NEPPA eNewsletter

If you are attending the APPA Rally this year with NEPPA, please take note that Monday, March 3 is your last day to RSVP for the important phone call we are holding prior to the event to go over talking points and scheduled meetings. The call will take place on Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.

When describing what NEPPA does to non-members, I often describe the four pillars of our organization:

• Communications
• Education
• Government Relations
• Mutual Aid

This past year, Courtney Crouse in our offices focused on recreating our website. We are proud of the new design, which is user-friendly and incorporates modern features like video and online purchasing. Our main goal is to be more interactive and dynamic for you.

Education is the first thing that most members think of when they think of NEPPA. We have been known for crew training. The development and retooling we have done over the past two years has solidified NEPPA’s crew training as the best around. The Public Utility Management Program’s formalization of curriculum has created an outstanding continuing education for managers and strong orientation for commissioners. 

This year we will focus on creating and filling in the gaps in our program to ensure that all utility employees can obtain their needed education and training through NEPPA.

Our internal Mutual Aid program is a model for the rest of the nation. Our members are so preventative and prepared for outages that storms that level other parts of the country rarely call for the activation of the program. When the program does go live, our Chair and Regional Coordinators do an outstanding job of coordinating responses. The addition of the new communications system enhances the response time. If you are unaware of the new system or need information, please reach out to your regional coordinators.

Leadership and staff are proud of these NEPPA core functions. But, this is March, and March is the month that we focus on our Government Relations program. While we are active year-round, this month is the time that we strongly encourage everyone who is capable to participate in our unified voice. 

March 10-12 we will be in Washington, D.C., meeting with Federal legislators and staffers to discuss the most important issues related to public power in New England. We receive strong participation from our leaders and joint action agencies. However, I would like to remind all of you that this effort is open to all members. 

The NEPPA Legislative Committee begins the process in January by agreeing on the five or six most critical issues. Then, working with Morgan Meguire, the committee refines our talking points and creates a leave behind for the offices we will visit. While this is going on, we reach out to the hill offices and ensure that we meet with every state’s hill offices. 

On March 4 we will walk through background documents on the issues we will be addressing the talking points for each issue. The hill visit schedule will also be covered and distributed. On the 11th of March, the committee will host a briefing call and breakfast as well.

We have an outstanding core group of members and commissioners that attend annually, which makes it easy for new attendees. With five to 10 people in each meeting, a new person can speak up if they are comfortable, or just acclimate to the experience. Every meeting is facilitated by a committee member or Morgan Meguire, staffer. 

I strongly encourage you to attend if possible. We need new participants as every year one or two of our regular volunteers retires or leaves the industry. Only by new leaders stepping up can we maintain the high level of interaction and success that we have had. As a first time attendee, you are guided by the experienced participants and not pressured to step out of your comfort zone. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at lbrownell@neppa.org so that I can send you the materials and call in information for our briefings. This activity is open to managers and commissioners.

Thank you for the outstanding efforts of our committee, Chair (Sharon Staz) and Vice Chair (Mike Kirkwood). We are well-prepared for this year’s visit.

• Barbara Grimes
• Brian Forshaw
• David Mullett
• David Touhey
• Drew Rankin
• Gary Will
• John Bilda
• John Tzimorangas
• Judy Gove
• Kristin DiGirolamo
• Peter Dion

Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department (WMGLD) customers who may need help paying their home heating and energy bills are encouraged to contact or visit the WMGLD office to obtain information about energy assistance programs and services that may be available to them. 

The WMGLD has compiled the information in a brochure which is available at the WMGLD business office at 480 North Avenue and online at www.wmgld.com. The brochure includes information about 2014 fuel assistance and weatherization programs for low-income residents, the Good Neighbor Energy Fund for those in temporary crisis, and other programs. The informational material contains income eligibility guidelines, application information, and contact information, including telephone numbers and website addresses. 

The income guidelines for the 2014 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is set at 60 percent of the estimated state median income, and range from $32,065 for an individual to $61,664 for a family of four. Income guidelines for the Good Neighbor Energy Fund must fall between 60 to 80 percent of the state’s median income and range from $32,065 to $42,753 for an individual, to $61,664 to $82,218 for a family of four. LIHEAP is in operation from Nov. 1 to April 30. The Good Neighbor Energy Fund will begin taking applications on Feb. 3.

The brochure also provides information about Community Services Network, Inc. for low- and moderate-income residents who need additional services, the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, Mass 2-1-1, and the WMGLD Home Energy Loss Prevention Services (HELPS) program. This latter program, which is available to residential customers regardless of income, promotes energy conservation through rebates and incentives.

"We realize that even those who work hard to keep their homes energy-efficient may still have difficulty paying their energy bills this winter," WMGLD General Manager Peter Dion said. "This brochure will help them determine if they are eligible for any of these programs and who they can call for more information."

"We encourage customers who think they may be eligible to pick up the brochure at our 480 North Avenue business office or to call the office at 781-224-5072 to speak to a Customer Service Representative."

The information is also available on the WMGLD website at http://www.wmgld.com/ by clicking on Heat Assistance.

The WMGLD also offers a budget payment program that begins each year in September. According to the General Manager, this may be a good option for those who do not qualify for assistance and for those on a fixed income. Information about budget payments can also be obtained by calling the business office at 781-246-6363. 

This Spring's General Foremen’s Roundtable will be held at the NEPPA Training Center on Wednesday,

March 19, 2014 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Due to the recent work zone inspection of a NEPPA member, and the new continuing education requirements of the Massachusetts Hoisting License, the GF’s Roundtable will center on presentations by Doug Reynolds and his associates from the Mass Department of Transportation and Dan Kilburn from the Mass Department of Public Safety. Each speaker will address the compliance issues each member faces in regards to work zone safety and the new continuing education hoisting license training requirement. Each session will conclude with time for Q&A.

After lunch, Jody Stockwell-Jerszyk, from Stuart Irby, will discuss a new service that is available to all members for high voltage glove testing. 

The afternoon session will conclude with Bob Henriksen to discuss a new training program to be offered by NEPPA that will cover the required "qualified employee training". 

For more information and to register, please click here.

NEPPA, the quality leader for public power education in the Northeast, is seeking a new full-time instructor for its Littleton, Mass., Training Center and other remote training sessions.

NEPPA offers competitive compensation and presents a positive environment. Candidates must have crew experience and be proficient in operational/technical and safety areas of public utility operations and must be comfortable with public speaking and group management. NEPPA will train the right candidate in our programs. For information or to apply, please contact either Steve Socoby, ssocoby@neppa.org, or Larry Brownell, lbrownell@neppa.org, or call 978-540-2200.

This year’s E & O conference is scheduled to take place at the Holiday Inn in Boxboro, Mass., on May 14 and 15. We encourage General Foremen, lineworkers and General Managers to attend this annual event that brings together the latest in products and technology for our municipal membership. On the 14th, in addition to the exhibits, there will be an opportunity for our members to be kept up to date on the issues of cyber security, hoisting license requirements, metering and revenue protection, and LED lighting.

During the afternoon and in addition to the vendor booths, there will be a demonstration on ropes followed by a presentation of Storm Soldiers, a short film about the "men who all make it happen" in what is a job constantly listed in the top 10 for most dangerous. Please use this link for more information:

We’ll wrap up the day with raffles and a reception featuring ex Red Sox Lou Merloni who will sign autographs and stay for pictures.

On Thursday the 15th, there will be a safety summit and roundtable discussion focused on OSHA's federal & state purview's in relation to municipal utilities. This will run concurrently with the Engineering Roundtable. Steve Collier, VP of Business Development at Milsoft Utility Solutions, will keep our Engineers current on "the Rewards of Integrating Metering, Outage Management, SCADA and Other Technologies in Today’s Public Power Market." Collier has more than 30 years in the energy, telecommunications and IT businesses in the U.S. and abroad.  He has his BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Houston and Purdue University, respectively.

Please join us for this interesting cross-section of learning, networking and connecting with your peers! 

NEPPA will offer the Public Utility Management Program April 23-25, at the Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook, Conn. The spring curriculum will include sessions on operations basics, an industry overview, evaluating your public communications, and understanding and interacting with your Board. Other sessions will be announced in March. 

The program is designed for lighting board members, general managers and staff moving into management functions of public utilities. It touches on all of the elements related to operating a public utility. The program is designed so that attending two consecutive programs will produce a solid 360 degree look at the industry.

Since the program is focused on interaction with expert speakers, the attendance is limited to a maximum of 20 attendees for each session. 

The program is a great continuing education resource for managers and board members to keep abreast of the current trends in the industry. 

What is the best way to prepare a new lighting commissioner for their role? Attend PUMP with them! This gives you the opportunity to give your commissioner the knowledge they need about the industry and for you to discuss your individual utility’s unique circumstance.

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• Cyber Security: NIST Framework released...

Congressional Overview 

On Jan. 28, President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union speech, which outlined his agenda and warned that he will use the full range of his executive authority if Congress does not act.  On energy, the President focused on the Climate Action Plan released in June 2013 and an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy.  

Meanwhile, Congress passed legislation to extend federal borrowing authority through March 2015, removing the threat of a default until after the November midterm elections. Both the House and Senate votes were won with a majority of support from Democrats.

Also in February, pro-oil-and-gas Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) took the gavel of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee (ENR), replacing Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who assumed the helm of the Finance Committee. Wyden replaces Max Baucus (D-MT), who was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Ambassador to China on Feb 6. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) also took the chair of the Environment and Public Works (EPW), Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) was welcomed to EPW as a new member.

To read the complete legislative update including the following topics, click the links below: