NEPPA eNewsletter

The Public Power Community has again demonstrated that they "take care of their own" by raising $38,180.42 for the family of Georgetown Lineworker Jim Young. Young, who also serves on the light board of the Merrimac Municipal Light Department, experienced a disabling on-the-job accident on Sept. 25.

The "Work 2 for Jim" program was originally a challenge issued to utility lineworkers by two Mansfield Municipal Light Department lineworkers, Ralph Bellavance and Shawn Curran. Through an e-mail list provided by NEPPA Trainer Bob Henriksen, they asked lineworkers to dedicate two hours of pay to help Young's family. When the message got out, utility personnel across the board including managers, engineers, office workers, customer service representatives and meter technicians stepped up to the plate. Thirty-one public power utilities from around New England sent donations from their employees, as well as three IBEW locals, and several individuals.

Bellavance and Curran presented the check to Young at his home in Merrimac on December 14. Wayne Snow, Georgetown general manager and Merrimac Light Department General Manager Dan Folding, were also in attendance.

Lyndonville Electric Department and Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) have recently completed a 115 kV substation project. As a result of the new substation, LED is not a sub-transmission customer of Central Vermont Public Service, for the first time in over 50 years. All four LED 34.5kv substations are now fed out of an individual breaker ring from one VELCO loop feed system. Having all substations interconnected and backing each other in case of power transformer and other equipment means a big increase in reliability.

"You have to have been in a radial feed system for 50-60 years to really appreciate the enhanced reliability that this substation will provide the Lyndonville area and its customers," said Ken Mason, LED general manager.

The project was projected to cost $15.5 million and came in well under budget. It took 16 months from the time of filing with the Vermont Public Service Board for the "Certificate of Public Good" permit on Sept 2, 2009 until Dec. 9, 2010 when the substation was energized. Lyndonville’s entire load was transferred by Dec.16. The project will allow for about 20 years of load growth in LED’s service territory before any increase in substation capacity and equipment might be needed.

"The completion of this project was accomplished through the effort of many individuals over the past three and one half years and I would like to personally thank them all," said Mason.

Mason is inviting interested parties to tour the facility. He can be reached by e-mail kmason@lyndonvilleelectric.com or phone (802) 626-3366.

On Dec. 22, 2010, the Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation (BWPCC) issued $64,705,000 in tax-exempt revenue bonds to complete the financing for its Berkshire Wind Power Project, the largest wind project to-date in Massachusetts.

The 10-turbine, 15-megawatt project, located on Brodie Mountain in Hancock, Mass., is scheduled to begin operation in mid-February 2011. All 10 turbines are fully erected and remaining construction work involves completing electrical connections needed to deliver project electricity to the power grid.

Proceeds from the 20-year bond issue will be used primarily to repay a $52.5 million, short-term loan taken by BWPCC to finance turbine purchases and preliminary construction activities. The bond issue, rated A by Fitch Ratings and A-minus by Standard & Poors, also will fund additional construction expenses, a debt service reserve fund and underwriting costs.

"This is an important milestone for the project," said BWPCC Chairman and President H. Bradford White, manager of the West Boylston Municipal Lighting Plant. "With the financing in place, we can focus now on bringing the project into operation and integrating it into our power supplies," he said.

 The BWPCC is comprised of 14 Massachusetts municipal utilities and the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), all non-profit, public power entities. Through contracts with BWPCC and MMWEC, the municipal utilities will receive their respective shares of project output and be responsible for their proportionate share of debt service on the bonds.

"Members of the Cooperative are investing in this renewable resource in a manner that makes green energy and economic sense for their customers," White said. "It will help to diversify our power supply and stabilize costs over the long term by reducing reliance of fossil fuels. At the same time, it will not adversely affect our rates because the project represents a relatively small portion of our power supply portfolio," he said.

Once it is operational, the project will nearly double the state's current 18.5 megawatts in wind power resources, which include more than 20 comparatively small projects ranging in size from 100 kilowatts to the 3-megawatt project operated by the Princeton Municipal Light Department, according to the state Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs web site.

Wind speeds atop Brodie Mountain, one of the best inland wind sites in Massachusetts, average about 8 meters/second, making it a Class 6 wind resource on an American Wind Energy Association scale of 1 to 7. The BWPCC project is expected to operate at a capacity factor of approximately 40 percent and produce more than 52,500 megawatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power approximately 6,000 homes.

According to BWPCC, the equivalent of approximately 50 full-time jobs have been created during the construction period, including work for a number of Western Massachusetts construction, engineering and manufacturing firms. The project will offset the production of nearly 612,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and the use of 1.7 million barrels of oil.

The municipal utility members of the BWPCC are based in the communities of Ashburnham, Boylston, Groton, Holden, Hull, Ipswich, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Shrewsbury, Sterling, Templeton, Wakefield and West Boylston. All provide electricity at retail to their customers. MMWEC is a non-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides a wide range of power supply, financial, risk management and other services to the municipal utilities.

As 2010 comes to a close, and a new calendar opens before us, the passage of time is experienced more clearly. Another year is added to our personal and professional histories, and – for some – the new year promises a whole new set of experiences. In the community of public power officials of New England, at least seven utility managers, by my count, have decided to retire from their positions, taking with them an enormous amount of experience and talent, but also providing opportunities for a new generation of professionals to lead their organizations.

Within the Northeast Public Power Association, retirements have been announced (or have already begun) for the following utility managers:
Gary Harrington – Boylston Municipal Light Department, MA
Diane Dillman – Paxton Municipal Light Department, MA
Tom Josie – Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations, MA
Linda Soucy – Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant, MA
Ted Garille – Pascoag Utility District, RI
George Lague – Swanton Village, VT
Maurice ("Moe") Scully – Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative

These individuals, known to many within our association, have devoted much of their working careers to public power, and will leave behind positive legacies of change, improvement, and outstanding service to their customers and their communities. They will join a long list of individuals who came before them, and who made their own contributions in their own time. For some of the organizations listed, these contributions span more than a century.

As they begin this new chapter in their lives, we wish them good health and happiness, and the enjoyment of time. We also thank them for their hard work and dedication to their jobs, their organizations, and their customers. Public power in New England has been very well served by their contributions.

Sean Hamilton has been around public power since 1979 when he joined Templeton Municipal Light & Water Plant as a lineworker. He then moved over to Sterling Municipal Light Department in 1992 and served as a line superintendent until 1999 when he took a position as a construction manager for Verizon. Hamilton said it was a good job but the investor- owned environment is a different mind set than the municipal world. When Gerry Skelton, general manager of Templeton Municipal Light & Water Plant, retired in 2004, Hamilton saw an opportunity to return to public power and he took a pay cut to take it.

"The private sector is more widget-driven than people-driven," he said. "I missed the culture of public power."

Hamilton said he enjoyed the challenges Templeton presented. While serving as manager, the utility rebuilt a substation including changing out transformers, put in an automated meter system, and supervised the building of a 1.65-megawatt wind turbine that is expected to generate 3.5 kilowatts per year to help lower the cost of energy to the school and the town.

One of his more memorable challenges was the Ice Storm of 2008 that caused massive power outages and devastation to electrical systems throughout central Massachusetts. "That was an incredible bonding experience with employees, other public power utilities and our customers."

In late November, Hamilton left Templeton to return to Sterling as general manager, replacing John Kilgo who left to pursue other opportunities.

"I wanted to work outside of the town I live in," he said. I can now step outside politics and focus on my job."He was also attracted to the job because he saw challenges that needed to be met and he wanted to be involved.

His long-term goal is to lower rates through budget analysis and power supply planning and succession planning. There are plans in the works for a smart grid system. "We’re working to overcome some growing pains over that," he said.

Hamilton serves on the NEPPA Board of Directors and the NEPPA Membership and Marketing Committee. He is vice president of the Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts and will be president next year. He also serves on the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company’s Board of Directors. He lives in Templeton and is married with two grown sons and two grandchildren.

Gregory DeStasi, former engineer at Sterling Municipal Light Department, has taken the position of general manager of Paxton Municipal Light Department. He replaces Diane Dillman who had held the position since 1998 and retired at the end of October.

DeStasi joined Sterling six and half years ago directly out of UMASS/Lowell where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. During his last weeks at Sterling, the general manager position became vacant and he served as interim general manager. In the end, however, he decided to take the position in Paxton.

"I think Paxton is a much better fit for me at this point in my career," he said. "It’s a better size and I am comfortable with the challenges it presents." Until now, DeStasi’s background has been in operations and engineering, and he is looking forward to learning the administrative end of running an electrical utility. Dillman, although officially retired, has been helping in the office to fill the void of an employee out on sick leave and helping DeStasi make the transition.

"Diane is fantastic," said DeStasi. "I really appreciate her help and also the help of the area’s other public power managers. If I have a question, I pick up the phone and they’re always willing to help."

DeStasi is married with two small children and lives in Athol.

Diane Dillman started her career in public power in June of 1978 handwriting the bills part time under the direction of former manager Harold Smith. She started doing some of the accounting and then went to managing the office overall. She became general manager in 1998 when Smith retired.

When she finishes up at the light department, she plans to spend more time with family and friends, work in her garden and enjoy her two dogs recently adopted through an internet placement service. She does volunteer work in town recycling.

Dillman says she won’t miss the ice storms or some of the other challenges she had to face, but she will miss the public power community.

"My job was so much easier than I thought it would be when I started because of the other public power managers in the area who were so supportive," she said. "And I never felt I was treated any differently because I was a woman in a traditional male job. I will miss being a part of this industry."

Teaching children about energy conservation and the best way to stay safe around electricity and natural gas is a lot easier, thanks to the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) and the e-SMARTkids free online program.

Accessed through the WMGLD website www.wmgld.com, the e-SMARTkids teaches these lessons in a fun and creative way using games, videos, activities and online resources. The program is sponsored by the WMGLD and is designed for kids, parents and teachers through the WMGLD’s participation in the Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts (MEAM).

The kid’s tab on the e-SMARTkids site includes websites like Energy Efficiency World, Electrical Safety World, and Natural Gas Safety World, all of which include games, facts, experiments and stories. The video section includes seven different episodes of Electricity and Natural Gas Safety World, including how electricity gets to homes and what to do if you see a downed power line or smell natural gas.

Parents can also participate in their child’s learning by accessing information about energy efficiency and conducting their own safety inspections at home.

Teachers can also help their students learn to use energy safely and responsibly on the site, which gives teachers additional resources, curriculum-based games and videos. Teachers can also download video guides and can provide feedback about the site.

The Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) Board of Directors announced on Dec. 17 that Drew Rankin will replace Maurice "Moe" Scully as CEO on Jan.3, 2011. Rankin was chosen to lead CMEEC after a national search and takes over for Scully, who has served as CMEEC’s CEO for the past 29 years and will be retiring in early 2012.

Rankin has more than 30 years experience in the utility industry and most recently served as executive manager at Colorado Springs Utilities, where his responsibilities included management of electric and gas production, fuel procurement, energy supply and asset optimization. Drew’s previous experience also includes serving as interregional coordination manager at Midwest ISO and General Manager at Cinergy Corporation (now Duke Energy). "Drew has the skill set necessary to ensure that CMEEC’s member and participant systems are well positioned to remain competitive," said outgoing CEO Moe Scully.

Scully steps down as CMEEC CEO after a long and distinguished career.
"Under Moe’s leadership, CMEEC has grown to into one of the most successful electric cooperatives in the country. CMEEC’s member and participant systems are appreciative for his dedicated and exemplary work," said CMEEC Board of Directors Chairman John Hiscock. Moe’s many accomplishments include authoring the "Regulatory Fairness Act," an amendment to the Federal Power Act, passed by Congress in 1988; winner of the American Public Power Association’s Kramer Preston Personal Service Award and James Donovan Individual Achievement Award; and the Northeast Public Power Association’s Person of the Year Award. Moe will remain at CMEEC for one year in order to assist with the transition.

CMEEC is a not for profit joint action agency with approximately $220 million in annual revenues. CMEEC is responsible for procuring the full electric requirements of the seven municipal electric utilities in Connecticut, which include Bozrah Light and Power, Groton Utilities, Jewett City Department of Public Utilities, Norwich Public Utilities, South Norwalk Electric and Water, the Third Taxing District (East Norwalk), and Wallingford Electric Division.

Meter Technician Training is an extension of the 2010 program and will complete the review of basic metering concepts and the fundamentals of electrical power measurement. It will be held at the Chocksett Inn, Sterling, MA. Click for more information.

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Congressional Schedule

President Signs Tax Agreement into Law; Some Extensions of Energy Incentives Included

Short-Term Continuing Resolution (CR) Passed Into Law; Debt-Limit Vote Looms

111^th Congress Reauthorized America COMPETES Act; Sent to President's Desk

Chu Expresses Support for Clean Energy Standard

December 2010 Deficit Report Contains Hit on Muni Bonds

Key Energy and Tax Committee Changes

As we prepare for the evolution of smart grid technology and its impact on energy delivery, it behooves us to ask the question: "once we build it, will they use it?" Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC), based in Norwich , CT asked the behavioral pr & management consulting firm Jackson Jackson & Wagner to conduct a series of focus groups in 3 pilot communities – Wallingford, Groton & Norwich – to shed some light on this very question.

A series of 12 focus residential and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) groups explored just some of the following questions related to smart meter use and energy management:

• How technologically-savvy are customers? How "green" do they consider themselves to be?
• How willing are customers to change their energy use behaviors in order to save money?
• To what degree do the customers trust their utility to control their energy use?
• How much do our customers know about the subject of smart meters and smart grid technologies – and what communication methods are best for educating them?

We learned a tremendous amount of valuable information from the focus group conversations and it gave us the opportunity to test-drive a variety of informational presentations on the subject of smart meters and smart grid technologies. Most customers walked away with positive perceptions of smart grid capabilities and we got them thinking about how they could positively impact their utility expenses.

These municipal utilities have relatively high trust levels and satisfaction with consistent service ("we hardly ever lose power!") in their favor...but the jury is out as to whether residential customers see changing their behaviors as worth their financial while, once they get the information on their energy use patterns.

Commercial and Industrial customers see more opportunities, as they are always looking for anything that can impact the bottom line. Many simply may not have the ability to shift usage elsewhere to avoid peak times.
As for how to reach them with the information ...don’t put all your eggs in the bill stuffer basket!

For more information, contact Robin Schell (603) 770-3607 or Stacey Smith (603) 964-6302 at Jackson Jackson & Wagner.

By Rockie Blunt

If you are like most people I know, you recently made some New Year’s resolutions. Chances are that some of your resolutions, such as quitting smoking, dieting or starting up at the gym again, are aimed at developing your physical health.

Obviously that is very important, but how about your mind? Would it also be a good idea to attend to your intellectual health? Maybe doing something simple, like shutting off the TV and picking up a book every once in a while. Or perhaps a more ambitious goal: joining a book club, or taking that college course you have been thinking about for years. Or signing up for one of the many technical, operational and professional skills courses NEPPA offers.

Here are a few ideas for increasing your knowledge at work in 2011:

1. Start writing a journal. About what? You and your job. Reflect on what you do every day. What are your favorite tasks, and why? Are there any parts of your job that you find difficult, or are not going so well? You will discover that a journal yields all kinds of insights, many that might surprise you. And remember: journal writing is relaxed writing; you merely put down anything that comes to mind. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation or paragraphing; just write.
2. If one of your co-workers is particularly good at something, or knows more about a topic than you do, ask the person to explain that information or teach you how to do that task.
3. Visit another department in your utility and acquaint yourself with what it does. If you know someone in that department, but you have never been exactly sure what they do, ask them.
4. Read an article in a public power trade magazine about a topic you don’t know much about.
5. If your utility publishes a newsletter periodically, brush up on a topic that interests you and write an article on it.

Any one of these ideas can be very rewarding, and if you find that they involve dusting off a few mental "cobwebs," that’s okay too. You’re never too old to learn. As you go through life your capacity to learn actually grows, but you have to make it grow. Mental muscles are like physical ones: they need exercise to keep them in shape.

So happy new learning in the new year!