Strong storms spawn massive mutual aid effort: After strong thunderstorms downed trees and power lines over the weekend, Wisconsin’s public power community is rallying to restore service. Beginning late Friday, MEUW helped to coordinate mutual aid assistance in Barron, Gresham, Kaukauna and Wisconsin Rapids. Crews from more than 45 member utilities traveled north to assist with power restoration and clean up. Among the areas hardest hit is Wisconsin Rapids, where some 10,000 customers lost service and more than 100 utility poles needed to be replaced.
Virtually all available resources from public power utilities across the state are being used for this mutual aid event, which is believed to be among the largest in-state event MEUW has helped to coordinate. Some utilities that received mutual aid and restored power over the weekend are now sending crews to Wisconsin Rapids. It will be a several more days before power is fully restored; the need for mutual aid is expected to last through the week and into the weekend.
We will continue to provide periodic updates as the recovery continues. In the meantime, questions should be directed to MEUW’s Manager of Safety Services Mike Czuprynko at (608) 393-7702. Thank you to all who have helped contribute to the success of this mutual aid effort.
The American Public Power Association (APPA) has been monitoring the mutual aid response in Wisconsin, and posted this story on its news blog earlier today.
Plan to attend Customer First! Power Lunch: The Customers First! Coalition will host its annual Power Lunch on Tuesday, Aug. 27, in Madison.
The program – “Energy 2050” – will focus on what the utility world might look like at mid-century. Futurist Rebecca Ryan will offer perspective from Fortune 1000 companies, med-tech, the U.S. military, and NATO to see what futures are emerging, the role of utilities in enabling or disabling them, and what those futures teach us about how to prepare for 2050. Following her keynote presentation, Ms. Ryan will join industry executives for a panel discussion about carbon reduction, affordable electricity, and their predictions for 2050.
The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison (lunch is included). The registration fee for the general public is $40. Representatives from MEUW member utilities are invited to attend the event at no cost. To register, click here and enter the promo code, CFCMEMBER.
MEUW is a founding member of the Customers First! Coalition, organized in 1995 to advocate on behalf of Wisconsin consumers in the debate over electric-utility restructuring.
Friday is deadline to submit data for 2019 Wage & Benefits Survey: Member utilities are encouraged to submit data for MEUW’s annual Wage & Benefits Survey by 5 p.m. on Friday July 26. Only those utilities that provide information for the survey will receive a copy of the results when they are distributed in mid-August.
Forty-two utilities responded by the deadline for the second of two random drawings designed to encourage early submittals to this year’s survey. Prizes and winning utilities from the July 17 drawing are:
- $25 gift card (2 winners): Medford and Richland Center
- MEUW merchandise (5 winners): Brodhead, Eagle River, Kaukauna, River Falls and Stratford
If a total of 70 or more utilities submit data by the July 26 deadline, all respondents become eligible for a “grand prize” drawing for a $100 Visa gift card. Questions about the Wage & Benefits Survey should be directed to the MEUW Office at (608) 837-2263.
Send us your job postings: Remember that MEUW welcomes the opportunity to help you attract qualified applicants to your utility’s job openings. Send your open job postings to info@meuw.org whenever they become available. We will work to post your position in a timely fashion and also publicize it in the next issue of Live Lines (if the position is not filled before its monthly publication date).