Share the public power story at MEUW’s “Day at the Capitol.” Join your peers at the Capitol in Madison next week — on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 (2/5/25) — to share the public power story with lawmakers. As a result of redistricting and the outcome of recent elections, 28% of the state legislature has turned over, either with first-timers or lawmakers who have switched chambers for the new legislative session. It’s a great opportunity for municipal utilities to make an impression on new (and returning) members of the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly. You’ll be representing not only your public power community, but also the more than 300,000 Wisconsinites who get their electricity from a community-owned utility. Full details are available here. There is no registration fee to participate — sign up today!
Don’t get caught phishing: It’s not uncommon to receive emails sent by someone who is “fishing” for your information, usually by setting up a phony website. One very recent example is an email that looks like it was sent by MEUW’s Randy Larson with a Dropbox attachment (example here). This is not a legitimate email; if you received it, please delete it immediately. To learn more about what to look for and avoid being scammed, check out this video.
Keep up with the rules to stay a well-run utility: The “right to serve” electric customers is a privilege municipal utilities can’t take for granted. Understanding the complexities of utility regulation and the variety of rules required to comply with state and federal safety and employment laws is essential to effectively managing a utility every day. As part of MEUW’s “Fundamentals of Utility Management” training program, this one-day course explores the rules and regulations, the reasons many of those rules exist, and the risks and consequences when utilities fail to follow them. Participants will take away a deeper understanding of these important concepts and gain new insights to make compliance more efficient. The class will be held in Mauston on Wednesday, Feb. 12. An outline of the training topics, the instructors, and registration details are here.
Participate in “The Power of One” customer service training: This new, interactive virtual training series is aimed at exploring skills and insights to deliver exceptional customer service. The next session in the monthly six-part series takes place on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 10:00 a.m. The 90-minute virtual training focuses on emotional intelligence, exploring how to build awareness of your own emotions and recognize the feelings of others. Participants will learn techniques to manage emotions effectively, ask insightful questions, and evaluate options with empathy and understanding.
The Feb. 20 session is the second of six training classes designed to explore different aspects of customer services and provide insights about the skills needed to consistently deliver exceptional service to both internal and external customers. You have the option to enroll in this session only or make a commitment to attend the remaining classes, and you can also decide whether to enroll as an individual learner or have one person from your municipality register for small group viewing. The training series name — “The Power of One” — is a nod to how each employee’s individual actions contribute to customer satisfaction and a positive impression of the utility. All workers regardless of role, department, and experience level are welcome to attend.
Full details about the new program (including the registration options and fees) can be found at www.meuw.org/powerofone.
Sign up now for the Apparatus Workshop: MEUW and Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) have organized an Apparatus Workshop to be held Feb. 18–19. Held at CVTC’s campus in Eau Claire, this workshop will cover topics like: jobsite safety, capacitors, voltage regulators, reclosers, trip savers, meters, and connectors/ connections. (Final topics may change depending on presenter availability.) Details and registration information are located here.
MEUW’s Board of Directors Meeting was held in Wisconsin Dells on Jan. 17, in accordance with the association’s Bylaws. The draft minutes of the meeting are available here (member login is required).
Join the Foreman’s Roundtable March 19: The foreman role is important to safety and efficiency when operating a utility. The people leading utility line crews face common challenges and often don’t have an opportunity to talk with others facing those same challenges. This meeting will enable electric utility foremen to share ideas, learn from one another, and develop leadership and communication skills, especially regarding safety.
Held at Milford Hills in Johnson Creek, the day’s agenda will include discussion on topics most important to the participants. Following the Roundtable, attendees will have the chance to take part in an optional teambuilding and networking activity at the hunt club. Registration and details are here.