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Public Power Utilities Recognized By APPA For Reliable And Safe Electric Service

March 28, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 28, 2022

Fifty-four of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities earned the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for providing reliable and safe electric service.

The RP3 designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. Criteria include sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity.

This year, 54 utilities earned the designation and, in total, 275 of the more than 2,000 public power utilities nation-wide hold the RP3 designation.

“Running a reliable and safe utility has never been as important as it is today,” said Aaron Haderle, Chair of APPA’s RP3 Review Panel and Manager of Transmission and Distribution Operations at ‎Kissimmee Utility Authority, Florida, in a statement. “Utilities that have earned this designation have demonstrated commitment to serving their communities and constantly looking to improve.”  

This is the seventeenth year that RP3 recognition has been offered.

A full list of designees is available at www.PublicPower.org.

Public Power Lineworkers Earn Trophies At APPA National Rodeo

March 28, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 28, 2022

Twelve teams and 14 individuals won awards at the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) twentieth annual Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo, held March 25-26, in Austin, Texas.

Fifty-five teams and 96 apprentices from not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities across the nation participated. The rodeo is a series of competitive events demonstrating lineworker skills and safe work practices.

“I don’t think you’ll find anyone prouder of their craft than lineworkers,” said Alex Hofmann, vice president of technical and operations services at APPA. “Seeing them out there demonstrating their skill with a focus on safety is awesome. The rodeo promotes comradery and helps support mutual aid,” he added.

The awards honor lineworkers’ expertise, and the events are judged based upon safety, work practices, neatness, ability, equipment handling, and timely event completion.

All safety rules established by APPA’s Safety Manual were observed during events.

There are two levels of competition within the rodeo — journeyman and apprentice. The journeyman teams consist of three members — two climbers and a ground person — and can include an optional alternate.

Journeymen have years of experience within the electric utility trade, while an apprentice lineworker is newer to the craft.

2022 PUBLIC POWER LINEWORKERS RODEO WINNERS

Apprentice – Overall

1st – Bynjamin Cropley, SMUD, California

2nd – Thomas Steverson, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida

3rd – Matthew Coakley, OUC, Florida

4th – Drew Wingington, SMUD, California

5th – Dustin Pearce, SMUD, California

Apprentice – 90-Degree Crossarm Relocation

1st – Evan Englert, OUC, Florida

2nd – Carlton Blake Paul, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

3rd – Ethan Shellabarger, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Florida

Apprentice – Hurtman Rescue

1st – Carlton Blake Paul, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

2nd – Matthew Barlow, Roseville Electric, California

3rd – Seth Kelley, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

Apprentice – Double Dead-End Bell Change-Out

1st – Zan Habetz, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

2nd – Karl Glass, Kissimmee Utility Authority, Florida

3rd – Jordan Reddick, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida

Apprentice – Pole Top Pin Insulator Change-Out

1st – Carlton Blake Paul, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

2nd – Zan Habetz, Lafayette Utilities System, Louisiana

3rd – Jordan Reddick, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida

Apprentice – Written Test

1st – Bynjamin Cropley, SMUD, California

2nd – Jack Schintz, Shakopee Public Utilities Commission, Minnesota

3rd – Thomas Steverson, City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida

Journeyman – Overall

1st – Nashville Electric Service, Tennessee: Adam Harris, Josh Jones, Derek Pennington, and Mike Shannon

2nd – Turlock Irrigation District, California: Raphael Battig, Josh Klikna, and Dustin Krieger

3rd – Colorado Springs Utilities: Tyler Dimenza, John Rombeck, Mario Sanchez, and Cody Strong

4th – Santee Cooper, South Carolina: Austin Griswold, Dow Hardee, Joe Sawyer, and Chad Williams

5th – City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida: Randall Crum, Josh Helton, Justin Johnson, and Coy Judd

Journeyman – 4kV Crossarm Change-Out

1st – Roseville Electric, California: Kyle Giesser, Phillip Hartnett, Robert Myles, and Tom Pontes

2nd – Santee Cooper, South Carolina: Austin Griswold, Dow Hardee, Joe Sawyer, and Chad Williams

3rd – JEA, Florida: Chance Jones, Caleb Macabitas, Cody Stokes, and Adam Strickland

Journeyman – Obstacle Course

1st – Nashville Electric Service, Tennessee: Tommy Barksdale, Durwood Burks, Daniel Pease, and Cody Roberts

2nd – Santee Cooper, South Carolina: Jamie Anderson, Drew Boatwright, Josh Sawyer, and Charlie Thompkins

3rd – SMUD, California: Tanner Barnes, Justin Estes, and Colt Hodgkin

Journeyman – Hurtman Rescue

1st – JEA, Florida: Chance Jones, Caleb Macabitas, Cody Stokes, and Adam Strickland

2nd – Ponca City Energy, Oklahoma: Tomas Alvarez, Chris Crain, and Cory Waite

3rd – Roseville Electric, California: Kyle Giesser, Phillip Hartnett, Robert Myles, and Tom Pontes

Journeyman – Suspension Insulator Change-Out

1st – Santee Cooper, South Carolina: Jamie Anderson, Drew Boatwright, Josh Sawyer, and Charlie Thompkins

2nd – City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida: Randall Crum, Josh Helton, Justin Johnson, and Coy Judd

3rd – JEA, Florida: Dan Baye, Kelvin Jasper, Gregory Scott Johnson, and Franklee Taylor

Journeyman – Transformer Banking

1st – Santee Cooper, South Carolina: Austin Griswold, Dow Hardee, Joe Sawyer, and Chad Williams

2nd – Nashville Electric Service, Tennessee: Tommy Barksdale, Durwood Burks, Daniel Pease, and Cody Roberts

3rd – City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Florida: Randall Crum, Josh Helton, Justin Johnson, and Coy Judd

Colorado Springs Utilities To Operate, Maintain Fort Carson’s Electric And Gas Infrastructure

March 28, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 28, 2022

Colorado Springs Utilities will begin operating and maintaining Fort Carson’s electric and natural gas infrastructure outside of buildings in early 2023 under an agreement announced March 16.

Col. Nate Springer, commander, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Carson, and Aram Benyamin, CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities, signed the pact, known as an Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA), during a utilities board meeting at Colorado Springs Utilities.

“Because Colorado Springs Utilities is so much larger than our base operations contractor, it immediately makes us more resilient,” Springer said.

Army leaders and utilities board members indicated that the agreement for Colorado Springs Utilities crews to operate and maintain outdoor infrastructure has been in the works for close to three years and that it will allow the Mountain Post to harness the local utility’s means, methods, supply chain and network.

The partners said it will not impact other utility customers and that it should be a seamless process for Fort Carson.

“We have staff, a warehouse system and bigger buying power that we can leverage to support (Fort Carson), which will help keep costs minimal as well as lower costs in some areas,” said Travas Deal, chief operations officer, Colorado Springs Utilities.

This IGSA is slated to begin in January 2023 and last for 10 years, with one-year renewal options.

Springer explained that it’s just one of many energy projects and efforts that the post has planned for the near future.

FERC Designates Pipeline Certificate, GHG Emissions Policy Statements As Drafts

March 28, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 28, 2022

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on March 24 voted to seek additional comments on two policy statements it issued in February that provide guidance regarding the certification of interstate natural gas pipelines and consideration of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in natural gas project reviews. 

FERC last month issued an update to its 1999 Certificate Policy Statement and also issued an interim policy statement focused on the Commission’s assessment of the impact of a project’s GHG emissions. FERC had originally called for comments on the interim policy statement on GHG emissions by April 4, but the agency did not provide for further comments on the updated certificate policy statement.

After further consideration, the Commission at its March open meeting designated both documents as draft policy statements on which the Commission is seeking further public comment.

The two draft policy statements will not apply to pending project applications or filed applications before the Commission issues any final guidance in these dockets.

FERC Chairman Richard Glick noted in a statement that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has on several occasions, including as recently as March 11, “cast significant doubt about the approach the Commission has been taking to site natural gas pipelines and LNG facilities. The policy statements were intended to provide a more legally durable framework for the Commission to consider proposed natural gas projects.”

However, in light of concerns that the policy statements created further confusion about the Commission’s approach to the siting of natural gas projects, “the Commission decided it would be helpful to gather additional comments from all interested stakeholders, including suggestions for creating greater certainty, before implementing the new policy statements,” Glick added.     

He confirmed that FERC will process pending gas certificate applications under the Commission’s longstanding 1999 policy statement, as further interpreted by FERC and judicial precedent. Glick also highlighted a number of gas infrastructure projects approved at the March 24 FERC meeting.

Glick also said at the meeting that “the policy statements, when they are finalized, will apply only to subsequently filed applications for pipeline and LNG facility approval.”

Comments on the policy statements are due by April 25, 2022, with reply comments due May 25, 2022.

All five FERC Commissioners earlier this month testified before a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to review recent actions of FERC relating to permitting construction and operation of interstate natural gas pipelines and other natural gas infrastructure projects.

Click here for FERC’s order on the draft policy statements.

South San Joaquin Irrigation District Bid To Replace PG&E As Power Provider Advances

March 27, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 27, 2022

The California Supreme Court on March 16 denied Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) petition for review of a decision by the Third District Court of Appeal, validating the San Joaquin County Local Agency Formation Commission’s determination that South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) has the ability and authority to provide electric utility service to its customers.

As a result, the SSJID can pursue acquisition of investor-owned PG&E’s electrical assets through eminent domain of the PG&E service area in the SSJID district boundaries, which includes the cities of Escalon, Manteca, and Ripon, and surrounding rural areas.

As part of the denial, PG&E will be required to pay legal costs to SSJID incurred while appealing this case in court over the past four years.  

A December 2021 decision issued by the Third District Court of Appeal validated the Local Agency Formation Commission’s approval of SSJID’s ability and authority to provide retail electric utility service to its customers. The decision also allows the district to move forward with the ability to provide those services by purchasing PG&E’s facilities through the process of eminent domain.

The SSJID expects to resume its eminent domain efforts in San Joaquin County Superior Court within the next year.  

SSJID was established in 1909 and is headquartered in Manteca, Calif.

SSJID provides agricultural irrigation water to about 56,000 acres surrounding Escalon, Ripon and Manteca, and wholesale drinking water to the cities of Manteca, Lathrop, Tracy, indirectly serving over 193,000 residents, and in the future, the city of Escalon.

SSJID, along with Oakdale Irrigation District, owns and operates the Tri-Dam Project, a series of storage reservoirs and electric generation facilities that produce zero-carbon hydropower in the Stanislaus Riverwater shed.

Target Tests First Net Zero Energy Location

March 27, 2022

by Vanessa Nikolic
APPA News
March 27, 2022

Target Corporation recently announced its most sustainable store yet, which will test multiple innovations that generate renewable energy and reduce the building’s emissions.

Located in Vista, California, the store will take part in a remodeling project to help guide the retailer’s efforts to achieve its sustainability goals.

The Vista location will generate renewable energy through more than 3,000 solar panels across its roof and recently installed carport canopies.

Target has applied for a net zero energy certification from the International Living Future Institute. The California store is expected to produce up to a 10% energy surplus each year that it can transmit back to the local power grid.

The building features additional environmentally friendly elements to further reduce emissions, including its HVAC heating that is powered through the rooftop solar panels, instead of natural gas. The store also made the switch to carbon dioxide refrigeration, a natural refrigerant that Target plans to implement chain-wide by 2040 to reduce its direct operations’ emissions by 20%.

Target is building on reducing its carbon footprint to support the company’s sustainability strategy Target Forward. One of the company’s commitments include achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions enterprise-wide by 2040.

While the Vista store is the most sustainable Target location to date, the company has other action items in progress. Target’s offsite solar and wind energy contracts are effectively guiding the company toward its renewable energy goal, as it has secured new partnerships that will allow it to purchase nearly half of its electricity from renewable sources later this year.

Many Target locations already use LED lighting instead of conventional lighting which has helped to conserve 10% of its stores’ energy use.

Additionally, the recycling and donations operations at the Vista store, along with other Target facilities, support the company’s goal to move 90% of its U.S. operations’ waste away from landfills by 2030 as it aims to work toward a Zero Waste certification.

The Vista site also offers electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces to support Target’s nationwide EV efforts, as the retailer offers more than 1,350 spaces at over 150 locations across 20 states.

Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Pandemic Response Recognized

March 25, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 25, 2022

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) was recently named the winner of the PR News 2022 Nonprofit Awards in the social responsibility category for its on-going efforts to assist and help customers and the community manage challenges during the pandemic.

These national awards recognize organizations, individuals, and initiatives in the nonprofit sector that work to better their communities and the world around them.

BPU noted that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted Wyandotte County, Kansas, over the last 24 months, both from a health perspective and economically, with many experiencing lost income and wages, food insecurity and psychological strain.

“As a socially responsible partner in the community, BPU undertook a variety of initiatives and programs and educational efforts during that period to assist customers, including those experiencing financial hardship and/or difficulty managing their utility payments, helping them access or utilize all of the various resources available,” the public power utility said.

 This included campaigns to promote and connect the community to various local, state, and federal programs and resources to assist, including the state-managed KERA program, direct financial assistance and relief from BPU in concert with the United Way (more than 600 families assisted in last 12 months), enactment of temporary disconnection moratoriums, remote opportunities for bills payment/questions in order to be safe, and much more.

These communications efforts included the use of direct mailers, website and other customer service enhancements, flyers and media promotions to help the community be safe and more easily access the resources they required.

This latest award is one of several BPU has received in recent months for its on-going commitment to the community and its COVID response efforts, which included being named a local Corporate Champion by Ingram’s magazine at the 2021 Philanthropist of the Year Awards in December of 2021.

BPU has been serving Wyandotte County for more than 100 years, and was recently highlighted on the PR News 2022 Nonprofit Awards webpage, along with other award recipients.

California Community Choice Aggregator Looks To Boost Geothermal Development

March 25, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 25, 2022

California community choice aggregator Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) recently issued a request for information (RFI) to select entities to enter a public-private partnership aimed at accelerating the development of incremental geothermal resources in a Geothermal Opportunity Zone spanning Sonoma and Mendocino counties, Calif.

SCP is ultimately looking to enable 500 megawatts (MW) of incremental local geothermal development while maintaining existing regional geothermal capacity.

SCP has an interest in entering into a partnership agreement with selected entities to collaborate on transmission planning, community engagement, regulatory advocacy, public education, and state and federal grants to enable development of additional geothermal capacity in the Geothermal Opportunity Zone.

SCP is also interested in opportunities that sustain the longevity and efficiency of existing resources.

SCP’s intent is to be the off-taker for as much as 150 MW of the capacity from resources developed through the partnership and will leverage its relationship with other load-serving entities to assist marketing all Geothermal Opportunity Zone output.

In the RFI, SCP said that it recognizes the opportunity for a large resurgence in geothermal resource development, particularly in California.

“An increasing penetration of intermittent renewables, ambitious environmental targets, and retirement of nuclear and natural gas plants are creating an attractive market for the reliability and capacity attributes of geothermal power,” it said.

“Meanwhile, technology transfer from the oil and gas sector, expanding research and development activities related to geothermal resource assessment and power generation technologies, and increased public and private investment provides the potential to greatly expand the application of geothermal power and reduce costs,” the CCA said.

SCP is looking to “reinvigorate local geothermal development through a focused initiative to address the barriers for geothermal resource development, such as by providing an off-taker and building community support for preferred projects.”

As part of this initiative, SCP is pursuing the following activities in parallel with the solicitation:

Responses to the RFI are due April 29, 2022, 5:00 p.m. PDT and the RFI is available here.

The American Public Power Association has initiated a new category of membership for community choice aggregation programs.

Cyber Activity Used By Indicted Russian State-Sponsored Actors Detailed

March 25, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 25, 2022

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Energy (DOE) recently published a joint cybersecurity advisory with information on multiple intrusion campaigns targeting U.S. and international energy sector organizations conducted by indicted Russian state-sponsored cyber actors from 2011 to 2018.

In conjunction with the Department of Justice unsealed indictments on March 24, the advisory provides the technical details of a global energy sector intrusion campaign using Havex malware, and the compromise of a Middle East-based energy sector organization using TRITON malware.  Additional details about the indictments are available here.

While the advisory details historical cyber activity, CISA, FBI, and DOE assess that state-sponsored Russian cyber operations continue to pose an ongoing threat to U.S. energy sector networks.

The U.S. energy sector and critical infrastructure organizations more broadly are urged to apply the recommended mitigations, the agencies said.

Actions that executives and leaders can take now to protect their networks include:   

 “In light of the indictments announced today and evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options to conduct potential cyberattacks against the U.S., CISA, along with our FBI and DOE partners, is issuing this joint advisory to reinforce the demonstrated threat posed by Russian state-sponsored cyber actors,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly in a statement.

“While the intrusions highlighted in this advisory span an earlier period of time, the associated tactics, techniques, procedures, and mitigation steps are still highly relevant in the current threat environment,” she said.

In addition to the advisory, organizations should visit www.CISA.gov/shields-up for information on how to protect their networks.

Modesto Irrigation District Board Appoints Ed Franciosa To Serve As General Manager

March 25, 2022

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 25, 2022

The Board of Directors of California public power utility Modesto Irrigation District (MID) on March 24 announced the appointment of Ed Franciosa to serve as MID’s General Manager.

Franciosa will fill this position following the resignation of Bill Schwandt, who served as MID’s General Manager for the last fifteen months. 

Franciosa has been MID’s Assistant General Manager of Transmission and Distribution since 2014, overseeing the electric engineering, substation, metering, line construction, line maintenance and trouble departments. He also served as Interim General Manager in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic.

Franciosa joined MID in 1997 as a Senior Electrical Engineer and has also served as an Interim Trouble Supervisor and Electrical Engineering Manager. Prior to his tenure at MID, he worked in various capacities at Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the California Energy Commission. 

Franciosa’s appointment is effective immediately.