Florida public power officials request resources from Wisconsin to help respond to Hurricane Ian: Communities across Florida are preparing for the worst as Hurricane Ian continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) has specifically asked for crews from Wisconsin to assist in the community of Kissimmee. MEUW staff are coordinating with FMEA and Kissimmee Utility Authority (KUA) to deploy line crews and resources by Thursday, Sept. 29. MEUW member utilities willing and able to release crews should immediately contact Mike Czuprynko at (608) 478-2530.
Florida is home to 33 public power utilities and has a strong network of support. FMEA’s request for Wisconsin resources is a ringing endorsement of the skills and work ethic of our state’s public power workers. Wisconsin crews provided mutual aid to KUA during Hurricane Irma in September 2017. MEUW is providing updates at www.meuw.org/ian.
Next week is Public Power Week 2022: We encourage all member utilities to use the annual Public Power Week — to be celebrated Oct. 2 to 8 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.
Deadline is Friday for “Call for Presentations” at January conference: The 2023 Electric Operations Conference & Expo (formerly “Joint Sups”) will 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 Friday, Sept. 30.
First of eight 2022 District Dinners taking place next week: Getting members together for dinner and networking is a time-honored MEUW tradition, and registration is now open for this year’s District Dinners, which are being held for the first time since 2019. Eight dinners are planned across the state. The first one is Wednesday, Oct. 5, in Rice Lake. Other District Dinners will be held in Black River Falls, Cashton, Cuba City, Gresham, Johnson Creek, Mazomanie, and Two Rivers in October and early November. MEUW members are welcome to attend whichever scheduled dinner is most convenient (whether it is in their district or not).
Each dinner begins with a cash bar at 6 p.m. and dinner at 6:30, followed by a brief program. Pre-registration is required. The cost for the dinner will be approximately $20 to $25 per person, depending upon location, menu and final number of attendees. MEUW will bill the utility for the dinner after each event takes place. Full details are available here.
Customer Service and Public Relations training set for Oct. 19: The focus of MEUW’s next Management Training Program is on the importance of providing exceptional customer service and public relations. The training — Session F in the six-part series — is set for Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Glacier Canyon Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Bob Pecor, an adjunct faculty member of UW-Eau Claire’s Supervisory Management Program, is leading the daylong session to help participants more fully understand the many forces driving customer satisfaction. Full details and registration information are available here.
Changes coming to Management Training Program in 2023: MEUW is rolling out a refreshed “Fundamentals of Utility Management” training series in the new year (replacing the Management Training Program) as well as a new three-part “Municipal Utility Leadership Program” designed to expand municipal workers’ skillsets. Information about the new offerings, including a list of session dates, is available here. You’ll also find responses to some frequently-asked questions here.