Electric Operations Conference & Expo 2024 starts tomorrow! We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells later this week. Nearly 200 participants are registered, and at least 61 municipal utilities will be represented. This annual event is organized by MEUW in cooperation with Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA). It kicks off tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 10) with sessions targeting municipal-specific topics, including a presentation by Public Service Commissioner Summer Strand.
Attendees also will have the chance to visit more than 115 manufacturers and suppliers of the latest and most in-demand products and services at Thursday’s Expo. The annual Apprentice Graduation banquet — honoring more than 50 new journeymen tradespeople in electric line work and metering from the Class of 2023 — will be held Thursday evening. The MEUW Board of Directors also will meet on Friday morning in conjunction with the conference.
If you’re concerned about the weather and travel, be aware of the modified cancellation policy in effect for this event. And remember to bring your tax-exemption certificate for your hotel room charges (the Kalahari Resort will require you to present this documentation at check-in).
The January edition of Live Lines was distributed last week. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.
Invoices you receive from MEUW are getting a new look and coming directly to your inbox: To help reduce administrative expenses, we recently transitioned to a new online accounting software. The new approach means some of the routine invoices we send for program fees and other services have a new look. The online system also makes it easier to send invoices via email, something we expect will become our standard process. If you’re a person who typically receives and processes MEUW invoices, be on the lookout for the changes. We anticipate some emails sent by our system may be impacted by spam filters, so we will send a separate email to alert you when the first set of mass invoices is sent.
Remind your friends about MEUW scholarship: MEUW provides its “Powering Futures” Scholarship to support students pursuing careers in electrical power distribution. Applications for this year’s awards will be accepted until Jan. 23, 2024. To be eligible, students must reside in a Wisconsin public power community and must be pursuing post-secondary education to become a Field Service Technician, Groundman, Lineman Apprentice, Electric Meter Technician, Substation Electrician Apprentice or Utility Technician. For more information and to review the complete criteria, visit meuw.org/scholarships.
Learn Line Design and Code Compliance: Sign up today to learn design applications and decisions designers must consider when preparing designs that are safe, reliable, and in compliance with National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) requirements, including the most recent changes. Following this one-day workshop, led by Dave Krause, P.E., attendees will return to their work better prepared to help their utilities adopt design practices that comply with applicable professional engineering laws and regulations. Held Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, the full agenda and registration information is available here.
New safety-related offerings added to the calendar for 2024: Members of the MEUW Safety and Education Committee are continually exploring ways to keep safety top of mind and engage members of all sizes to learn from one another and promote safe work practices. Recognizing that municipal utilities across Wisconsin count on MEUW for safety training and leadership, the association is adding two new offerings for 2024 — a monthly safety call and the “Foreman’s Roundtable.” Details were shared in the most recent edition of Live Lines. The article can be viewed here.
Utility Planning and Risk Management course on Feb. 14: Learn the basics of strategic and operational planning, why planning matters, and how well-thought-out plans and careful assessments of risks can contribute to long-term success. This refreshed one-day course focused on utility planning and risk management is being offered early in 2024 as part of MEUW’s professional development programming. The course will be held in Mauston on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and is part of MEUW’s Fundamentals of Utility Management series. Full details and registration are available here.
Everything Solar Workshop registration now open: Join your fellow utility peers at this new two-day workshop that will focus on the emergence of solar energy across Wisconsin. Specifically, the workshop agenda will address solar project configurations, service applications, interconnection rules and regulations, and inspections. Workshop participants will learn about what their utility needs to consider regarding utility-scale solar projects, as well as the impacts of customer-driven projects, including grid-connected renewables. This session will be led by Dave Krause, P.E., and will be held in Madison on Feb. 29 and March 1. Utility personnel who are looking to gain or improve their understanding of solar project requirements, drivers and operational impacts are encouraged to attend. Additional information and registration available here.
Underground Facility Locating Workshops available: Choose from two locations for this one-day workshop designed to cover the National Utility Locating Contractors Association (NUCLA) Professional Competency Standard Manual Units 1-3. Material is first covered in the classroom and then applied in the field. Attendees learn locator theory, how to use a transmitter and receiver, how to overcome common obstacles, and how to evaluate difficult situations encountered in the field. Full details are available here. Date options include: Thursday, March 14, in Marshfield, or Tuesday, March 19, in Two Rivers.
Don’t miss Watt-Hour Meter Workshop: Mistakes, tampering, and improper operation can turn your watt-hour meters into a large source of revenue loss. This annual Watt-Hour Metering Workshop will educate participants on how to keep their utilities’ meters humming. This year’s workshop will focus on both fundamental and advanced topics, recognizing the variety of metering equipment in use across municipal utilities. The program will offer a solid review of the essentials, combined with an in-depth study of installation, troubleshooting, and meter tampering. The workshop will be held March 25-28 at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. Registrations are available for all or part of the four-day workshop. Full details are available here.
Sign up for Customer Service Roundtable near you: Six MEUW member utilities will host Customer Service Roundtables in 2024. These Roundtables bring together member utilities to exchange ideas and learn from one another. The forum provides members an opportunity to start discussions among front-office and customer service personnel regarding leading practices, service trends and emerging issues affecting municipal electric utility customers. Everyone is welcome! Having each member utility send at least one representative helps to ensure the information and ideas exchanged can benefit every municipality MEUW serves. Click here for locations and registration information.