NEPPA eNewsletter

The first session of the 112th Congress is now underway, and the NEPPA Legislative Committee has begun to plan for its first major lobbying activities in what promises to be a challenging legislative year.

The annual American Public Power Association Legislative Rally is scheduled for late February, and many NEPPA members will be attending the Rally and taking time to visit their Congressional Members to discuss energy policy and other issues affecting public power utilities. In January, committee members held a conference call and reviewed a list of potential issues to be discussed with New England legislators during their Congressional meetings. The major topics identified were as follows:

• Federal Incentives for Renewable Energy Investments - Public power systems are seeking reforms to the Clean Renewable Energy Bond program (CREBs) which will provide comparable incentives for non-profit electric utilities to invest in new sources of renewable energy. Investor-owned utilities already enjoy federal tax credits for these investments.
  
  
• Rising Transmission Costs in New England – New England Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Sanders (I-VT) are pushing for Senate oversight hearings to investigate the implementation of the 2005 Energy Policy Act by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Specifically, the hearings would closely examine the approval of high rates of return for new transmission investments in the region, which are driving transmission costs ever higher for New England electric customers.
  
  
• Regulation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions – The Environmental Protection Agency has begun the regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under authority granted to it by the Clean Air Act. EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases under this legislation is being contested by several states, and litigation is expected to continue during 2011. NEPPA members continue to support new federal legislation to address the issue of carbon emissions from power plants, but recognize that such legislation is highly unlikely during the 112th Congress. They will explain their concerns about EPA regulation during their Congressional meetings.
  
  
• Protection of Municipal Bonding Authority – New federal deficit reduction initiatives may be proposed to eliminate the exemption of federal taxes on municipal bond interest. Public power utilities (and other municipal government organizations) will work to preserve this vital feature of state and local financing of capital investments if such legislation is proposed.

After four and a half years as line superintendent, John Driscoll has been promoted to general manager of Templeton Municipal Light & Water Plant.

Prior to joining Templeton Light he was an assistant distribution supervisor at Littleton Electric Light & Water Departments. He began his utility career as an electrical engineer at Sterling Municipal Light Department, his first "real" job after graduating from UMass Lowell with a B.S. in electrical engineering with a concentration in  power. At Sterling, Driscoll had an opportunity to work with Sean Hamilton who went on to become manager at Templeton Light and eventually hired Driscoll.

"It was a great learning experience," said Driscoll, who was cross trained with Hamilton with an eye to the future. "I didn't expect it so quickly," he said of Hamilton's recent departure but feels confident he's up to the task.

The challenges he faces include keeping electric rates stable and regulatory issues coming up in the next five years."There are things we have no control over," he said.

Templeton has two apprentices in the NEPPA training program and Driscoll is enthusiastic about the training and networking opportunities NEPPA is providing, in particular, the General Foreman's Roundtable.

Driscoll is married and lives in Leominster.

In April, the NEPPA Regional Power Supply Committee will host an informational workshop on an important topic. That is, the way that wholesale electric power is bought and sold in our region through the markets administered by ISO-New England. These markets, as almost everyone in the power industry would agree, are the single most defining element of electric deregulation in New England. Prior to deregulation, wholesale power in New England was sold through contracts between buyers (distribution utilities) and sellers (investor-owned utilities that owned their own generating plants, or independent generators authorized to produce and sell wholesale power). With state deregulation laws passed in all but one New England state in the 1990s however, power generation became an unregulated component of the electric power industry, and power plants had to start selling their power in competitive markets for whatever prices they could obtain. (The theory behind this of course, was that competition would drive power prices down, but that’s another story for another day).

As the markets have evolved, they have become incredibly complex, and subject to frequent changes in their rules of operation. In some cases, changes in the rules have brought about unintended consequences, requiring yet further rules changes. Market participants, made up of hundreds of different companies and organizations representing different interests, make the whole process even more complex, since changes in market rules and operations are subject to review and voting by the participants.

The increasing complexity of the markets has required most participants to invest enormous amounts of time and resources in order to understand market operations and the financial implications of market rules. This requirement poses a heavy burden on smaller participants, who are simply unable to allocate the resources to do this. For public power systems, along with other market participants, this has meant that a small number of their representatives carry the large responsibility of keeping abreast of market changes, understanding them, and advising their colleagues on their implications for voting purposes.

The April workshop is being planned by this group of public power representatives for the purpose of helping their colleagues understand New England wholesale market operations more clearly, by describing the various markets in as non-technical a manner as possible. For this reason, we especially invite Light Board Commissioners or other public power officials who are not directly involved with power supply planning or purchasing, and who therefore may not be familiar with this area of utility management and operations.

Drew Stephen Hurley, vice president of sales at longtime NEPPA affiliate member, Arthur J. Hurley, Inc., died suddenly while on vacation with his family in Kauai, Hawaii. He was 49 years and will be greatly missed.

Hurley was born on Oct. 12,1961, and was a proud member of Lexington High School's class of 1979. He lettered in hockey for three years. After attending the Choate school as a post graduate, he went on to Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. While at Union, he was a member of Chi Psi Fraternity, serving as president in his junior year. He also served on the college newspaper as sports editor. After college, Drew joined the family business at the Arthur J. Hurley Co. Inc. selling wire and cable where he rose to vice president of sales.

"He did everything from clean-up to working on the wire machines to delivery to working in the warehouse," said his brother, Arthur III of Charlestown. "He literally did everything to reach the position he was in, and then he became our premier sales person. He took more calls every day than anyone and the following he had was amazing."

He was a dedicated member of the University Club enjoying an active presence on the squash courts and in the board room, serving in many capacities. His spirit and interest in the lives of others will be remembered as a blessing to all those who were fortunate to know him.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Fazzone and his beloved daughter Casey, as well as his parents Arthur Jr. and Marybeth (O'Keefe), his aunt and uncle, Sheila and Richard Hurley, his two brothers Arthur III and Matthew Hurley and his four sisters, Janne Clare, Jill, Marisa and Lara Hurley, and many loving and adoring cousins, nieces and nephews. Donations in his memory may be sent to Kingsley Montessori School Scholarship Fund, 26 Exeter Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.

The Stowe Electric Commission has announced that Stowe Electric will not be sold in the near future, despite very serious offers from investor-owned utilities, Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS).

"Our basic conclusion is that we feel it isn’t to the best advantage for us," said Stowe Electric Commission Chairman Arthur Lloyd. The uncertainties on future rates for both companies, as well as other issues, outweigh the potential for a sale."

Both GMP and CVPS buy power from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon which may be decommissioned. According to Lloyd, this could raise rates at the larger utilities. The decommissioning would not affect Stowe because it doesn't buy power from the plant. The takeover would also involve a lot of legal untangling of contracts that Stowe has with The McNeil wood-burning power project with the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority and the Stony Brook plant project through the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co.

Stowe Electric also has agreements with other businesses in town, including the Mt. Mansfield Co., which runs Stowe Mountain Resort and is the largest customer of Stowe Electric. Under the resort’s contract with Stowe Electric, it cuts off snowmaking at certain times to avoid overloading the town grid, in exchange for cheaper rates on power used for snowmaking.

Another factor in favor of continued independence is maintaining a "first call" policy with ratepayers, Lloyd said, meaning Stowe customers don’t have to wait for service in the same line as customers at the larger utilities.

Stowe has also cut off talks involving a merger with Morrisville Water and Light and Hyde Park Village Water and Light because they didn’t think merging the utilities would be cost-effective.

NEPPA member Three-C Electrical Company, Inc. has announced that Debby M. Cartney has joined the company to lead a new Compliance and Regulatory Services Department.

She began her career at Central Maine Power Company and brings over 20 years of experience as a regulatory & compliance manager, most recently with the MASSPOWER electric generating facility in Western Massachusetts.

She will play a key role in advancing Three-C’s goal of providing clients with the expertise they need to effectively manage the regulatory and compliance programs at their facilities while achieving their business goals. Cartney received a B.S.in Hydrology from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. in Finance from Western New England College.

Three-C Electrical Company, Inc. is an independent power system service provider serving the Northeast. For more information, visit www.three-c.com or call 508-881-3911.

On April 1, NEPPA will host a special one-day training program on work zone safety for members at the Chocksett Inn in Sterling, MA. The program will be presented by staff from The New England Consortium for Health and Safety Training, a professional organization based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, formed to provide specialized training programs for police officers, public works officials and other municipal employees in Massachusetts.

The program will provide an overview of how public employees work in various roadway work zone locations and applications, and overall personal protection procedures. Attendees will learn the importance of work zone safety training through the analysis of national and state injury/fatality data for work zones, confined spaces, construction sites and the OSHA "Focus Four:" Falls, Electrical Contact, Struck by, and Caught in between. Attendees will learn how to develop formal traffic control plans for work zones, and will review the types of personal protective equipment required for working safely in work zones, along with specifications for high-visibility clothing, hearing protection, hardhats, etc.

While the program is based on Massachusetts regulations and guidelines, NEPPA members from other states are invited to participate and learn the fundamentals of work zone safety. In addition to municipal electric utility employees, police officers and public works officials from NEPPA member communities are invited to participate. Registration forms and program details will be forwarded to all NEPPA members shortly, and will be posted on the NEPPA website.

"Work Smart; Work Safe!"

Annual NEPPA Safety & Operations Conference & Expo scheduled for June

Safety consultant Rick Tobey to keynote annual conference

The 2011 NEPPA Safety and Operations Conference and Expo will be held on June 8 – 9 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel and Exhibit Hall in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The conference will open on June 8 with a keynote presentation by Safety Consultant and Trainer Rick Tobey, who has over 45 years experience in electric utility distribution construction and maintenance work. His topic will be: Insulate and Isolate: Do it Right!

Following the keynote address, the Expo will be opened for utility vendors and suppliers, featuring the latest in electric utility tools, equipment and technology. In addition, NEPPA affiliate companies will stage hands-on demonstrations on the use of utility equipment and tools throughout the day. Vendor raffles will also be held during the Expo. A reception and dinner will follow in the evening, with an after-dinner speaker to be named shortly.

On the second day of the conference, a 2-hour Safety Forum titled "Work Smart: Work Safe!" will be hosted by the NEPPA training staff and other invited speakers. The Forum will cover a variety of topics related to safe working procedures for utility lineworkers.

Detailed information on the conference and registration materials will be sent to all NEPPA members in the near future. A block of overnight rooms has been reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott Fitchburg for conference attendees. To reserve a room, call Marriott reservations directly at 888-236-2427 and mention the NEPPA conference. Reservation cut-off date is May 8.

NEPPA is pleased to offer a new "Professional Skills for Office Personnel" program designed to help employees respond to familiar but challenging on-the-job communication tasks, interpersonal relationships and organizational concerns.
The series consists of six sessions offered in three locations—the Town of Wallingford, CT Electric Division; the Littleton, MA Electric Light & Water Departments; and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority in Waterbury Center, VT—to make it convenient for as many NEPPA members as possible to attend.

All sessions will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Students may sign up for individual workshops or enroll in the entire series. Those who successfully complete all six sessions will be awarded a NEPPA certificate in Professional Skills for Office Personnel.

The program schedule is as follows:

1. Practicing Effective Interpersonal Skills (March 1, 2, 3)
2. Communicating with E-mail (March 15, 16, 17)
3. Working with Different Generations (April 5, 6, 7)
4. Communicating Upward (May 10, 11, 12)
5. Dealing with Difficult Employees (May 24, 25, 26)
6. Managing Your Time and Getting Organized (June 7, 8, 9)

Fees for NEPPA members are $150 per session or $800 for the full program; and for non-members, $225 per session or $1,250 for the entire program.
Registration ends February 11. Click here for more information and to register. Please direct any questions to Rockie Blunt at 508-482-5906 or rblunt@neppa.org.

Class A CDL Course To Be Held in March

On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 1 and 2, NEPPA will offer a two-day course to prepare utility personnel for the written permit test for the Class A Commercial Driver’s License. The course will be held at The Chocksett Inn in Sterling, Mass from 9 am to 4 pm.

The instructor, Tom Johnson of the New England Tractor Trailer Training School, is a certified Commercial Vehicle Training Association instructor and a certified Defensive Driving instructor. Three main topics will be covered: CDL General Knowledge, Air Brake Knowledge and the Tractor-Trailer Combination.

The cost is $350 per person for NEPPA members and $525 per person for non-members. The deadline for registering is February 11.  Questions about the course should be directed to Rockie Blunt at 508-482-5906 or rblunt@neppa.org.
Click here for more information and to register.

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