Wisconsin public power crews return home after successful mutual aid mission. Forty-seven public power workers from 22 Wisconsin communities returned home on Friday, Oct. 18 following a week working in hurricane-damaged Lakeland, Florida. They answered the call, along with public power crews from eight other states and Lakeland Electric employees, to safely retore power to some 86,000 customers after Hurricane Milton. Without mutual aid from the Wisconsin crews and those from other municipal utilities, may of the Lakeland Electric customers could have been without power for weeks.
Working under difficult conditions, including heat, flooding, and tight spots that made maneuvering difficult, the crews were able to safely complete the work in about half the time originally estimated.
Thank you to those who answered the call, and to those who stayed back to keep the lights on for Wisconsin municipal utility customers. Information documenting the effort can be found here and photos are here.
Sign up for final District Dialogue. Network and discuss hot topics in a roundtable session with municipal utility leaders at the final District Dialogue luncheon in our series, sponsored by Utility Sales and Service. The session will be held Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Black River Falls, beginning at 10:00 a.m. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required. Sign-up details are available here.
Member Inquiry: The Village of Merrillan is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct a Comprehensive Energy Plan to identify the feasibility of converting its energy delivery system from 2400 volts to 7200 volts. If you have a provider you recommend, or would like to submit a bid, please contact Chris Wruck for more information.
Register today for the 2025 Electric Operations Conference and Expo: Make plans to attend our 2025 Electric Operations Conference and Expo on Jan. 15 – 17 at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Registration is now open! View the agenda and book your hotel room at the discounted rate today!
Are you leading through collaboration? Collaborating involves using influence and persuasion to drive high-performing teams. Leaders skilled in collaboration understand how individuals impact one another and how to foster creative thinking and effective problem-solving to drive results. Part of MEUW’s three-part Municipal Utility Leadership Certificate series, Leading Through Collaboration will give attendees practical ideas and skills they can bring back to their workplace. The class will be held in Mauston on Wednesday, Dec. 4. More information and registration are available here.
Send us your Public Power Week photos: We’re planning to include a wrap up of Public Power Week events earlier this month in the next edition of Live Lines. Utilities are encouraged to share details about how they marked the occasion and provide any photos by sending an email to news@meuw.org by Oct. 31.
APPA requests input on the distribution transformer supply issues: Public power and the broader electric sector have been experiencing increasing supply chain constraints on some critical equipment. The American Public Power Association (APPA) continues to work directly with the other trade associations and the federal government on the critical issue of supply chain constraints. To further assist with their advocacy efforts to help address supply chain shortages, they are requesting utility and joint action agency participation in a quick survey about the environment around distribution transformer shortages and other supply chain challenges.
APPA is requesting municipal utilities complete a Supply Chain Distribution Transformer Constraints Survey by Monday, Nov. 25. They’ll use the responses to demonstrate the dramatic impact of the distribution transformer supply chain disruption on public power utilities and as a data point for broader conversations around the industry’s overall resilience posture.
Regulation, Compliance & Safety course set for early 2025: As a highly regulated business, utilities must comply with dozens of operating rules to retain the “right to serve” electric customers. Part of MEUW’s “Fundamentals of Utility Management” training program, this class will explore the wide array of regulations, compliance, and safety rules every municipal utility leader must follow. Offered Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Mauston, the course 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.