find Who's Operating Pipelines in Your Area" to find the names and contact information for pipeline operators in a search by state, county, or ZIP code.
Click on "NPMS Public Map Viewer" to view and print a county map.
Choose KY, and then choose a county with Gas Transmission Pipelines
On the legend, click on the circle next to Gas Transmission Pipelines so that it has a green dot in it
Click on the tool on the left hand side of the map that appears as a circle with an i in it (the identify tool)
Then click on one of the green transmission lines on the map. Information should appear in a new window with more information on the pipeline, including contact information.
Download or print the help document to get full use of the information available through the map. It has instructions on how to print a large format county map.
The Pipeline Integrity Management Mapping Application (PIMMA) is a password protected internet mapping application, which state and local government officials may use once they acquire permission. PIMMA restricts the geographic area of view to the user's area of jurisdiction, and contains data attributes and background layers that are not available on the Public Viewer. Additional information includes Breakout Tanks and Liquefied Natural Gas Plants.
NPMS geospatial data is available upon request by federal, state, and local government officials and pipeline operators. The data available is restricted by the applicant's jurisdiction. Data sharing restrictions apply to Federal and state officials. Local officials can request county level data that does not include data sharing restrictions. Data requests for updated NPMS data must follow the same procedures as first-time data requests. From the NPMS homepage click on the tab "Data Requests & Downloads", then click on "Pipeline Data" for further instructions.
Gas Distribution Utilities by County (Excluding Municipal Utilities): Each county has the names of the natural gas (or propane) distribution systems operating within that county. This serves as general reference information for the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which regulates these utilities.
Municipally Owned Gas Distribution Systems: Gas distribution companies in Kentucky that are municipally owned are symbolized with a circle extending to the municipal boundaries of the government entity that owns the utility. This shows the approximate area of service, since the gas service may cover only a small area within the municipality or extend beyond the municipality. Gas distribution companies that are not municipally owned may also operate within the municipality boundaries. Circles are drawn on Kentucky Single Zone state plane coordinate system. (Areas may not appear circular in another projection.)
Geography of Local Exchange Carriers: This is a document describing the industry terminology for the geographic features associated with local exchange carriers, or local telephone companies that provide local telephone service over land lines.
Exchange Areas: An exchange area contains at least one switching center and is associated with an incumbent local exchange carrier (a local telephone company that provides local telephone service over land lines). Area codes, LATAs (Local Access Transportation Areas), and service areas for local telephone companies follow exchange area boundaries.
LATAs: LATAs are Local Access Transport Areas, which are defined by grouping exchange areas. Local telephone companies are permitted to offer local or long distance telecommunications services within these regions. It initially provided a basis for determining how the assets of the former Bell System were to be divided at divestiture. A LATA may cross state boundaries.
Local Exchange Carriers(LECs): Local Exchange Carriers are local telephone companies that operate land lines. Their service area was determined by grouping exchange areas.
Area Codes: Area Codes were defined by grouping exchange areas. Area codes are part of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Public Switched Telephone Network in the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and many Caribbean nations. NANP numbers are ten digits in length, and they are in the format: NXX-NXX-XXXX, where N is any digit 2-9 and X is any digit 0-9. The first three digits are called the numbering plan area (NPA) code, often called simply the area code. The area codes are usually assigned to a discrete geographic area, except for some numbers such as 800 that transcend specific geographic boundaries.
FCC Market Areas for Wireless Communications: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been assigning area based radio licenses since the inception of Cellular Market Areas in 1982. Every area is an aggregation of counties. The Kentucky Public Service Commission took ten definitions of market boundaries and assigned each county in Kentucky to its appropriate area, using the Kentucky county coverage maintained by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. The following market areas are included: Cellular Market Areas, Basic Trading Areas, Major Trading Areas, Regional PCS Areas, Basic Economic Areas, Major Economic Areas, Regional Economic Areas, economic Area Groupings, VHF Public Coast Station Areas, and Public Safety Planning Regions.
Antenna Structures: The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has downloaded and extracted the Kentucky data on Antenna Structure Registration from the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) web site. The PSC takes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the data. To promote air safety, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires owners to register antenna structures more than 200 feet in height or located near an airport with the FCC. An antenna structure can be free-standing, built specifically to support or act as an antenna, or it can be mounted on another object such as a building, bridge, smoke stack, or tree. Because the Antenna Structure Registration requirements only apply to those antenna structures that may create a hazard to air navigation (either by their height or proximity to an airport), the registration files do not contain a comprehensive record of all antenna structures. Contacts for the structures are contained in a separate table that can be linked to the GIS data.
This data is only available to public agencies when the data will be used to serve a legitimate governmental need or is necessary in the performance of a legitimate government function. The request must be in writing and must also include a signature, printed name, name of the public agency, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. The letter must contain a signed or authenticated Use Constraint Agreement, reading: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this data or maps made using this data on the World Wide Web. I will not redistribute this data to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Cellular Licenses: The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has downloaded and extracted the Kentucky data on Cellular (47 CFR Part 22) Licenses from the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) web site. This also includes all licenses within 50 miles of Kentucky. The PSC takes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the data. Separate tables from the FCC with contact information, radial data, and licensing history can be linked to the GIS data. The Public Service Commission has added a service provider name. This license database does not include broadband PCS and some other technologies also associated with mobile telephone services.
This data is only available to public agencies when the data will be used to serve a legitimate governmental need or is necessary in the performance of a legitimate government function. The request must be in writing and must also include a signature, printed name, name of the public agency, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. The letter must contain a signed or authenticated Use Constraint Agreement, reading: "I understand that since September 11, 2001, location data of critical utility structures is considered sensitive information for security reasons. I will not publish this data or maps made using this data on the World Wide Web. I will not redistribute this data to others, but shall refer requests by others for such information to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. I will give credit to the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). I will abide by the following data disclaimer: All information within the product is believed accurate but is not guaranteed without error. While attempts have been made to ensure the correctness of the information presented, neither the Kentucky Public Service Commission nor any party involved in the creation and compilation of the data guarantees their accuracy, completeness, or suitability for a particular use. All critical information should be independently verified." Please address the request to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, Kentucky Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 615, Frankfort, KY 40601.
Water Resource Information System (WRIS) is a GIS developed to support the goal of Governor Patton's planning initiative to provide drinking water to all Kentuckians by the year 2020. Water and wastewater data has been collected since 1998, first under the Water Resource Development Commission, and then under the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. GIS data for water and wastewater data are available for download over the internet. For water this includes water lines, tanks, treatment plants, surface sources, well sources, purchase sources, pump stations, and pumps. For wastewater this includes sewer lines, lift stations, outfalls, and treatment plants. In addition there is base map data at this site including counties, city boundaries, road centerlines, topographic maps (DRGs or digital raster graphics), digital elevation models, ortho quarter quadrangle images (georectified aerial imagery), and geologic quadrangles.
Kentucky Water and Sewer GIS Feature Attribute Standard is a document with recommendations for the utilities to use in developing their own GIS database. The intent is to encourage utilities to use GIS and to develop data that can be shared with other utilities and state agencies. This standard is not intended to be software specific.
Contact: Please direct any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding GIS data or maps to Ruth Rowles, GIS Manager, at rarowles@ky.gov. Feedback is encouraged regarding corrections that need to be made to the data so that we have the most accurate information possible.
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Revised August 27, 2008