Evolution of the Smart Grid at the Forefront of Transformative Change
January 2, 2020
by Darrell Proctor
POWER Magazine
Posted January 2, 2020
The power industry is in the midst of a shake-up, a revolution in how electricity is generated and distributed. Smart grid technology is changing the way utilities and customers interact, and providing support for the integration of renewable resources and energy storage to the grid.
From Smart Cities to Smarter Devices: The State of the Energy Industry in 2020
January 2, 2020
by Rip Gerber
POWER Magazine
How the energy industry and the cloud can partner to meet the challenges of smart city development.
Click here to read the entire article.
Power Industry Disrupters:
Gas, Renewables, and Storage
January 2, 2020
by Aaron Larson
POWER Magazine
posted January 2, 2020
The power industry is experiencing significant changes. Natural gas, wind, solar and battery storage seem to be the wave of the future. What’s compelling the transformation? Some people point to environmental concerns, including climate change, but decreasing costs are also a prime driver.
KPP Offers Cyber Security Course To Members
March 4, 2019
Wichita, Kansas
The Kansas Power Pool (“KPP”), a member-driven public power organization which procures energy and transmission service for community-owned electric utilities across Kansas has announced its assistance with cyber security training courses to member cities.
Fifteen Kansas cities have been participating in a five-week course on how to be better prepared against cyber-attacks on their municipal utilities. The curriculum has been developed as a joint project between Kansas Power Pool and the American Public Power Association. Custom Internet, LLC prepared the 14 modules and lead the course to the participants. The program was structured by work supported by the US Department of Energy. The cities in attendance included: Burlington, Clay Center, Ellinwood, Erie, Haven, Hillsboro, Kingman, Lucas, Marion, Mount Hope, Mulvane, Udall, Waterville, Wellington, and Winfield. The course will be offered again to the remaining nine cities within the Kansas Power Pool membership and other interested parties. “Kansas Power Pool feels appreciative to offer this course to our members because we understand the importance of protecting the city’s valuable assets and mitigating the chances of threat to time and resources, Brooke Carroll, Director of Administrative Services, stated.”
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Brooke A. Carroll, Director of Administrative Services at: bcarroll@kpp.agency.
Kansas Local Government And Their Utilities Lose a Key Advocate – Bob Peter
January 23, 2019
KMU Dispatch
Posted on January 23, 2019
Kansas local government and their utilities lost a key advocate as Robert (Bob) Peter of Ellinwood passed away last week following an accident at home. He worked tirelessly for the communities and organizations for which he served including Kansas Municipal Utilities. He was a strong supporter of public utilities both small and large and was considered a powerful voice of reason. His voice and his leadership will be missed.
“Bob had a powerful intellect and could learn and master a technical utility concept with great ease. He would claim that he was only an attorney, but I would put him up against just about anyone in our membership on the depth of technical and practical knowledge that he had about the utility industry,” said Colin Hansen, KMU Executive Director. “I will greatly miss Bob’s wry, dry and sarcastic sense of humor, but what I will miss most is his friendship.” After graduating from Ellinwood High School and a stint in the U.S. Army when drafted, Bob graduated from Emporia State and later earned his law degree from the University of Denver Law School. He returned to Barton County to serve those in his home area.
He began his law career in private practice in Great Bend., and after becoming the Ellinwood City Attorney, he opened a law practice in Ellinwood. In addition to his work for the city, he also represented multiple other municipalities, school districts and Barton Community College. In 2001, he was named City Administrator for the City of Ellinwood.
Bob was actively involved on the KMU Board of Directors since 2009 and was KMU President in 2013. He also served on the original Board of Directors for the Kansas Power Pool and as its President from 2010-2012. He was active in both organizations serving on numerous committees, task forces and leadership positions. He was also an effective advocate for municipalities before the Kansas Legislature in Topeka and before the U.S. Congress in Washington D.C.
He was recognized for his work and achievements by receiving the APPA Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award in 2014 and the KMU Schowalter Award in 2015.
He married his wife Julie on August 13, 1998. For the last 20 years, he has enjoyed traveling, following the Jayhawks, and immersing himself in his children and grandchildren’s lives. He was a constant presence in his community and with his family. He is survived by his wife, Julie, his children Lindsay (Dennis) Cox, Kelly Peter, Cody (Christine) McNorton and Kelli (Slayton) Rous, grandchildren Dawson, Darrian, Diesel, Troy, and Carrington, and brothers Rollie (Sue Ann) and Brad (Vickie). He was preceded in death by his parents.
His funeral service was Tuesday in Ellinwood with interment at the Lakin-Comanche District Cemetery in Ellinwood. Memorials are suggested to Ellinwood Public Education & Library Foundation in care of the Robert L. Peter scholarship fund, or Ellinwood EMS, in care of Minnis Chapel, PO Box 246, Ellinwood, KS 67526.
Hansen Named to Statewide Expansion Planning Task Force
August 10, 2018
KMU Dispatch
Posted on August 10, 2018
Kansas House and Senate leadership has named the members of the Statewide Broadband Expansion Planning Task Force to determine a plan for evaluating and expanding access to Internet broadband in the state. KMU Executive Director Colin Hansen was appointed to the committee to represent municipal utilities. League of Kansas Municipalities Executive Director Erik Sartorius was also named to the task force.
The task force includes a number of legislators, including co-chairs Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, and Rep. Joe Seiwert, R-Pretty Prairie. Other legislative members include Sens. Tom Hawk, D-Manhattan, and Mike Petersen, R-Wichita, and Reps. Randy Garber, R-Sabetha, and Annie Kuether, D-Topeka.
Other members are Colleen Jamison, Cox Communications; Catherine Moyer, Pioneer Communications; Lon Pishny; Finney County; Doug Shepherd, Kansas Electric Cooperatives, and (ex officio) Richard Felts, Kansas Farm Bureau.
Alvey Appointed Vice Chair of APPA Policymaker Committee
August 10, 2018
KMU Dispatch
Posted on August 10, 2018
Mayor David Alvey of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County was recently appointed the ViceChair of the American Public Power Association’s Policymaker Committee (PMC). The PMC is made up of 45 members, which include elected or appointed officials on the governing bodies of public power communities. Kansas is also represented on the APPA Policymaker Committee by Mayor Stan Luke of the City of Burlington.
Ben Kostick, a commissioner with Public Utility District No. 1 of Lewis County, Washington, assumed the chairmanship of the PMC while in Washington, D.C., for a committee meeting and Capitol Hill visits. The PMC meets twice a year in Washington, D.C., and visits with elected representatives and congressional staff on issues critical to public power.
In their meetings with lawmakers and staff this month, PMC members highlighted a number of priority issues for the public power community. In particular, they emphasized public power’s opposition to S. 3157 (The STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act), which would repeal the public power exemption from Federal Communications Commission pole attachment regulations. The measure is sponsored by Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
Other priority issues highlighted by PMC members in their visits to Capitol Hill included:
- The need to fix Regional Transmission Organization-run wholesale electricity markets;
- Enabling strong industry-government partnerships to prevent, prepare for and respond to cyber and physical attacks to the grid;
- Supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to develop environmental regulations that work; and
- Supporting tax-exempt municipal bond-funded electric system investments.
Zoning Board Considers New Towers For Windfarm
August 3, 2018
By Citycode Financial
Posted on August 3, 2018
The county zoning board is pursuing a plan for two new meteorological towers, which could lead to new wind turbines.
The proposed sites lie midway between Marion and Peabody, with one between 140th Rd. and Old Mill Rd., and the other between 100th and Mustang.
Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. Selects New Executive Vice President and CEO
July 30, 2018
Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.
600 SW Corporate View
Topeka, Kansas 66604
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release:
July 30, 2018
For more information, contact:
Bill Riggins, General Counsel
785-273-7010
Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. Selects New Executive Vice President and CEO
Topeka, Kansas (July 30, 2018) – Kansas Electric Power Cooperative’s (KEPCo’s) Board of Trustees has selected Suzanne Lane of Topeka, Kansas, as the new Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization.
KEPCo’s Board President, Kevin Compton, stated, “Suzanne possesses the knowledge and talent to continue to move the cooperative forward to meet the energy needs of our member-owners. We look forward to working with her in her new position as we strive to meet future energy requirements in today’s challenging energy markets.”
Suzanne has twenty years of leadership experience in the utility business, working at Westar Energy for most of her career, and then joining the KEPCo team in 2017. Her work responsibilities and experience have included wholesale power marketing, transmission and distribution operations, and key account management. Most recently, she has served as the Vice President, Member Services and Government Affairs for KEPCo.
“KEPCo has a long-standing, strong presence in Kansas as a not-for-profit, member-focused organization that works hard to provide its members with the most reliable, cost-effective power. I am honored and privileged to have been selected for this role, and I look forward to working side-by-side with the Board of Trustees and staff to continue that mission,” stated Suzanne after her selection.
In 1998, Suzanne received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. She received her Master of Business Administration in 2001 from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Suzanne and her husband, Martin, have two daughters and reside in the Topeka area. She will assume the duties of the Executive Vice President and CEO on October 1 of this year.
KPP’s Chesney Named to APPA Board of Directors
June 26, 2018
KMU Dispatch
www.kmunet.org
Posted June 26, 2018
Mark Chesney, General Manager and CEO of Kansas Power Pool was named to the American Public Power Association Board of Directors at the association’s National Conference last week. APPA members approved the nomination at the association’s annual business meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Five other public power leaders were also elected to the Board with Chesney, including:
• Todd Gale, general manager of Columbus Light and Water in Mississippi;
• David Osburn, general manager of Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority in Edmond, Oklahoma;
• Laurie Mangum, energy director for the City of St. George in Utah;
• Darrel Wenzel, general manager and CEO of Waverly Utilities in Iowa; and
• David Wright, general manager of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in California.
Chesney has served as CEO and General Manager since October 2012 and has over 25 years of experience in the municipal electric utility industry. Prior to joining KPP, Mark was general manager of the Tahlequah Public Works Authority, a municipal utility providing electric and water service to a community of about 16,000 in northeast Oklahoma at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.
In addition, Mark served as the operations manager of the Utah Municipal Power Agency headquartered in Provo, UT. UMPA is a municipal joint action agency similar in mission to KPP. His public power career began with the Grand River Dan Authority where he was Assistant General Manager for Energy Marketing and Development.
Having served six years on the APPA Board and fulfilling the maximum possible term, KMU Executive Director Colin Hansen relinquished his Board seat at the APPA National Conference.