Registration for Electric Operations Conference & Expo opens next week: Once each year, municipal and electric cooperative employees come together to network and learn about important topics impacting utility operations. MEUW and the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) will hold the 2025 Electric Operations Conference & Expo at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells on Jan. 15, 16 and 17. Employees at all levels are welcome and encouraged to attend this year’s event. A preview of the event is available here.
Again this year, three types of registration passes — Kilowatt, Megawatt, and Gigawatt — will be available to accommodate those who wish to attend only part of the three-day event. Those most interested in the Expo (trade show), for example, will want to purchase a Megawatt pass, which offers access to the Wednesday Welcome Reception and Thursday’s conference sessions, meals, and the Expo. MEUW members who register by Dec. 1 can get a Megawatt pass for $225.
Full details will be available when registration opens on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 12 p.m.
Are you working safely with stored energy and chainsaws? This one-day workshop will cover critical information on how to recognize stored energy, and how to control and mitigate it when working at trees with chainsaws – including a lot of hands-on practice. Choose between two locations and dates most convenient for you: Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Black River Falls, or Thursday, Oct. 3, in Prairie du Sac. Don’t miss your chance — register today!
District Dialogues scheduled in October: Network and discuss hot topics in a roundtable session with municipal utility leaders from across the state at one of five District Dialogue luncheons, sponsored by Utility Sales and Service. They will be held in the following locations:
- Thurs., Oct. 3 — Richland Center
- Tues., Oct. 15 — Shawano
- Thurs., Oct. 17 — Rice Lake
- Tues., Oct. 22 — Lake Mills
- Tues., Oct. 29 — Black River Falls
Each session will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude after lunch by about 1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required. Sign-up details are here.
Next week is Public Power Week 2024: We encourage all member utilities to use the annual Public Power Week — to be celebrated Oct. 6–12 this year — as a chance to remind your customers that they are part of something special. MEUW has prepared a sample news release you can make available to your local newspaper and radio stations. You can find it here, along with a link to other resources available from APPA.
And, as always, we’d like to share photos and news about how you celebrated Public Power Week with your community. Please send pics and details to news@meuw.org so we can include it in a future edition of Live Lines.
And don’t forget to send in your completed Public Power Crossword Puzzle for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. It’s a great way to gear up for Public Power Week. Submit your completed puzzle to info@meuw.org by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. Good luck!
Employment law session to be held next week: HR issues and changing federal, state and local employment laws can be a lot to keep track of and can easily trip you up. Register today for this one-day, expert-led valuable refresher for HR issues to help ensure you have correct information on how to comply with evolving employment laws. Led by experts from the Boardman Clark law firm, and held in Mauston on Tuesday, Oct. 1, registration is available here.
Join us for a special Friend of Public Power Dinner: Join us to honor state Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) as recipient of MEUW’s “Friend of Public Power Award” for 2024 for his legislative efforts to advocate for municipal utilities’ ability to own and operate EV charging stations, among other issues. MEUW is holding a dinner on Monday, Oct. 14, in Cuba City and will present Sen. Marklein with his award. All MEUW members are invited to take part in the event, which will be held at Red’s Supper Club. Full details and registration information is here.
Join Utility Accounting & Finance class Oct. 9: Learning various financial aspects associated with utility operations is essential for anyone in a management position. The next offering in MEUW’s four-part Fundamentals of Utility Management training series is Wednesday, Oct. 9, in Mauston. Gain a clear understanding of the fundamentals of public utility accounting and business operations, and how to review and effectively manage budgets. Register here.