Massachusetts Town Seeks Investigation of Power Line Management By National Grid
November 16, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 16, 2021
The Town of Hull, Mass., recently filed a petition with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) asking the DPU to open an investigation into the manner in which National Grid has managed the two electric lines that provide electricity to Hull.
The filing asks the DPU initiate a full investigation regarding National Grid’s failure to follow good utility standards in maintaining the two lines.
The petition also asks the DPU to order National Grid to upgrade the lines and associated facilities at National Grid’s expense.
In addition, the petition requests that National Grid be ordered to reimburse Hull Light $3.1 million Hull Light has expended to protect residents and businesses from National Grid’s failure to exercise proper care for the lines.
Expense reimbursement includes the cost Hull Light has made and continues to make to have generators during winter months because of what the utility says is the precarious nature of National Grid’s electric supply lines to Hull.
The petition is available here.
WPPI Energy Member Utilities Partner With Local Theatre To Help Educate Students on Energy Efficiency, Electricity
November 16, 2021
by Vanessa Nikolic
APPA News
November 16, 2021
Wisconsin-based joint action agency WPPI Energy and its member utilities recently partnered with The National Theatre for Children (NTC) to work on educating students and families on energy efficiency and electricity.
Founded in 1978, NTC is a Minnesota based theatre company that holds free programs at schools across the country to educate and inspire future generations on a variety of topics from financial literacy to energy conservation. Over the years, NTC has expanded its offerings to include virtual events as well.
Member utilities of WPPI Energy and NTC developed “The Energized Guyz,” a new program that will be livestreamed this fall and delivered virtually. This virtual offering aims to accommodate students whether they are learning in the classroom or remotely from home.
The program brings information on energy efficiency and electricity to more than 80 schools in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa. The presentations focus on what energy is, the uses of energy, how energy is wasted, and how to conserve energy.
The livestream features a host who introduces the program, sets up a series of comedic videos, and leads a Q&A session in which students and teachers can ask questions for the host to answer during the presentation. The educational videos tell a superhero-themed story about science, energy efficiency, and electricity.
Stacie Running, energy services manager at WPPI Energy said the program provides a unique learning opportunity for students.
“We are excited to partner with NTC and the local schools to provide this opportunity for students,” Running said. “The performances provide a fun and entertaining platform that encourages students to learn more about energy.”
Livestream events accompany a digital curriculum including games, e-books, interactive lessons, and assessments for educators. The utilities sponsor every aspect of the program, providing free supplemental materials for teachers looking to enhance their educational resources this school year.
For more information about “The Energized Guyz” livestream, visit nationaltheatre.com.
WPPI Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit organization that serves 51 locally owned electric utilities in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Upper Michigan.
New Report Sees Record Levels Of Wind and Solar Energy Additions In 2022
November 15, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 15, 2021
Record levels of wind and solar generation additions are expected to come online in 2022, according to a new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“It’s going to be a record year for renewable energy development in the U.S. in 2022,” with 44 gigawatts (GW) of solar and 27 GW of wind power set to be installed alongside more than 8 GW of battery storage, said Richard Sansom, Head of Commodities Research at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The report said that the growth in wind, solar and storage will be facilitated by the creation of dedicated programs such as virtual power purchase agreements and green tariffs.
At the same time, early plant retirement costs due to the energy transition will present challenges for utilities and state regulators with 29 GW of coal retirements planned for 2020 through 2025.
The report also said that U.S. utility capital expenditures are expected to remain on the upswing, with investments in upgrading and modernizing the country’s aging energy and water infrastructure reaching $63 billion and utility renewables spending surpassing $14 billion in 2022.
The S&P Global Market Intelligence 2022 Electric, Natural Gas and Water Utilities Outlook Report is part of a “Big Picture Outlook” series published by the division’s research group that provides a look ahead of key strategic trends and opportunities.
APPA’s Ditto Appointed To Serve As A Member of Electrical Safety Group’s Board
November 15, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 15, 2021
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recently appointed Joy Ditto, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), to serve as a member of its Board of Directors.
The directors comprising ESFI’s board are senior management representatives from a number of organizations dedicated to providing electrical safety information to the public, communities, and the workforce, ESFI noted.
ESFI is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electrical safety at home and the workplace.
“The ubiquity and convenience of electric power is a modern marvel to be celebrated,” said Ditto. “And I am proud to represent the more than 2,000 public power utilities across this country that provide this essential service every day. But we must never forget that we are wielding a dangerous force that must be respected and used with care. This is why I care so much about the mission of ESFI and why I am honored to take on an enhanced role in its efforts to educate the public about electrical safety.”
The future programs created with APPA will allow ESFI to better serve public power utilities and their customers, ESFI noted.
ESFI’s goal is to create free-to-share materials that will help utility workers prevent electrical injuries while working around utility equipment, especially overhead power lines, and assist utilities in promoting safety to their customers while at home. As emerging technology evolves, future programs will be developed to address how customers can use technologies such as electric vehicles and solar panels safely, it said.
For a complete list of ESFI’s Board of Directors, visit esfi.org/board-of-directors.
Seattle City Light, National Labs Studying Hydrogen’s Potential As A Truck Fuel
November 15, 2021
by APPA News
November 15, 2021
Seattle City Light, in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories, is embarking on studies to explore the potential of using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The studies are being supported by awards totaling $2.12 million from the Department of Energy, and they are designed to help Seattle City Light and the Port of Seattle to meet their emission reduction goals. Partners in the studies also includes The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) and PACCAR/Kenworth.
The City of Seattle has set a goal of reducing total core greenhouse gas emissions 58 percent by 2030 and becoming carbon dioxide neutral by 2050.
One of the studies, Analytic Framework for Optimal Sizing of Hydrogen Fueling Stations for Heavy Duty Vehicles at Ports, will explore the potential of shifting from fossil fuel to clean hydrogen as fuel to power medium-and heavy-duty vehicles, including heavy equipment such as forklifts, drayage trucks and cranes.
The study will also look at the potential to scale up the technology if demand for hydrogen increases, including the potential to use the energy stored as hydrogen to power cruise or cargo ships while they’re being loaded and unloaded.
That study is funded with a $1.35 million award from the Department of Energy (DOE), and $150,000 from Seattle City Light.
The second study, Large-scale Hydrogen Storage – Risk Assessment, Seattle City Light and the Port of Seattle will assess the risks and benefits associated with scaling hydrogen produced using renewable resource to a level large enough to serve multiple maritime-related and utility uses.
At that scale, hydrogen could potentially be used for propulsion for tugboats, commercial fishing vessels and passenger ferries and to accommodate a significant portion of drayage trucks and cargo handling equipment serving the port. The research will also look at the requirements of using clean hydrogen as a fuel for larger ships.
The second study is being funded with a $770,000 award from the DOE, $185,000 from Seattle City Light, and $145,000 from the Port of Seattle.
The project partners are projecting a two-year timeframe to produce the final project recommendations.
“It is more important than ever for Seattle City Light to collaborate with our customers who want to confront the climate crisis by decarbonizing their operations,” Debra Smith, City Light’s general manager and CEO, said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with these agencies to implement a cleaner future for our customers at the port and our region as a whole.”
Several public power utilities across the country are exploring the emissions reduction potential of hydrogen fuel, including New York Power Authority, OUC in Florida, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
In the Pacific Northwest, Douglas County Public Utility District is working under a $1.9 million grant to demonstrate the first hydrogen fueling station for fuel cell electric vehicles in Washington state. And the Eugene Water and Electric Board in Oregon is developing a renewable hydrogen production facility.
LIPA And PSEG Long Island Reach Agreement On New Reformed Contract
November 10, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 10, 2021
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) on Nov. 9 announced a revised management services contract and settlement with PSEG Long Island that LIPA said includes reforms designed to drive performance and accountability, while providing an unprecedented level of oversight of PSEG Long Island’s operations.
The new contract, which meets all of the terms tentatively agreed to by the parties in June, “will support customers on Long Island and the Rockaways in receiving top-tier performance, reliability, and customer service,” LIPA said.
“Today’s announcement includes all of the reforms LIPA demanded after Tropical Storm Isaias to increase oversight and accountability and put our customers’ interests at the forefront of PSEG Long Island’s operations. This contract is the strongest in LIPA’s history and represents a real win for LIPA’s customers,” said LIPA CEO Tom Falcone.
The new reformed contract includes the following elements:
Top-tier Performance for Customers
- The majority of PSEG Long Island compensation is now at risk: The reformed management contract increases the amount of PSEG Long Island’s annual compensation at risk from $10 million to $40 million, including automatic reductions for failures to meet minimum emergency response, customer satisfaction, and reliability standards, and a new New York Department of Public Service (DPS) investigative process for failures to provide safe, adequate, and reliable service to customers;
- Strengthened Long Island-based management team: The President and Chief Operating Officer of PSEG Long Island will have full and final operational decision-making authority and the local executive team will be strengthened with new positions in information technology, cybersecurity, emergency response, business services, and human resources. To avoid the lack of accountability for local operations that was evident in the company’s response to Tropical Storm Isaias, all Long Island employees will report to managers on Long Island. Additionally, the compensation for all PSEG Long Island employees will be linked to the performance of Long Island operations;
- Rigorous annual performance goals: PSEG Long Island will be subject to detailed performance requirements set annually by the LIPA Board and DPS, to ensure the company meets industry best practices across all the services provided to LIPA and its customers; and
- Strengthened long-term planning, budget development, and cost management: New standards require greater long-term planning, transparency, and accountability for delivering projects and services on time and within budget that meet the needs and deliver value for customers.
Unprecedented Oversight Protections for LIPA and DPS
- New requirements for independent verification and validation of information technology systems: The reformed contract provides new rights to LIPA to independently test and validate the performance of mission-critical information technology systems, such as those that failed during Tropical Storm Isaias. The agreement also requires PSEG Long Island to separate information technology platforms from New Jersey-based systems to ensure better accountability and oversight;
- Requires timely and accurate disclosure of significant operational issues: The reformed contract requires timely, affirmative disclosure to LIPA and DPS of issues, such as those that occurred before and during Tropical Storm Isaias, that significantly impair PSEG Long Island’s ability to provide reliable service, emergency response, cybersecurity, financial impairment, noncompliance with laws, or circumstances that may endanger public health, safety, and welfare;
- New requirements to fix known operational issues in a time-sensitive manner: The reformed contract requires PSEG Long Island to implement plans to fix known operational issues identified by LIPA management or the DPS, with oversight by the LIPA Board of Trustees;
- Transparency around decisions to hire PSEG Long Island affiliates to provide services to LIPA: New provisions ensure that PSEG Long Island’s decisions to hire affiliates to perform services at customer expense will deliver better quality and lower costs than competing vendors.
PSEG Long Island Forfeits $30 Million for Tropical Storm Isaias Failures
The settlement also resolves pending litigation related to PSEG Long Island’s management failures during Tropical Storm Isaias and includes $30 million in payments and credits towards the cost of upgrading the information technology and communication systems, reimbursements to customers for food and medicine spoilage, and contributions to Long Island-based charities.
The LIPA Board of Trustees will accept virtual public comments on the revised contract and settlement at LIPA’s November 17 and December 15 Board meetings. LIPA has scheduled an additional public comment session for the evening of December 2.
The LIPA Board is expected to consider the contract and settlement at LIPA’s December 15, 2021 Board meeting.
If approved, the reformed contract will subject to review and approval by the New York State Attorney General and Comptroller prior to the terms taking effect.
EPA Releases Proposed Rule That Would Limit Methane Emissions
November 10, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 10, 2021
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 2 released a proposed rule that would limit emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, from facilities in the oil and gas sector.
The proposed regulations would reach hundreds of thousands of new and, for the first time, existing facilities in the production, gathering, processing, and transmission and storage segments.
The proposed rule is an exercise of the EPA’s authority under Section 111(b) of the Clean Air Act to establish New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new and modified stationary sources of air pollutants and Emission Guidelines for existing sources under Section 111(d).
The Biden administration is including the EPA proposal within a multi-agency plan to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands and waters; abandoned coal mines; landfills; and agriculture.
The EPA says it intends to issue a supplemental proposal next year that will include proposed regulatory text and potential further modifications based on public input.
The proposal therefore seeks information on additional measures, including for abandoned and unplugged wells, flares, pipeline “pigging” operations, and tank truck loading operations.
The EPA is also seeking ideas on how to empower communities neighboring oil and gas facilities to monitor and report large emission events.
Notably, this proposed rule reverses EPA’s prior interpretation of Section 111(d). In the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, EPA argued that Section 111(d) provided the authority for EPA to establish nationwide carbon dioxide (CO2) rates for existing fossil fuel sources.
In the proposed rule, EPA instead adopts the position that Section 111(d) only authorizes EPA to develop regulatory guidelines in the form of the Best System of Emission Reduction (BSER) for states to follow in setting emissions standards for existing sources within each state. This precedent will be important as the agency moves forward on future new CO2 rules for fossil fuel-fired generation.
The Biden administration released its multi-agency plan in connection with a “Global Methane Pledge” announced at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, in Scotland.
Over 100 signatory nations to the pledge have agreed to a collective goal of reducing methane emissions across all sectors by 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030.
The EPA projects that, by 2030, its proposed oil and gas sector rule would reduce methane emissions from covered facilities by 74 percent relative to their emissions in 2005.
EPA further estimates that the proposed rule would reduce a total of 41 million tons of methane emissions by 2035, the equivalent of 920 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. This amount exceeds the total carbon dioxide emitted from all U.S. passenger cars and commercial aircraft in 2019.
The EPA is seeking comment on the proposal. Comments will be due 60 days after publication of the proposal in the Federal Register. The EPA also will hold a public hearing 15 days after publication.
In 2016, the Obama Administration EPA promulgated an NSPS rule addressing methane emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed facilities in the oil and gas sector.
In 2020, EPA rescinded the 2016 NSPS regulations, replacing them with a non-methane program that had the effect of foreclosing future methane limits for existing facilities.
In 2021, Congress passed a Congressional Review Act resolution disapproving the rescission, thereby reinstating the 2016 methane NSPS for new facilities and reopening the door to eventual regulation of existing facilities.
SRP Adds Another Tool In Efforts To Manage Its Water Supplies
November 10, 2021
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
November 10, 2021
Salt River Project (SRP) has teamed up with OpenET in its latest step in managing the forest resources that impact the watershed serving its utility water customers.
In October SRP formed a partnership with OpenET, a public-private partnership led by the Environmental Defense Fund, NASA, Desert Research Institute, and HabitatSeven.
OpenET provides an online platform that uses satellites to assess the evapotranspiration (ET) that occurs when water returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration, the water vapor given up by plants.
Having data available on how much evaporation is occurring gives SRP a greater understanding of the water budget and of how much water is turning into vapor and being transferred out of its system, Elvy Barton, forest management principal at SRP, said.
Evapotranspiration is an important consideration for SRP since the Arizona public power utility’s territory is largely a desert. When water remains in SRP’s territory it makes the landscape more resilient to droughts and wildfires. SRP operates seven reservoirs and dams that delivers water to 2 million customers.
There is also a correlation between evapotranspiration and unhealthy forests. Much of SRP’s water supply comes from 8.3 million acres of land in northern and central Arizona that is heavily forested. A lot of those forests are unhealthy, populated by either too many or stunted trees, making the forest vulnerable to wildfires, Barton said.
SRP first began to realize the scope of the problem in 2002, after the Rodeo-Chediski Fire burned a large swath of east-central Arizona. It was the worst fire in Arizona’s recorded history until the Wallow Fire surpassed it, burning over half a million acres in 2011.
In the wake of a wildfire, the land cannot absorb as much rainfall, creating the potential for dangerous floods and mudslides that can add silt and debris to streams and reservoirs that can impair water quality and add to water management costs.
SRP has been involved in forest restoration efforts for about a decade but stepped up its efforts in the past few years because of the growth of mega fires, which consume over 100,000 acres.
In 2019, SRP updated its sustainability goals to include forest restoration and adding a goal of partnering on thinning 50,000 acres of forest per year and 500,000 acres by 2035.
SRP is also working on the Cragin Watershed Protection Project, which allows the U.S. Forest Service to move forward with prescribed burns and forest thinning across the watershed. SRP is also participating in the Healthy Forest Initiative that allows its residential customers to invest $3 a month towards strategic forest thinning projects.
SRP has also invested in projects such as a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) research efforts in partnership with Northern Arizona University that provides real-time visual watershed condition and forest data. It is like a census for trees that can focus on individual trees and help identify the best candidates for thinning, Barton said.
SRP has now added OpenET to its toolbox. The utility plans to use the OpenET data to help understand three things: how evapotranspiration is affected by wildfires, how prescribed controlled burns affect evapotranspiration, and what effect forest thinning has on evapotranspiration.
“Having a healthy watershed benefits everyone,” Barton said, adding, “being proactive is far less costly than being reactive.”
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Electrical Director Reflects on Heritage, Community Growth
November 9, 2021
This story, to help commemorate National Native American Heritage Month, is courtesy of Justin David Whitecotton, Electrical Director, Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) – Oklahoma.
I grew up in Shawnee, OK, the oldest child of David and Margie Whitecotton. I began working with my father and uncle’s electrical business, Cotton Electric, when I was 10. I enjoyed getting to work with my family and learning the ins and outs of the electrical trade. As a young man I continued to hone my craft working in the electrical industry in Seattle, WA, the Tulsa metro area, then finally returning to Shawnee where I currently serve as Electrical director for CPN.
From a young age, I spent time every summer with my grandparents Janet and Bill Whitecotton. I loved hearing my grandma share about her childhood and experiences growing up in the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She would share stories about her family and heritage and the struggles she had growing up in a predominantly white school. My grandma always taught me to be proud of my Indian heritage and to honor my ancestors. Growing up in Shawnee, some of my favorite memories include attending the annual Citizen Potawatomi Nation festival. It was an opportunity to highlight and celebrate our culture and to spend time with all our tribal family. I always loved history and spent a great deal of time learning about the history of our world and country. Although our people have experienced great loss and hardship, the bravery and leadership of our elders as well as the unity of our tribal families, allow us to grow and prosper.
Since working for CPN, I have been most proud of all the support we provide not only for our CPN citizens, but also to all our surrounding communities. We have built facilities that allow safe places for all our community citizens to enjoy. We have provided our citizens opportunities to easily receive COVID vaccines, we install generators and power restoration during storms and are always willing to be on site and ready to help whenever there are any issues.
“Public Power.”
As an electrician I see this and immediately think of all the work we have been doing through the years working with neighboring cities and the [Grand River Dam Authority] to create an electrical grid that will support not just our citizens, but the entire state. We believe in efficiency, and in my time with the tribe have found ways to utilize clean energy. We will always need electricity and understand, we must continue to seek out renewable sources to protect our earth. Our continued partnerships with other electrical utilities will not only be good for our citizens, but ultimately our environment.
My advice for young people is to get educated. Whether it’s at a university, vocational school or job training, learning a trade can provide a fulfilling career.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation: Our Heritage, Our Future
The story of the Potawatomi stretches back to times lost to history, beginning on the East Coast of what is now North America. By the time Europeans arrived, the Great Migration of prophecy was complete and the tribes were living around the Great Lakes, with a social structure that included a strong communal lifestyle.
Early European contact brought fur trade and a short-lived time of prosperity for the Potawatomi people. The first account of the Potawatomi people was by Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer traveling the Great Lakes in 1615.
Years of warfare between colonizers further escalated tensions between the tribes of the Great Lakes, their Indian neighbors and settlers, because European colonial forces pressured native communities to choose sides. The Potawatomi were signatories to more treaties with the United States than any other tribe. Despite signing more than 40 treaties during this time, the period between 1700 and 1900 was a time of conflict and removal for the Potawatomi people. Between war and forced removal these years were a dark time for Potawatomi people and culture.
The scattered Potawatomi settlements were consolidated onto one reservation in northeast Kansas as a result of an 1846 treaty. From 1847 to 1861 the Potawatomi in Kansas managed to survive as a people, but they did not thrive. Tribal members largely adapted to a sedentary lifestyle, but they did not assimilate to the degree desired by the federal government.
On Nov. 15, 1861, eight designated “chiefs” and more than 70 other members of the Potawatomi Nation met with federal agents to sign a treaty that would forever alter their community’s relationship with other Potawatomi and the U.S. government. The 1861 treaty initiated the process for acquiring fee-simple land allotments and U.S. citizenship for almost two-thirds of its members. This group, which became known as the Citizen Potawatomi, was among the first tribes to enter into a treaty agreement that included both conditions.
The provisions for the Citizen Potawatomi’s move to Indian Territory were stipulated in a treaty signed on February 27, 1867. In 1869, a party of Citizen Potawatomi traveled to Indian Territory and selected a tract of land that became the site of the Citizen Potawatomi reservation. They chose a section of land that encompassed 576,000 acres between the north and south forks of the Canadian River. The land lay just west of the Seminole reservation and had an eastern boundary at the Indian Meridian. The earliest families to make the journey to their new reserve arrived in Indian Territory in 1872.
On August 16, 2007, the voters of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation overwhelmingly ratified a new constitution, expanding legislative representation to its approximately 20,000 members outside Oklahoma, where 10,000 Citizen Potawatomi live. Since then, CPN’s Nation operates the business of the tribal government on through a clear division of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
APPA Awarded Grant From OSHA For Fall Prevention Awareness Training
November 9, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 9, 2021
The American Public Power Association (APPA) was recently awarded a grant of $160,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.
OSHA awards grants to nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis through its Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.
Grants are awarded to provide training and education programs for employers and workers on the recognition, avoidance, and prevention of safety and health hazards in their workplaces and to inform workers of their rights and employers of their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
APPA intends to use the grant award to develop training materials to create two-hour fall prevention awareness training for organizations that train public power utility lineworkers and lineworkers themselves.
APPA noted that public power lineworkers have one of the most dangerous jobs in America and are susceptible to falls that can result in serious and catastrophic injuries.
The APPA fall prevention awareness training for public power utility workers will serve to protect its members from the inherent risks related to falls from elevated surfaces and/or equipment.
The training and associated materials will be provided in both English and Spanish. Program funding will be for a 12-month period, ending on September 30, 2022.
Public power utilities that are interested in receiving training, or would like to participate as a trainer, should send an email to: safety@publicpower.org.