96th Annual Conference in Madison/Sun Prairie this week: More than 120 public power leaders will be in Madison and Sun Prairie this week for MEUW’s Annual Conference. The event kicked off today with “Day at the Capitol” meetings with State legislators and staffs to share the Public Power story. Wednesday is a day full of information and networking opportunities, starting with a golf outing at The Oaks Golf Course. Several other events will take place a host utility Sun Prairie Utilities (SPU), including a Utility Governance Roundtable, tours of SPU, a vendor trade show, and a Welcome Reception. Conference check-in will be available beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, at the DoubleTree Hotel Madison East. The Annual Business Meeting begins at 7:30 a.m., and the general session programming begins at 9 a.m. The session will feature presentations from a variety of speakers, and opportunities to interact with others. During a lunchtime ceremony, MEUW will present individual honors and the 2025 Safety Achievement Awards. Questions about the Annual Conference should be directed to MEUW Manager of Communications and Events Sharon Wolf at (608) 575-3614.
The May edition of Live Lines was distributed last week. In case you missed it, you can find it online here.
2026 Wage & Benefits Survey complete: Each year, MEUW collects and shares data about the pay and perks MEUW member utilities provide their employees. The results of the 2025 Wage & Benefits Survey were distributed on May 7. Only the utilities that provided information for the survey received a copy of the results, which were sent to the email address of the person who submitted the data. A total of 60 utilities responded to this year’s survey; that represents 74.1% of the MEUW membership, compared to 66 in 2025 and 62 in 2024. For details about which utilities submitted information for this year’s survey, click here. The comprehensive survey results are considered proprietary. MEUW does not provide the results on request. This practice makes it easier to control how the data is used and by whom.
Don’t fall short on Regulation, Compliance & Safety – sign up today: With more than 100 specific rules utilities must follow to retain the “right-to-serve” electric customers, utilities are highly regulated businesses. Join this one-day class which helps explain why the rules exist and how to navigate the complexities of compliance — skills fundamental to success as a utility manager. Led by John Andres, an expert on utility regulations, and Melissa Barnes, a seasoned Human Resources Manager, participants will walk away from this class with a greater understanding of utility regulations and how to comply. You won’t want to miss this popular (and highly recommended) training that is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, in Mauston. Registration is open — sign up today!
Mark your calendars for Accounting and Customer Service Seminar: This annual seminar brings together municipal electric utility staff to provide updates on regulatory and legislative issues that affect their utilities and provide best practices to improve their operations. MEUW’s Accounting & Customer Service Committee assists MEUW staff in putting together the day’s program to address timely topics and issues of importance to accounting, customer service, and utility billing personnel. This one-day seminar will be held in Mauston on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Additional details coming soon.
MEUW Weekly schedule changes during summer: We will not distribute an e-newsletter every week during the summer. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, MEUW Weekly will be sent only once per month (on the third Tuesdays of June, July, and August). Meanwhile, MEUW’s monthly newsletter, Live Lines, will continue to be published on the first Tuesday of every month through the summer. As always, we welcome your feedback about the news you receive from MEUW. Please use the Comment section below to “leave a reply” and share your thoughts.