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.
Volvo, Starbucks Plan To Install EV Chargers Along Denver-Seattle Route
March 17, 2022
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
March 17, 2022
Volvo Car USA and Starbucks this week said they plan to install electric vehicle charging stations along a 1,350-mile route between Denver and Seattle.
The collaboration calls for the installation of as many as 60 Volvo-branded ChargePoint direct current (DC) fast chargers at up to 15 Starbucks locations along the Seattle-Denver route.
The charging stations, which will be located at roughly 100-mile intervals along the route, will be available to all electric vehicle owners. Owners of Volvo electric vehicles, however, will pay no charge or receive preferential rates. Owners of other electric vehicles would pay a fee.
Drivers of Volvo Recharge models with Google embedded can use the ChargePoint app in the vehicle to find and access ChargePoint charging stations at participating Starbucks locations. Other drivers will be able to use the ChargePoint smartphone app to find and access charging stations, the companies said.
The companies expect the installation of the charging stations to be complete by the end of 2022.
When the charging stations are installed added along the Denver-Seattle route they will bolster existing networks of electric vehicle charging stations in the western United States.
Last June, Electrify America completed its first string of cross-country fast charging, DC electric vehicle charging stations along an interstate highway route that spans 2,700 miles across 11 states.
Electrify America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen of America.
Also last June, a group representing over a dozen West Coast utilities released the West Coast Clean Transit Corridor Initiative, which recommends adding electric vehicle charging stations for freight haulers and delivery trucks along the Interstate-5 corridor that runs from Canada to Mexico.
Minnesota Public Power Utility Avoids Rate Increase For Third Year In A Row
March 17, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 17, 2022
The board of Alexandria, Minnesota-based public power utility ALP Utilities recently affirmed that there would be no electric rate increase in 2022.
This marks the third year in a row that there is not an electric rate increase.
There are two reasons for this, the utility said. The first is the rate stability that the utility has seen from its wholesale power supplier Missouri River Energy Services, which supplies Alexandria Board of Public Utilities with roughly 68% of the electricity used in Alexandria.
Second is the long-term strategy of planning infrastructure improvements, like undergrounding primary electric services, in a measured way that attempts to mitigate large rate increases for all consumer owners, it said.
ALP Utilities serves residents with electric, water and business communication services.
Wisconsin Public Power Utility Details Contributions To Local Organizations
March 17, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 17, 2022
Black River Falls Municipal Utilities (BRFMU) finished up 2021 by giving back to the local community, the Black River Falls, Wisconsin-based public power utility recently reported.
BRFMU provided a donation to the Jackson County Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers new building fund. This was matched by the Lunda Charitable Fund, which will match all donations until $800,000 is reached.
BRFMU also contributed to the Interfaith Caregivers’ Groceries to Go fund, a program that delivers groceries to homebound seniors and others in need.
Black River Falls High School has several classes that teach students about electricity. However, supplies such as pliers, outlets, switches, wire, and others are needed to provide this hands-on experience.
BRFMU partnered with the school in order to provide the equipment and supplies needed for the classes.
American Legion Post 200, an organization serving veterans and their families, is currently remodeling its kitchen and installing more energy efficient equipment.
As a supporter of energy efficiency projects, BRFMU made a contribution towards the project and is encouraging other organizations to reach out if they will also be doing projects that will result in electrical energy savings.
BRFMU is a locally owned, not-for-profit electric, water, and wastewater utility, serving more than 2,700 customers.
BRFMU is one of 51 public power utilities that are member-owners of wholesale power provider and joint action agency WPPI Energy.
EPA Removes Stay Of Emissions Standards For Stationary Gas-Fired Combustion Turbines
March 17, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 17, 2022
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 9 published a final rule in the Federal Register.
that removes the stay of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) applicable to stationary gas-fired combustion turbines.
The rule became effective March 9, which makes the combustion turbine NESHAP of 91 parts per billion for formaldehyde immediately applicable to all lean premix gas-fired turbines and diffusion flame gas-fired turbines that have commenced construction since January 14, 2003.
EPA has posted on its website an updated list of combustion turbines — both new and existing. However, because the list may not be complete or accurate (including in terms of whether a particular CT is new or existing), owners and operators should determine whether they have new combustion turbines at major sources that will be required to demonstrate compliance with the NESHAP within 180 days of the removal of the stay.
Combustion turbine owners and operators will need to reference their unit commence construction date to determine applicability.
Sources must conduct an initial performance test within 180 days.
Ongoing NESHAP compliance is shown through annual performance tests, monitoring, and operating limitations. There are also notification and recordkeeping requirements.
The final rule is available here.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Earns First J.D. Power Sustainability Leader Designation
March 16, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 16, 2022
California public power utility Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is the first utility to receive J.D. Power’s new Certified Sustainability Leader designation.
J.D. Power on March 16 announced the launch of a new certification program to recognize electric utilities that provide superior customer engagement, awareness and advocacy associated with their climate sustainability goals and plans.
The J.D. Power sustainability certification program draws on its data and real-world experience analytics to evaluate electric utilities on two criteria: 1) ability to build customer awareness for and engagement regarding climate sustainability programs and goals; 2) an operational performance assessment focused on climate change mitigation, resilience and adaptability and leadership efforts.
“The J.D. Power Certified Sustainability Leader program recognizes SMUD for exceeding industry benchmarks of delivering high levels of customer engagement and leading sustainability plans to address climate change,” J.D. Power said.
To qualify for the J.D. Power Certified Sustainability Leader program, electric utilities must rank among the top performers in the Sustainability Index and in a proprietary voice of the customer survey sent to a utility’s customers.
In addition, qualifying brands must pass a comprehensive evaluation of performance relative to recommended operational best practices conducted by J.D. Power.
Once certified, a brand is permitted to promote its achievement with marketing tools such as a J.D. Power Certified Sustainability Leader program emblem and online marketing collateral. Certified brands also are listed on www.jdpower.com/business for consumers to review.
For more information about the J.D. Power Certified Sustainability Leader program, go to:
https://www.jdpower.com/business/sustainability-leader-certification-disclaimer.