Countdown to 95th Anniversary celebration is on! In three short months, MEUW will mark 95 years since it was founded by a group of dedicated municipal leaders who thought their community-owned utilities needed a unified voice. To celebrate their wisdom and the commitment to strengthening public power in Wisconsin, MEUW is planning events for Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Waunakee and Madison. Full details are available on a special website dedicated to the festivities, which is available here.
Recording of last week’s grants webinar is available to view: MEUW hosted a one-hour online forum, conducted by Power System Engineering (PSE), to review federal grant opportunities available to municipal electric utilities. The discussion covered the latest grant opportunities for access to no- or low-cost financing for electrical infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Information provided and a recording of the webinar is available on MEUW’s website at meuw.org/grants.
The July edition of Live Lines was distributed on July 5. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.
One-day leadership class set for Aug. 2: MEUW rolled out changes to its professional development programming earlier in 2023 and is now offering a “Municipal Utility Leadership Certificate” series to help municipal employees strengthen their skills in leading people and projects. The next course in the three-part series, “Leading With Consistency” focuses on why having a consistent approach to holding others accountable for their performance is an essential skill for any leader. The class is planned for Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Lodge at Mauston, and participants will learn practical tactics they can apply to become a consistent leader and learn how consistency can help to inspire people to work toward a common goal. To learn about the program and to register, click here.
Join the Focus on Energy midyear program update webinar: Mark your calendars for Tuesday, July 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to hear from the Focus on Energy team on updates to program offerings and activities. Click on this link to join the Microsoft Teams webinar at 10:00 a.m. on July 25, or call in (audio only) at 1-469-270-0051, ID 882 0620407#. If you are unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and available on the “Resources for Utilities” page of the Focus on Energy website. Questions can be directed to Matt Bromley at Focus on Energy via email.
Save the date for annual Accounting and Customer Service Seminar: MEUW’s annual gathering of municipal electric utility personnel involved in accounting, customer service, and utility billing is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Lodge At Mauston. Registration for the seminar will open in early August.
A portion of the seminar agenda will be dedicated to “member showcase” discussions to allow utility attendees to share insights about their accounting, rates, billing, or customer service practices and successes. Each showcase discussion will be limited to 15 minutes, and each utility chosen to share will be offered a 50% discount toward one seminar registration fee. To be considered, please complete the “call for presenters” form here by noon on Friday, July 28.
Crane Certification Training make-up session available in September: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard requires that any worker who uses a digger-derrick to lift materials or for non-electric-distribution-system must be certified as a mobile crane operator. Since early 2022, MEUW has been providing training and certification to its members’ electric utility employees at no cost. The certification is valid for five years.
If you missed the MEUW-provided Crane Certification Training, we’re holding a make-up session on Thursday, Sept. 21 at New Lisbon Utilities, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Training will include both classroom and practical (field) portions. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. To sign up, click here. Contact MEUW Electric Safety and Training Coordinator Don Harnisch at (715) 459-1023 or at dharnisch@meuw.org with questions and to let him know your utility will be participating.
Member Inquiry: Jennie Wilhorn, Utility/Payroll Clerk at City of New Lisbon Municipal Electric & Water (NLMEW), is seeking insights from MEUW member utilities that utilize the tax roll process. NLMEW is wondering at what point other utilities consider a tenant’s bill to become the landlord’s liability (at the time the tenant moves out? when the bill becomes past-due? or not until tax roll time?). If you can share insights and experiences, please contact Jennie directly by email.
Registration now open for new management training class: A new class offered as part of MEUW’s “Fundamentals of Utility Management” training program will explore the wide array of regulations, compliance, and safety rules every municipal utility leader must follow. As a highly regulated business, utilities must comply with dozens of operating rules to retain the “right to serve” electric customers. The course — to be offered Wednesday, Oct. 11, in Mauston — will explore the reasons behind the rules and provide insights to make compliance easier. An outline of the training topics, the instructors, and registration details are here.
“Call for Presentations” at January conference now open: The 2024 Electric Operations Conference & Expo (to be held Jan. 10-12 in Wisconsin Dells) will again feature a number of breakout sessions, and event organizers are inviting member utilities and members of the Wisconsin Utility Suppliers Association (WUSA) to submit ideas they can present to conference attendees. This will be an opportunity to showcase a product or service and share information and insights. Priority will be given to presentations that include a real-life success story featuring (and co-presented by) a Wisconsin municipal or electric cooperative utility. Full details are available here. The deadline to submit a proposal is Sept. 30.
MEUW Weekly is on a summer schedule: A reminder that MEUW is not distributing an e-newsletter every week during the summer. Look for the next edition of MEUW Weekly in your inbox on Tuesday, Aug. 15. The August edition of MEUW’s monthly newsletter, Live Lines, will be sent on Aug. 1.