Celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day on Thursday: Amid the long list of “holidays” celebrating just about everything, April 18 is designated as National Lineman Appreciation Day. Celebrated officially since 2013 and commemorated by a Resolution in the United States Senate, the Day gives us a chance to express appreciation for the men and women who put their talents to work as electrical line workers.
MEUW member utilities employ more than 300 line workers across Wisconsin, and the association plans to use social media to recognize these hard-working individuals who commit themselves to their customers and communities. Utilities are encouraged to submit photos of their line crews that MEUW can post on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Send the pictures to news@meuw.org and help us recognize Wisconsin’s public power line workers. Take time on Thursday to #thankalineman.
Nomination period for MEUW Board of Directors now open: MEUW is currently accepting nominations for interested individuals to serve on the association’s Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning May 17, 2019. This year’s election will be for Directors and Alternate Directors in odd-numbered districts. The Nomination Form and additional information is available here. The deadline to nominate someone is Friday, April 26.
Customer Service Roundtables kick off next week: Belmont, Cashton, Cumberland, Hartford, Kaukauna, Waunakee and Wisconsin Rapids are the sites for this year’s MEUW-hosted Customer Service Roundtables. Next week’s sessions are in Cumberland on Tuesday, April 23, and Cashton on Thursday, April 25. The Roundtables are a great opportunity to bring members together to exchange ideas and information. For a complete list of dates and locations, click here. Each session begins at 9:30 a.m. and concludes after lunch by about 1:30 p.m. The Roundtables are free and lunch is provided. Register today!
May 22 is Municipal Government and Utility Day at Capitol: All MEUW members are encouraged to participate in the Municipal Lobby Day on Wednesday, May 22. In partnership with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and other trade associations, the gathering offers the opportunity to interact face-to-face with legislators in the state Capitol and at lunch. There is no cost to participate. The day begins at 9 a.m. and includes a legislative briefing before walking to the Capitol for legislative meetings. The day ends with lunch at Monona Terrace. Governor Tony Evers has been invited to speak at lunch. To learn more and to register, click here.
Upcoming three-day workshops offer specialized operations training: MEUW is offering two workshops featuring hands-on, in-the-field training to build our municipal lineworkers’ skills. Here are the details:
- A workshop emphasizing 600 amp fundamentals and an introduction to a 24.9 KV system will be held April 29, 30 and May 1. Training will take place at Hartford Electric’s main office with some training assistance provided by Hartford line crew as they coordinate the hands-on field training.
- An Excavation Safety Workshop is being held at Waupun Utilities from May 6 to 8. This seminar will introduce the novice excavator to the basics of safe operation, maintenance, and inspection of mini-excavators, skid steering units, trenchers, cable plows, and tractor backhoes. The training also will enrich the seasoned operators’ knowledge of these expensive investments, providing new ideas and sharing personal experiences with the tricks of the trade.
Additional details about both of the workshops can be found on MEUW’s Website. Look for the scrolling banner or click on the date from the “Events Calendar.” Specific questions can be directed to Randy Larson, Electric Utility Safety and Training Coordinator, at (715) 559-7542.
Distribution Line Design Training open to MEUW members: Menasha Utilities is the site of a three-day seminar on Distribution Line Design to be held May 7 to 9. The session is being opened up for other municipal electric utilities to join.
Power System Engineering (PSE) is conducting the seminar, which is targeted for utility staff responsible for designing and constructing distribution overhead line, underground line, and new services. The course has a mix of lectured material, group exercises, and participant discussion that revolves around real-life design situations. Additional information is available here.
The per-person cost of the training will be determined based on the total interested. If you’d like to participate or would like to learn more, please contact Mike Mezera, Manager of Line Design with PSE, at (608) 268-3537 or mezeram@powersystem.org.
Electric Grid Security topic of April 30 training program: The Wisconsin Public Utility Institute (WPUI) will hold a training forum to overview the current state of the security and resilience of the electric grid, discuss some innovative ideas, and identify some potential problems and solutions to ensuring a secure and resilient grid. The program is set for Tuesday, April 30, at the Pyle Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. MEUW is a member of WPUI. To register or learn more, click here.