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Scott Corwin Named President and CEO of the American Public Power Association

June 29, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 29, 2023

The American Public Power Association’s Board of Directors has named Scott Corwin as the association’s next president and CEO, APPA said on June 29.

Corwin currently serves as executive director of the Northwest Public Power Association in Vancouver, Washington, where he serves more than 500 utility and associate members in ten western states and British Columbia.

corwin
Scott Corwin

He previously served as the executive director of the Public Power Council, advocating for public power’s access to federal power from the Bonneville Power Administration. Corwin has extensive experience developing and advocating for federal policy positions before Congress, executive branch agencies, industry partners, and the media.

“Scott is a proven leader with a track record of member service, building consensus, and effectively driving advocacy priorities on behalf of the electric utility and public power communities,” said APPA Board of Directors Chair and General Manager of Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority David Osburn. “The APPA Board has full confidence in his ability to hit the ground running with the association’s stellar staff in service of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities.”

Corwin has long been active with APPA, with stints chairing its Power Marketing Administration Task Force and serving on the board for PowerPAC — the association’s political action committee. He also served on APPA’s Advisory and Nominating committees.

 “I’m honored to join the APPA team,” said Corwin. “Public power — and the entire electric utility industry — is facing challenges on a variety of fronts, but I firmly believe that we are not only up to the task of facing them, but we are poised to thrive. It has been very rewarding to work with NWPPA, and I am excited to continue my work for public power with APPA.”

 Corwin will start at APPA on August 16 at which time more information will be available.

Report Outlines Potential, Challenges of Clean Energy Microgrids

June 28, 2023

by Peter Maloney
APPA News
June 28, 2023

Clean energy microgrids can provide an opportunity to both enhance resiliency and decrease greenhouse emissions, according to a report by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Association of State Energy Officials.

The report, Clean Energy Microgrids: Considerations for State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions to Increase Resilience, Reduce Emissions, and Improve Affordability, outlines the benefits and challenges of clean energy microgrids and offers economic and cost considerations for clean energy microgrid development.

The report examines the necessary technological components of a clean energy microgrid and highlights current and future clean technologies that are becoming more cost effective and competitive.

“The NASEO-NARUC Clean Energy Microgrids guide offers states actionable policy and regulatory considerations to facilitate construction of clean energy microgrids by local governments, state institutions, mission-critical facilities and businesses,” David Terry, president of NASEO, said in a statement.

The report also includes policy and regulatory considerations for state energy offices and public utility commissions to assist in the deployment of clean energy microgrids.

As of year-end 2022, 687 microgrid sites with a capacity of 4,357 megawatts were installed across the United States. Most of the installations, 257, are in Texas followed by California, with 91, and New York with 68, according to a Department of Energy database cited in the report. New York leads in installed microgrid capacity with 662.5 MW installed. Texas is second with 645.6 MW installed, and California is third with 442.5 MW, according to the database.

The most prevalent technology for powering a microgrid is a combined heat and power plant, which accounts for more than 50 percent of all microgrids. Non-CHP combustion plants represent about 30 percent of total microgrid installations. Solar, wind, and hydro generation comprise less than 10 percent of installed microgrids.

In 2020, diesel and natural gas each accounted for 40 percent of the primary fuel of microgrids, which is higher than the 60 percent of fossil fuels powering the electricity sector.

However, the report noted that analysts predict that by 2025 wind, solar, hydropower, and energy storage will represent 35 percent of annual installed microgrid capacity, an increase the authors attribute to an increase in federal and state policies encouraging clean energy development, private sector investment in projects that provide a resilience value, lower costs, and increased funding streams.

“Over the past decade, State Energy Offices have partnered with energy providers, local governments, and utilities to develop microgrid roadmaps and facilitate microgrid installations that enhance resilience and reduce emissions,” Terry said.

Although challenges such as costs and technological limitations remain, State Energy Offices and public utility commissions have several pathways to support the deployment of clean energy microgrids, such as tariffs, incentives, grants, and the expansion of renewable portfolio standards and clean energy standards, the report said.

Department of Commerce Unveils State Allocations for $42.45 Billion High-Speed Internet Grant Program

June 27, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 27, 2023

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration on June 26 announced how it has allocated $42.45 billion of funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to deploy high-speed Internet service to everyone in America.

States, D.C., and territories will use the funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to administer grant programs within their borders.

Awards range from $27 million to over $3.3 billion, with every state receiving a minimum of $107 million. A total of 19 states received allocations over $1 billion with the top 10 allocations in Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

The funding will be used to deploy or upgrade broadband networks. Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used to pursue eligible access-, adoption-, and equity-related uses.

States, D.C., and territories will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023.

Under the infrastructure law, eligible entities have 180 days from the date of that formal notice to submit their Initial proposals describing how they propose to run their grant programs.

Eligible entities can begin submitting their initial proposals starting July 1, 2023.

Once NTIA approves an initial proposal, which will occur on a rolling basis, eligible entities will be permitted to request access to at least 20 percent of their allocated funds.

Details related to the BEAD allocation for the states, D.C., and territories, as well as the total Federal investment in high-speed internet in each State and Territory are available here.

APPA Offers New Resources Related to Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Law

June 27, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 27, 2023

The American Public Power Association is offering new resources to its member utilities related to implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other federal funding programs.

APPA members can now search for vendors that provide grant services in its Suppliers Guide. Checking the “grant services” filter along with any other criteria will return the suppliers that have identified themselves as providing services related to grant research, writing, advising, and consulting or grant management, accounting, and compliance services.

Corporate associate members who provide grant support to public power utilities can contact jmiller@publicpower.org to have the filter applied to their listing.

APPA members can also fill out the Federal Funding Assistance Request Form to directly request assistance from APPA corporate members for a specific project or program.

APPA has also refreshed the layout of its federal funding opportunities webpage to better highlight details on the latest funding announcements, key federal resources, and information on past and future federal funding opportunities.

SRP Program Uses AI-Trained Cameras to Detect Wildfires

June 26, 2023

by Jackson Bedbury
APPA News
June 26, 2023

Arizona public power utility Salt River Project in May completed the final installations for its smoke detection system pilot program. In collaboration with Poland-based SmokeD, SRP has set up twelve cameras across two testing sites in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest to alert the utility to potential wildfires in its transmission territory.

The pilot program involves two transmission corridor sites. On the center tower of each corridor, SRP installed four SmokeD cameras and one pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, all of which are powered by mounted solar panels. The SmokeD cameras provide a fixed 100-degree field of view and a ten-mile range, so the four cameras provide 360-degree visibility. The utility elected to install the fully moveable PTZ camera to provide backup 360-degree visibility and vertical tilting as an extra security measure.

In addition to the multi-camera central towers, each site features a singular camera on either end of the transmission corridor, also mounted on a tower, pointed toward the center. These cameras will monitor the towers for equipment issues. Because the cameras are trained over time by viewing their surroundings, SRP believes the cameras may be able to detect changes or failures in equipment in the same way they can learn to identify wildfire smoke.

The cameras’ AI training involves photo alerts sent via public cellular network to a cloud-based portal, viewable by both SRP and SmokeD. The alert can then be classified as either accurately capturing wildfire smoke or mistakenly flagging things such as campfire smoke. The alerts also include the incident’s azimuth, estimated latitude and longitude, and a map of the projected location.

During a prescribed fire earlier year, the cameras alerted SRP to smoke approximately four miles from the camera’s position less than 90 minutes after the start of the fire.

Like much of the western United States, Arizona has suffered from the increased rate of wildfires in recent years. While SRP has not been impacted by these fires as directly or widely as some other utilities, SRP Fire Mitigation Officer Floyd Hardin said, “We’ve had some big ones” Some fires in recent years have burned as many as half a million acres. Those fires pose a danger to electric transmission equipment, as well as the forested watershed from which SRP draws the water it supplies to its service territory.

The threat of damage to equipment or territory led SRP to explore SmokeD’s offerings following a cold call from the company. The cameras have been previously installed in Europe and California on media towers and buildings, but they had not been used on transmission towers before this project. SRP opted to pursue a pilot program that would allow the utility and SmokeD to understand how easily and effectively the detection system could be mounted to utility infrastructure. The equipment package cost $150,000, with SRP spending roughly an additional $100,000-$150,000 on in-house engineering, design, and labor to create the mounting system, according to Hardin.

In these early stages of the program, SRP hopes to determine what sort of router and antenna provides the best cellular connection for the cameras to contact the cloud-based network. In the long term, the goal is to share the resource and results with entities like the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Hardin said, “We’re just trying to marry the technologies with the fire agencies.” He also believes that the project’s continued success will allow those entities to invest in similar infrastructure more directly, saying, “We’ve spent a bit of money on R&D where the feds can’t, and now that they’re seeing it implemented effectively, they can step in and get involved.”

In addition to the cameras, SRP has invested in fire-resistant mesh, which it now installs on all new poles in pre-determined danger zones. Moreover, the utility recently concluded its “Forest 500” effort, which cleared more than 250 miles of brush growing near transmission lines. This process, undertaken every five years, helps proactively prevent damaging fires under SRP’s critical 500kV transmission lines running from northeastern Arizona to the valley.

SRP has also applied for a Department of Energy Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program grant, which it hopes will fund the installation of SmokeD cameras across seven more sites – totaling between an additional 28 and 35 cameras – throughout the utility’s water and electric footprint. SRP expects to have a response to the second phase of its application in the fall or winter of this year.

Department of Energy Extends Transmission Corridor Request for Information Deadline

June 23, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 23, 2023

The Department of Energy has extended the deadline for a request for information related to the designation of national electric transmission corridors.

On May 9, the Grid Deployment Office (GDO) issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Request for Information (RFI) to inform the designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs).

The response deadline for the request for information has been extended to July 31, 2023.

NIETCs are geographic areas where electricity limitations, congestion, or capacity constraints are adversely affecting electricity consumers and communities.

In the NOI, DOE provides further information on its anticipated approach to designating NIETCs. The RFI seeks stakeholder feedback to improve the NIETC designation process to more accurately pinpoint areas experiencing the greatest transmission need and with the greatest potential for immediate transmission deployment.

The RFI seeks feedback on final guidelines, procedures, and evaluation criteria for the designation process. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov.

All comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on July 31, 2023. Questions about the Notice of Intent and Request for Information can be sent to NIETC@hq.doe.gov.

Slides and the recording of a public webinar held on May 17, 2023, are available.

Installation Of EV Chargers Growing, But Not at Pace to Meet Policy Goals: Report

June 22, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 22, 2023

Electric vehicle charging stations are being installed at a quickening pace, but not rapidly enough to meet federal policy goals, according to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Using data from the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fueling Station Locator, the report, Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Trends from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator: Fourth Quarter 2022, provides a snapshot of the state of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In the fourth quarter, the number of electric vehicle supply equipment ports in the DOE’s Station Locator grew by 5 percent or 7,034 EVSE ports. Public EVSE ports grew by 6.3 percent, or 8,082 EVSE ports, bringing the total number of public ports in the Station Locator to 136,513, the report found.

“When comparing the current rate of deployment of public charging infrastructure with the Biden administration’s goal of reaching 500,000 EVSE ports in the United States by 2030, it is clear that the pace of installations will need to significantly increase in order to meet the administration’s goal,” the report’s authors wrote.

Since the start of 2020, an average of 5,223 public EVSE ports have been installed each quarter, but to meet the Biden administration’s goal, an average of 12,982 public EVSE ports will need to be installed each quarter for the next eight years, equating to an average quarterly growth rate of 4.6 percent, the report said.

NREL’s National Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Analysis estimated the United States would require 27,500 direct current fast chargers and 601,000 Level 2 public and workplace chargers to support a scenario of 15 million EVs on the road by 2030.

Based on that analysis, 103.3 percent and 19.5 percent of the required DC fast and Level 2 EVSE ports, respectively, have been installed as of the fourth-quarter 2022, the report found. However, the majority, 60.3 percent, of public DC fast EVSE ports in the Station Locator are on the Tesla network and are only readily accessible to Tesla drivers. When Tesla EVSE ports are removed, the level of ESVE ports required to meet the 2030 goal decreases to 41.1 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively.

David Osburn Installed as Chair of APPA’s Board of Directors

June 21, 2023

by Jackson Bedbury
APPA News
June 21, 2023

David Osburn, general manager of the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority in Edmond, Oklahoma, on June 21 was installed as the new chair of the American Public Power Association’s Board of Directors at APPA’s National Conference in Seattle, Washington.

Osburn was introduced at the conference’s closing general session by the Board’s outgoing chair, Tony Cannon, general manager and CEO of Greenville Utilities Commission in Greenville, North Carolina.

In his speech, Osburn spoke of his relationship with public power, referencing his first position in Crawfordsville, Indiana, as the place where he fell in love with public power. Speaking about his time there, Osburn said, “I learned what it’s like to be part of a community.”

Describing his vision for the coming year as chair, Osburn emphasized the need for public power to “celebrate the past but focus on the future.” He cited examples of service through innovation at the City of Comanche (900 meters), which installed a DC fast EV charger to demonstrate its commitment to innovation, and Ponca City (16,000 meters), which introduced free citywide WiFi, as well as the Northern California Power Agency, a joint action agency with 14 members, which leveraged an APPA Demonstration of Energy Efficiency and Developments program grant to research green hydrogen production, generation, and storage.

In reference to their respective initiatives and projects, Osburn said, “These are…public power systems, big and small, being progressive.”

Osburn also urged members to make use of their APPA memberships. He noted the value of DEED program grants in facilitating innovation among DEED members, which then benefits all of public power.

Osburn has been with OMPA since 2007, and he has served on APPA’s Board of Directors for eight years, from 2004 through 2007 and continuously since 2018. He was appointed Vice Chair of the Board of Directors in 2021. Osburn has also served on APPA’s Executive Committee, Awards Committee, Business Planning Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, CEO Climate Change and Generation Policy Committee.

APPA Names 2023-2024 Officers

Nicholas Lawler, general manager of Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments in Littleton, Massachusetts, is chair-elect for 2023-2024.

John Haarlow, CEO and general manager of Snohomish County PUD in Everett, Washington, is vice chair. Tony Cannon, general manager and CEO of Greenville Utilities Commission in Greenville, North Carolina, is immediate past chair. Layne Burningham, president and CEO of Utah Municipal Power Agency in Spanish Fork, Utah, is treasurer.   

Osburn chose five members of the board to serve with the officers on the APPA Executive Committee. They are: Daniel Beans, electric utility director of Roseville Electric Utility in Roseville, California; Chuck Bryant, general manager of Carthage Water and Electric Plant in Carthage, Missouri; Jonathan Hand, executive director of Electric Cities of Alabama in Montgomery, Alabama; Thomas Kent, president and CEO of Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus, Nebraska; and Michael Peters, president and CEO of WPPI Energy in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.  

Newly elected to the APPA board this year are: Rosemary Henry, executive director of the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency in Lusk, Wyoming; Stephen Morrison, director of utilities for the Borough of Ephrata, Pennsylvania; and Amy Zubaly, executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association in Tallahassee, Florida.

Seven board members were re-elected to new three-year terms: Chuck Bryant, electric superintendent of Carthage Water and Electric Plant in Carthage, Missouri; Bret Carroll, chief executive officer of Conway Corporation in Conway, Arkansas; Edward Gerak, executive director of the Irrigation and Electrical Districts Association in Phoenix, Arizona; David Leathers, general manager of the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities in Jamestown, New York; Gary Miller, general manager of Bryan Texas Utilities in Bryan, Texas; Debra Smith, CEO and general manager of Seattle City Light in Washington; and Lynne Tejeda, general manager and CEO of Keys Energy in Key West, Florida.

APPA board members are chosen to represent 10 regions across the country.

Twenty Individuals, Eight Utilities Win National Public Power Awards

June 20, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 20, 2023

Twenty individuals and eight utilities were recognized for service to the American Public Power Association and the public power industry during APPA’s National Conference in Seattle, Wash., on June 20.

The individuals and utilities recognized at the ceremony were: 

Alex Radin Distinguished Service Award
This award is the highest award granted by the American Public Power Association. The award recognizes exceptional leadership and dedication to public power.

James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award
This award recognizes people who have made substantial contributions to the electric utility industry, with a special commitment to public power. 

Alan H. Richardson Statesmanship Award
This award recognizes public power leaders who work to achieve consensus on national issues important to public power utilities.

Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award
This award recognizes managers of small utilities serving fewer than 2,500 meters. These managers have a very small staff and must assume multiple roles.

Harold Kramer-John Preston Personal Service Award 
This award recognizes individuals for their service to the American Public Power Association.

Spence Vanderlinden Public Official Award
This award recognizes elected or appointed local officials who have contributed to the goals of the American Public Power Association.

Robert E. Roundtree Rising Star Award
This award is a scholarship presented to future leaders in public power. The recipient receives a stipend to travel to an APPA conference or training program to advance their education and development in public power.

Mark Crisson Leadership and Managerial Excellence Award 
This award recognizes managers at a utility, joint action agency, or state or regional association who steer their organizations to new levels of excellence, lead by example, and inspire staff to do better.

E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award
This award honors American Public Power Association member systems with outstanding accomplishments.

Sue Kelly Community Service Award
This award recognizes utilities for their “good neighbor” activities that demonstrate commitment to the local community.

Energy Innovator Award
APPA’s research program, Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED), nurtures innovation in public power. Each year, the program recognizes innovative utility projects with this award.

DOE Awards Funds to States, Tribal Nations and the District of Columbia for Grid Projects

June 19, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
June 19, 2023

The Department of Energy on June 16 announced that seven states, three tribal nations, and the District of Columbia were selected as the second cohort to receive more than $77 million in grid resilience state and tribal formula grants.

The grants will help modernize the electric grid “to reduce impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters while also ensuring power sector reliability,” DOE said.

Over the next five years, the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants will distribute a total of $2.3 billion to states, Territories, and federally recognized tribes, including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Alaska Native Village Corporations, based on a formula that includes factors such as population size, land area, probability and severity of disruptive events, and a locality’s historical expenditures on mitigation efforts.

The states, Territories, and tribes “will then award these funds to complete a diverse set of projects, with priority given to efforts that generate the greatest community benefit while providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy,” DOE said.

With respect to the states and tribes awarded funding for fiscal years (FY) 22 and 23 in the June 16 announcement, the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana will use funding to develop distributed energy resources that provide grid resilience during disruptive events and allow the Tribal community to capture energy savings, generate revenue for reinvestment into the community, and control its energy future. Selected projects will strengthen the community through partnerships with training providers and strong labor standards and protections. The amount awarded is $711,000.

The District of Columbia will work to deploy battery energy storage systems, microgrids, and other grid solutions. Deploying advanced system monitoring and control devices will provide opportunities for demand side-management and virtual power plants. (Amount: $3 million)

Hawaii plans to deploy projects that benefit disadvantaged communities in a measurable way while engaging community leadership and residents. To execute these plans, the Hawaii State Energy Office created a new Community Engagement and Public Affairs branch which will support the Hawaii Grid Resiliency Program. (Amount: $6.1 million)

Idaho will deploy resilience investments to demonstrate measurable improvements to grid resilience, deliver modernized grid infrastructure, and accommodate increased electrification, while addressing hazards from extreme weather. Projects selected through the program will encourage consumer engagement and enforce strong labor standards and protections that prioritize the local workforce. (Amount: $9.3 million)

Indiana aims to improve the resilience of the state’s electric grid against natural disasters and ensure the availability of power to critical community services, such as public safety, communications, medical, and transportation systems during disasters. Grant funding will be invested in projects that demonstrate a commitment to attract, train, and retain a diverse, highly skilled, and well-paid workforce. 
(Amount: $9.2 million)

Iowa aims to undertake preventive actions to strengthen the grid against severe weather and improve asset management through evaluation and monitoring. Selected projects will facilitate faster service restoration, while expanding opportunities for a skilled workforce to secure and retain quality jobs. 
(Amount: $11.8 million)

The Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut will work to ensure that critical community facilities and the operation of essential programs and services are protected from disruptive events and extreme weather. Selected projects will address outdated and failing monitoring and control technology infrastructure and build the Tribal workforce by ensuring that any new resilience measures can be operated and maintained by Tribal members and tribal employees. (Amount: $317,000)

Nevada will focus on equitably sharing the burdens and benefits of energy production and consumption, while reducing the likelihood and consequence of disruptive events. (Amount: $10.5 million)

Pennsylvania will work to protect urban and rural communities from the consequences of disruptive events on critical grid infrastructure by integrating grid resilience solutions that primarily benefit underserved and disadvantaged communities. Selected projects will improve the health of residents by deploying energy projects that reduce air emissions and greenhouse gases, and promote workforce benefits, including strong labor standards and protections. (Amount: $16.2 million)

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in California will fund activities that increase resilience to the effects of wildfires and support electric production during planned and unplanned regional power outages. Selected projects will also increase the tribe’s skilled workforce that implements activities to increase resilience against the wildfires. Projects will also advance the economic vitality of the tribe. (Amount: $266,000)

Wisconsin will invest in the modernization and hardening of Wisconsin’s electric grid to protect it from current and future threats. Selected projects will increase the skilled workforce, demonstrate partnerships with training providers, including registered apprenticeships and other joint labor-management training programs, and improve the total number of contractors trained to operate and maintain eligible resilience projects, with a particular emphasis on disadvantaged communities. (Amount: $10.2 million)

These recipients are the second cohort to receive funding under the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants, administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office.

Additional awards will be announced on a rolling basis in the coming weeks and months as applications are received.

The FY 22 and FY 23 application deadline for Indian tribes, including Alaska Native Corporations, is August 31, 2023, at 11:59 pm ET (with a mail-in option post-marked by this date).