Florida Public Power Utility Breaks Ground On Net-Zero Emissions Campus
March 20, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 20, 2022
Representatives with Florida public power utility Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and the City of St. Cloud, Fla., led a recent groundbreaking ceremony for OUC’s state-of-the-art St. Cloud Operations & Maintenance Center, the first net-zero campus for a Florida utility.
The $63.6 million, 24-acre campus will reach net-zero emissions through conservation and efficiency practices and its use of renewable energy.
Designed by OUC and Jacobs, a design firm, the project aligns with OUC’s and the City of St. Cloud’s commitment to sustainability and renewable energy.
Construction includes building a 55,000-square-foot warehouse and a 22,000-square-foot fleet maintenance facility with service bays, parts stores, electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging and fueling stations, and a vehicle wash area. Approximately 260 people will work on this portion of the project.
When completed in December 2023, about 54 OUC employees will call the campus home. Future phases are expected to include an administrative facility and a substation.
The project includes several sustainable features, including rooftop solar panels, floating solar, high-efficiency water fixtures, rainwater harvesting tanks, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, walking and biking trails, and EV charging stations. Human-focused design strategies were added to promote well-being, safety and encourage healthy choices. Buildings on campus were designed to meet the stringent requirements of LEED, Fitwel and WELL Health Safety Standard.
The project marks a milestone in OUC’s partnership with St. Cloud. In May 1997, the two entered a long-term agreement for OUC to operate and maintain the city’s electric system.
DOE Launches Workforce Development Strategy For Lithium Battery Manufacturing
March 20, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 20, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the launch of a national workforce development strategy for lithium battery manufacturing.
As part of a $5 million investment, DOE will support up to five pilot training programs in energy and automotive communities and advance workforce partnerships between industry and labor for the domestic lithium battery supply chain.
The pilot training programs will bring together manufacturing companies, organized labor, and training providers to lay the foundation for the development of a broad national workforce strategy, DOE noted.
The pilots will support industry-labor cooperation and will provide sites for job task analyses and documenting worker competencies, it said.
Insights gained will support the development of national industry-recognized credentials and inform the development of broader training programs to support the overall battery supply chain, DOE said.
This initiative comes as part of suite of announcements from President Biden’s Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. This is a partnership among the White House and nearly a dozen federal agencies committed to pursuing near- and long-term actions to support coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities as the nation transitions to a clean energy economy, the DOE said.
DOE’s announcement follows its recent release of two Notices of Intent authorized by the infrastructure law to provide $3 billion to support projects that bolster domestic battery manufacturing and recycling.
The funding, which will be made available in the coming months, will support battery-materials refining, which will bolster domestic refining capacity of minerals such as lithium, as well as production plants, battery cell and pack manufacturing facilities, and recycling facilities, DOE said.
North Carolina Public Power Utility Fayetteville PWC Recognized By United Way
March 20, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 20, 2022
United Way of Cumberland County, N.C., announced on March 1 that North Carolina public power utility Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) received the 2021 Spirit of North Carolina Award for Investment in long-term sustainable impact.
“Moving from response to recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fayetteville PWC has led the way in meeting community needs through their fundraising, volunteer, and advocacy efforts,” United Way of Cumberland County said.
United Way of North Carolina’s annual Spirit of North Carolina award celebrates organizations for their campaign excellence achieved through impactful events, engaged leadership, and volunteer engagement. Organizations championing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion values and post-pandemic rebuilding efforts are also celebrated.
United Way of North Carolina recognized 75 winners representing 22 local United Ways across the state.
Fayetteville PWC was not only recognized for raising over $150,000 through their workplace campaign but for its continuous support to the community.
The utility has been involved in neighborhood cleanups, fan donations for local senior citizens, 3,500 pounds of food donations to a local food bank, among other things.
Every year the utility goes above and beyond to help those in the community and the award represents the 16th time PWC has been honored by the United Way of North Carolina, United Way of Cumberland County said.
For more information about the Spirit of North Carolina Award and a complete list of winners, visit unitedwaync.org/spirit-north-carolina-award-winners.
Customers Of Missouri Public Power Utility Nixa Utilities Will See Lower Electric Rates
March 20, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 20, 2022
The city council of Nixa, Mo., recently voted to lower electric rates for the next few years for customers of public power utility Nixa Utilities.
Residential customers will see the rate drop about 2 cents per kilowatt hour — from over 12.3 cents per kilowatt hour down to 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour — on their April bill.
Nixa Utilities has not raised rates charged for electric power since 2017.
An annual 1.5% increase over the new, lower rate will take effect in 2023, to keep the electric rates up with the cost of inflation, but the five-year rate plan means that in 2024, Nixa Utilities residential customers will be paying about the same as they did in 2017.
Commercial and industrial customers will pay lower rates well past 2027 as an incentive to bring good jobs to Nixa, a city news release noted.
“For more than five years, we’ve been working hard to get to this moment,” said Doug Colvin, Director of Nixa Utilities and Public Works. “We have new agreements to get Nixa’s power at lower prices, reducing our utility’s risk exposure to volatile pricing on the open market,” said Colvin.
“We also sold Nixa’s transmission system a few years ago. That move saved us from expensive maintenance and regulatory compliance costs, while allowing the utility to pay off its debt completely.”
“All this work has made this moment possible, where we are able to actually lower rates while continuing to invest in improvements to our city’s electric grid,” said Nixa Mayor Brian Steele. “Now we’re spending down excess reserves to essentially give some of this money back to our customers through lower electric rates. For the next few years, we’ll be charging customers less than it costs us to buy power and maintain the system which carries that power to homes and businesses.”
Even despite the surging prices caused during the winter storm in February 2021, Nixa Utilities held rates steady for its customers, the city noted.
Premiums associated with price spikes for power purchased from the national grid were paid using the utility’s reserves.
“Going forward, an Energy Cost Adjustment charge on customer bills will spread out the cost of any surge pricing for future events, but won’t impact Nixa Utilities customers dramatically because the utility only purchases a relatively small amount of its power at the going market rates,” said Colvin.
California ISO Board Approves 10-Year Transmission Plan
March 19, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 19, 2022
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Board of Governors on March 17 approved a 10-year transmission plan for the grid operator.
The plan identified 23 projects estimated to cost $2.9 billion for system expansions, upgrades, and reinforcements needed for reliability and to meet the state’s clean-energy targets efficiently and cost-effectively for the next 10 years, CAISO said.
The latest plan reflects an escalation in the need for new transmission, the grid operator said. The increase is attributed to rapid acceleration in the need for new generation driven by the state’s goals of getting all electricity from carbon-free resources by 2045, and further electrifying the transportation, industrial, and residential sectors, it said.
In the past few years, CAISO’s plans have shown increased amounts of energy and transmission coming onto the grid.
Last year’s 2020-2021 transmission plan was based on projections that about 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new resources would be needed annually over the 10-year planning horizon. Next year’s plan is currently projected to assume a requirement of more than 4,000 MW of new resources per year.
The plan approved last week is based on an intermediate level of about 2,700 MW of new resources per year.
The latest transmission plan also outlines the role for a widening and expanding set of diverse resources to meet clean energy goals, including geothermal, new out-of-state renewables, and future offshore wind generation, CAISO said.
Closely coordinated with the California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission, the grid operator’s planning cycle runs from every January to early in the subsequent year. The actual plan, which relies heavily on state agency input and data to make sure it is aligned with California’s energy policies, also gets reviewed through a comprehensive and intensive stakeholder process. Projects are analyzed from the perspective of reliability, public policy, and economic benefits to consumers.
Now that it has been approved, the plan will guide collaborative activities for the implementation of the newly approved projects, including initiating a competitive solicitation process for four of the higher-voltage projects.
Approval of the plan also sets in motion contractual agreements and cost recovery for transmission upgrades through ISO transmission rates.
For the first time ever, the ISO has also produced a 20-Year Transmission Outlook in addition to its yearly plan.
While the 10-year plan is required by CAISO’s federal tariff and identifies specific projects for construction, the longer outlook is designed to provide a framework and longer-term vision for the system’s future transmission needs without recommending specific projects for approval.
APPA Membership In Energy Workforce Group Offers Benefits For Members
March 18, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 18, 2022
Members of the American Public Power Association (APPA) will have access to a wide range of workforce-related resources as a result of APPA joining the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD).
Washington, D.C.-based CEWD is a non-profit consortium of more than 120 energy companies, associations, unions, educational institutions, and government entities working in partnership to ensure a skilled, diverse workforce pipeline for the energy industry.
“APPA is excited to be able to deliver a number of additional workforce resources to our members as a result of our joining CEWD,” said Ursula Schryver, APPA’s Vice President for Strategic Member Engagement & Education.
She noted that APPA will be distributing information to members about opportunities available through CEWD to help them with workforce issues.
Schryver pointed out that APPA already offers workforce-related resources for members. Under a strategic initiative for workforce development, APPA helps member utilities take on challenges in four areas — recruitment and retention, succession planning and staff development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and establishing sound human resource policies. Click here for more information about APPA workforce resources.
Additional information about CEWD is available here.
North Carolina Utility Launches App To Report Streetlights In Need Of Repair
March 18, 2022
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
March 18, 2022
The city of High Point, North Carolina, has begun using an app to track burned out streetlights.
“In the past, citizens had to call in lights to a customer service center, then an operator manually entered a work order, which was then dispatched to a service crew,” Tyler Berrier, electric utilities assistant director for High Point, said via email. “We have eliminated the need for all of those manual processes.”
The app allows anyone to see a map of the streetlights and report a problem with a specific light for the city to repair. High Point maintains nearly 27,000 streetlights.
High Point began developing the app in early 2021, and it launched this month. The public power utility developed the app with integration help from DataVoice, its outage management software provider.
So far, the response has been “great,” Berrier said. “We’re receiving notices via the app regularly now, so folks seem to be embracing it.”
In the first week, the utility received 27 notices of streetlights in need of repair. On average, the city sees around 1,750 work orders per year for streetlight and outdoor light repairs.
The utility advertises that requests received from the app will be fixed in three to five business days, but on average the repairs are happening more quickly, usually in one or two days, Berrier said.
In all, the app cost about $13,000 to develop and deploy, but a large portion of that cost was an already scheduled system update that was integrated into the deployment of the update, Berrier said.
With the streetlight app only about two weeks old, it is still too early to assess cost savings from the program, but “we hope to continue to automate processes going forward to streamline operations in this area and in others,” Berrier said.
Berrier said that the utility’s next focus will likely be implementing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) “so we can give customers real time usage data and more option.”
“Process improvement is not a one-time thing,” Berrier said. “it’s a continual adaptation that we’ll look at with all aspects of our operations going forward.”
California Community Choice Aggregators Approve Long-Duration Energy Storage Contract
March 18, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 18, 2022
At a meeting of the California Community Power board in late February, members of the joint powers agency voted to enter into a contract for the 50-megawatt (MW)/400-megawatt hour (MWh) Goal Line long-duration energy storage project.
The lithium-ion battery storage project, developed by Onward Energy, will have eight hours of discharge duration and will be located in Escondido, California, with an expected online date of 2025.
California Community Power is comprised of 10 California community choice aggregators (CCAs).
In January, members of the joint powers agency voted to enter into an energy storage service agreement with REV Renewables for 69 MW/552 MWh of long-duration energy storage. The REV Renewables Tumbleweed project will be a CAISO grid-connected, lithium-ion battery storage resource located near Rosamond, in Kern County, California, with an expected online date of 2026.
The joint procurement effort for long-duration energy storage is a continuation of an October 2020 request for offers (RFO) seeking to procure cost-effective and viable long-duration storage resources.
A subset of California Community Power member CCAs issued the RFO prior to a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) procurement order.
The Goal Line and Tumbleweed contracts will allow the participating CCAs to meet their obligation for the long-duration energy storage requirement mandated by the CPUC.
Participation in the RFO and resulting projects is voluntary for each California Community Power member.
The participating agencies for the Goal Line project are CleanPowerSF, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, San Jose Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power Authority, and Valley Clean Energy.
The governing boards of each participating member will follow their local review and approval processes for the contract and associated agreements for the Goal Line project.
The American Public Power Association has initiated a new category of membership for community choice aggregation programs.
TVA Unveils $3 Million In Pilot Projects To Advance Connectivity, Carbon-Free Future
March 18, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 18, 2022
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently announced an initiative to partner with communities in portions of the seven-state region and help provide equitable access to technology.
TVA said its Connected Communities will fund several proposed pilot projects that leverage cutting-edge technologies to address select challenges, including broadband access, environmental risk monitoring, digital literacy training and next-generation career options. Community-driven data will be used to identify the gaps and populations without equitable access.
The selected projects — chosen by local governments, power companies and community-based organizations — will share more than $3 million in grant funding from TVA in 2022 and 2023.
TVA said that the Connected Communities initiative aligns with TVA’s “Energy System of the Future” and plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
In February, the TVA Board of Directors approved exploration of advanced nuclear technology as part of its development of technologies to support its aspirational goal of a net-zero carbon energy future.
Other technologies TVA is exploring include next-generation energy storage, carbon capture, new hydroelectric pumped storage, and hydrogen.
TVA also continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio, including the targeted addition of up to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2035.
More than 40 organizations applied for funding during the initial call for pilot projects, with each selected project supporting at least one of the three focus areas of the TVA Connected Communities initiative:
- Equitable Access to Services: Services through broadband, modern technology and the knowledge and empowerment to use it;
- Economic Empowerment: Economic security and the ability to contribute to a modern, 21st Century economy to the best of their ability;
- Energy & Environmental Justice: A healthy environment and reliable, affordable and clean energy.
The nine pilot projects currently under review by the TVA Connected Communities initiative are:
- Chattanooga, Tennessee/Connectivity and Health in Orchard Knob: A Smart Community Model for Equitable Access to Services for the 21st Century: Bringing together expanded public Wi-Fi, digital literacy training, digital resources, home weatherization and telehealth to residents of Orchard Knob, a neighborhood of Chattanooga;
- Cheatham County, Tennessee/Economic Solutions Through Solar Innovation: Constructing a solar pavilion at Sycamore High School to support the development of a solar energy Career and Tech Education program and introducing solar science to students;
- Columbus, Mississippi/ACTNow (Access, Connectivity, Tools): Developing a digital literacy training program for Columbus Housing Authority residents that provides an opportunity for those who complete the training to earn a Wi-Fi hotspot and laptop of their own;
- Knoxville, Tennessee/Alerting Elders and Trusted Social Networks Living in Environmental Justice Communities About Indoor and Outdoor Risks to Their Health: Developing an environmental risk monitoring system to alert elders and their support networks of potentially hazardous environmental conditions;
- Knoxville, Tennessee/Building the Future of East Tennessee’s Workforce: Creating Pathways for Early Learners to the Skills, Jobs, and Opportunities in Our Region: Producing a video series and educational materials to increase awareness of vocational and STEM careers, aimed at kindergarten through 8th grade students and airing on PBS of East Tennessee.
- Knoxville, Tennessee/Community Connections: Tech Upgrades at City of Knoxville Recreation Centers: Improving 15 community centers to provide residents access to high-technology study spaces, computers and improved Wi-Fi;
- Lynnville, Elton, and Minor Hill, Tennessee/Community Hotspots: Installing public Wi-Fi access points in communities’ downtown areas;
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee/The Power of Connectivity: Providing Wi-Fi Access and Education to New Affordable Housing Projects: Developing additional wireless infrastructure and basic digital literacy classes for residents as part of the ongoing renovation of several properties of the Murfreesboro Housing Authority; and
- Water Valley, Mississippi/Base Camp Coding Academy Phase 2: Expanding an existing software development training program to support non-traditional students.
TVA is working with these communities on the pilot projects, contributing 70 percent of the project’s total costs. The pilot teams are funding 30 percent.
The pilot projects will be awarded funding after successful completion of required reviews and work on the projects is expected to begin this summer.
To learn more about TVA’s Connected Communities initiative, including resources and tools for communities to implement their own Connected Communities initiatives, visit tva.com/connectedcommunities.
Tim Lyons Named As Next General Manager Of Owensboro Municipal Utilities
March 18, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 18, 2022
Tim Lyons has been named as the next general manager of Kentucky public power utility Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU) by the Owensboro Utility Commission.
Lyons will replace current General Manager Kevin Frizzell who announced his retirement effective August 1, 2022.
Lyons has served as OMU’s Director of Delivery since 2013, overseeing the water and electric distribution systems for the municipal utility. He joined OMU as Transmission and Distribution Engineering Manager in 2007.
Lyons has over 25 years of experience in the electric utility business, beginning his career with Kentucky Utilities Company in 1993, as an electrical engineer. In 2000, he was promoted to the position of team leader of line construction and maintenance where he managed KU line crews within western Kentucky.
Frizzell was named interim General Manager on February 12, 2018 and General Manager on December 20, 2018.
Frizzell, formerly OMU’s Director of Production, joined the utility in 1990 at the company’s coal-fired generating station, the Elmer Smith Station, as the Technical Services Manager. He has worked at OMU for 32 years.
In this role, he was primarily charged with environmental compliance and had a key leadership role in the $150 million dollar scrubber project completed in 1995. He has managed all of the plant’s environmental projects since then.
Frizzell was named Director of Power Production in 2008, charged with the management of OMU’s largest asset, the Elmer Smith Station and its 100-plus employees. In 2013, OMU combined power production and water treatment into one production department and operation of OMU’s two drinking water plants came under Kevin’s area of responsibility.