NEPPA eNewsletter
May 2013
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Reminder from your Executive Director: The redesigned Engineering and Operations Conference is coming up on May. I have heard our keynote speaker, Bob McCall of North Carolina, and he has a message that no one should miss. Additionally, I am looking forward to meeting former New England Patriot Jermaine Wiggins.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
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Do the people of our era have too many memorable dates? There can never be too many good dates: anniversaries, birthdays, etc. But, maybe we are accumulating too many of the bad kind. The veterans of World War II had a good balance; they had the unfortunate dates of the stock market crash and Pearl Harbor, but they also had Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic, the first man on the moon, VE and VJ days.
For many of us, our earliest memories were the Kennedy assassinations, the images from Vietnam, the Iran hostages, Oklahoma City and 9/11. Two weeks ago we added another date, April 15, 2013, Patriots' Day, another day when we will remember where we were and when we heard the news; another date when an iconic image was tainted by the irrational action from an unexpected source. Previous generations were able to define and create defenses against their threats. Even when they didn’t expect the threat, there was a promise that victory could be had.
In the past 20 years, our threats have had no promise of solace through victory. When individuals take away our sense of security through horrific actions, it is difficult even after punishing these individuals to feel safe or relieved. Neither the justice achieved over Timothy McVeigh nor Osama Bin Laden gave comfort. While we feel more secure after the tremendous efforts of our authorities to catch the perpetrators that defiled one of New England’s cherished traditions, we will not look at the race in the same way. Will future races reflect the defiant independence that New England has long symbolized?
Runners have strong communal bonds that are often symbolized by a simple nod or "good morning" as they pass each other. Often, the training runs are when the streets or roads are dark or isolated. The solace of passing a co-enthusiast gives peace and resolve. It makes each stride easier. This group of individuals has its traditions and icons like any community.
If you are a marathon runner in the United States, the one race that holds the most reverence is the Boston Marathon; it is difficult to qualify for and everyone aspires to complete it. In the 70s, it embodied the burgeoning spirit of the new running craze. It has endured as the grandfather of all events. It is unique in that it is not a circuit like most races; rather it takes you through the communities that give Massachusetts its personality. From the start in Hopkinton to its finish, you travel through history.
Perhaps for us to turn this trend of bad memorable dates around what we need to do is embrace the spirit of New England, the spirit of marathoners, and our sense of pride. Let’s not let anyone take this date from us; let's not associate names of villains with a day named for those that gave their lives to found our country. Let's adopt those runners prepping for the 2014 race and turn it into the largest communal event New England has. We can reinvigorate Patriots' day by celebrating our individual communities in 2014. As public utilities, we can turn Patriots' day into a day every year that we reach out to the communities we serve and invite them in. We can show the same determination and spirit as the runners who turned and began helping people affected by the blast or the responders who kept the finish from becoming a much worse day.
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AROUND NEW ENGLAND
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Georgetown Municipal Light Department has hired a new General Manager, David Schofield, after Wayne Snow retired in March of this year. They have been working side-by-side since then, and David officially took over on May 1.
Wayne had been at Georgetown for 33 years, and spent 20 years of them as the General Manager. According to Wayne, "Georgetown is a wonderful community, and can almost be considered the Heaven of the North Shore." Wayne plans to take the summer off and do some yard work around the house.
David comes to Georgetown from Peabody Municipal Light Plant, where he was the Assistant Superintendent of Electrical Distribution since 2009. Before that he was at Taunton Municipal Light Plant for nine years and Hingham Municipal Light Plant for two years.
David says,"as a resident of Georgetown, I am honored and excited to be the next General Manager of the Georgetown Municipal Light Department. Wayne Snow, Georgetown Light’s previous General Manager, has carefully spent the last 20 years building a tough and reliable system with a well-developed and motivated work force. I am in the enviable position to benefit from all of his hard work and for that I am very grateful. Going forward, I will follow Wayne’s example and continue to improve every facet of the organization so that we can provide the best service possible to our ratepayers."
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ASSOCIATION HAPPENINGS
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NEPPA is accepting nominations for the Carol A. Tracey Customer Service Award. This award is presented to employees of NEPPA member utilities who deliver outstanding service to their customers, either through sustained exceptional performance in serving their customers or the development of new and/or innovative programs to meet customer needs. Written nominations must be signed by the utility's general manager and submitted to the NEPPA office no later than August 23, 2013. Click here to print the form. Mail the form to Northeast Public Power Association, 200 New Estate Road, Littleton, MA 01460 or fax it to 978.952.7320.
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Last month, we began a feature on the Utilities and Affiliate Members that have generously donated to the NEPPA Training Center or have had a part in NEPPA’s move. This month we will recognize Stuart Irby, located in West Boylston, MA.
Pam Hamilton says:
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NEPPA welcomes Northern Data Systems as an Associate Member! The company is located at 362 US Route One, P.O. Box 66738, Falmouth, ME 04105. The primary contact is Susan Ramage, Account Executive, and she can be reached by phone at 207.781.3236, by fax at 207.781.3226, and by e-mail at smr@ndsys.com. If you need to reach the billing department, you can contact Paula Swan at the same phone number. Northern Data Systems is a software vendor.
Sertex Utility Services became an Associate Member on Monday, April 1st, 2013. The company is located at 22 Center Parkway in Plainfield, CT 06374. The primary contact is David Roy and he can be reached by phone at 860.317.1006, by fax at 860.317.1046, and by e-mail at droy@sertexllc.com. The Business Development Manager and Billing Contact person is Laurel Pepin and you may also reach her at 860.317.1006. Sertex builds infrastructure for telecommunications, electric utility industries, and municipalities throughout the Northeast area. Their specialties include, but are not limited to, Fiber Optic networks, Energy specific Civil Construction, and Substation site development.
NEPPA welcomes Liberty Utilities as a new Corporate Member as of Tuesday, April 9th! Liberty Utilities is located at 11 Northeastern Blvd. Salem, NH 03078. Timothy Deppmeyer is the Manager, Compliance, Quality & Emergency Planning, and Billing Contact. He may be reached by phone at 603.306.8212, by fax at 603.443.4251, and by e-mail at timothy.deppmeyer@libertyutilities.com. Liberty Utilities is an Electric and Gas Utility Company. Other contacts are Kenneth Salter: kenneth.salter@libertyutilities.com, and Robert Johnson: robert.johnson@libertyutilities.com.
NEPPA welcomes Yale Electric East LLC as an Associate Member! They are located at 55 Shawmut Road in Canton, MA 02021 and the primary contact is Tom Morrow. He can be reached by phone at 781.737.2500, by fax at 781.821.1430, and by e-mail at tmorrow@yaleelectric.com. Tom Morrow is also the Billing Contact if you have any questions or concerns. Yale Electric East is a utility product distributor. Other members of the company are Charlie Krueger who may be reached at ckrueger@yaleelectric.com, Gary Harrington at gharrington@yaleelectric.com, and Paul Hutchinson at hutch@yaleelectric.com.
NEPPA welcomes Cooper Power Systems as an Associate Member! The company is located at 210 Park Avenue, #349 Worcester, MA 01609. The primary contact person is David J. Ofcarcik and he may be reach by phone at 508.277.8747, by fax at 770.268.7842, and by e-mail at dave.ofcarcik@cooperindustries.com. Dave Ofcarcik is not only the Senior Sales Engineer, but he is also the billing and advertising contact. Cooper Power Systems is a global equipment manufacturer of reclosers, regulators, transformers, distribution and substation capacitor banks, padmount switchgear, modular substations, distribution automation, AMI, Demand Response, Rural SCADA, protection relays and controls, and Line Distribution equipment of arresters, fuses, molded rubber products and disconnect switches. Other employees of Cooper Power Systems include the following: Don Wareham, donald.wareham@cooperindustries.com, and Daniel Scrima, daniele.scrima@cooperindustries.com.
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CALENDAR
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May 16-17, 2013 For more information, click here. ##SHARELINKS##
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Fall 2013
Old Sturbridge Village
Sturbridge, MA
Keep an eye out for more information coming out in May!
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EDUCATION & TRAINING UPDATE
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The New Global Harmonization System Training Requirements
CFR 1910.1200 is the "Right to Know" OSHA law. It mandated that employers inform workers of the hazards of chemicals that were used in the workplace. It is known as the Hazard Communication Standard. One component of the HCS is the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that is now being used to inform workers of the hazards and ways to prevent and mitigate any exposure to harmful chemicals. In 1992 the United Nations convened the Earth Summit and out of that conference a mandate to harmonize all hazard communication systems throughout the world was agreed upon. It has been called the Global Harmonization System. It is not a new law but is an enhancement to the existing HCS. Some of the enhancements include a uniform 16 section SDS and new pictograms to help explain the hazards in picture form.
David Michaels, OSHA Assistant Secretary was recently quoted saying "with the new globally harmonized standard, workers are now getting the right to understand. That means not only knowing about potential hazards, but also better understanding what the warning means, what to do if exposed and how to protect one’s self."
With this new system, training requirements also were mandated. All employers are required to provide the new GHS training to all employees by December 1, 2013. NEPPA has acquired the latest training requirements. If you have not yet complied with this mandate, please contact the NEPPA office to schedule this mandatory training.
OSHA Mandate Covering Work Zone Safety Violations
It has come to our attention that OSHA has sent a memo dated 10/16/2012 to all OSHA inspectors mandating an increased focus on work zone safety violations. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices will be followed in inspecting work sites and any violations may result in citations. Handy pocket manuals are available from each individual state (such as Mass Highway in Massachusetts) to aid all crews in setting up a safe work zone that is in compliance with the MUTCD. You may have already heard this information on the radio as it has been broadcast over the airways quite often this spring. Consider this article a forewarning and also an encouragement to inform your crews to be most diligent in all work zone setups as we all seek to protect our employees and the general public from highway accidents at our work sites. If you are in need of a training session covering Work Zone Safety, please call the NEPPA office to schedule this training refresher. ##SHARELINKS##
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We just concluded the spring 2013 session of the Public Utility Management Program (PUMP) and after over 20 years, it continues to go strong. We had four graduates this session: from right to left they are Brian Roche from Groton Utilities, William Humphrey from the Village of Lyndonville Electric Department, Dan Folding from Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant, and Andy Blankenship from Groton Utilities.
  The spring sessions were more focused on communications, human relations, and board relations. Rockie Blunt conducted sessions on how to create and manage a strong customer service environment. This session really brought home how customer service permeates the entire organization and not just the office environment. Professor Bob Awkward returned to conduct two sessions related to human resources. One of the sessions, the Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring and Training, was a very interactive session where participants were able to apply the concepts and discussion to their very different work environments. One of the primary issues that came out is that sometimes the best solution or approach can come from a different work environment model. However, out of the five outside speakers, the highlight might have been the commissioners’ session. Jim Sullivan, commissioner from Norwich Public Utilities, and Spencer Newman, commissioner of Burlington Electric, conducted a great session on what commissions need and expect from utility management. Spencer is also a graduate of the PUMP program and recommended that all new commissioners attend the program. It is a great 30,000 foot perspective on how the utility operates and to garner industry contacts for follow up questions.One of the features of PUMP is the ability to sequester attendees in a remote location, so they can focus on content and build strong networking with other industry professionals. This spring we moved from the Cranwell Resort in the Berkshires, to the Water’s Edge Resort in Connecticut on Long Island sound. The location provided a fantastic venue for attendees to focus and relax.
 We will return to the Water’s Edge for our fall session on November 6 - 8. Registrations are open, but please remember that because our intent is to maintain a focused environment, space is limited so register early. You can find more information and register here.
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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In This Issue...
• Congressional Focus: The President’s Budget Request arrives on Capitol Hill...
• Cyber Security: CISPA and other cyber bills pass the House...
• Municipal Bonds: Public Power, Senators come out swinging...
• Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency: Shaheen-Portman gets reintroduced...
• Personnel: Moniz clears one hurdle but faces a hold in the full Senate as Chu officially steps down...
On April 10, President Obama presented his budget to Congress. Many have suggested the Budget is "dead on arrival," but it provides important insight into the Administration’s priorities. The following are selected highlights of interest to NEPPA:
• Tax: The budget includes a now-familiar "28% cap" on upper-income earners’ tax deductions. It also proposes creating taxable America Fast Forward (AFF) Bonds. The budget would also make permanent the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for qualified renewable energy projects.
• Energy: The Budget would allocate $28.4 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE), an 8% boost over 2012 levels. It includes $200 million in one-time funding for "Race to the Top" performance-based awards to support states that implement effective policies to cut energy waste and modernize the grid.
• Cybersecurity: The Budget calls for $44 million in new money for a federal cybersecurity information sharing program. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would receive a $131 million increase to assist in meeting its directives under the Executive order on cyber security.
To read the complete legislative update including the following topics, click the links below:
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