NEPPA eNewsletter
August 2014
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
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There is an expression "You can’t see the forest for the trees." Stop! This is not an article about the dysfunctional ISO-New England market construct. This is actually about a positive connotation of this expression. The expression is about being in the midst of things and not being able to see the full scope or big picture. Sometimes we have to acknowledge that we become so involved in the day to day that we don’t recognize the larger changes going on around us. Over the past month the media has been inundated with stories about the decline of customer service in the United States. The most recent being the Comcast audio clip on U-tube that features a customer service representative who harasses and out talks a customer who is trying to cancel service. The customer called after his wife gave up. He then spends 18 minutes on the phone with a rude service representative who refuses to process the cancelation until he is given a reason for the order.
I have to admit that I was frustrated listening to this, partly because I am the person who prefers to go through self check out just to avoid contact, but also because it seemed so foreign and odd. When speaking with friends they couldn’t understand why I felt this way. To them it was an extreme example of the common place.
So, why was my impression so different? Then it occurred to me: it is because of all of you. Over the past two years I have been steadily making the rounds to members and this has tainted my expectations in a good way. I have seen exemplary customer service from all of you. Many of you still have in-person bill payment where customers come in and you engage them on a personal level.
When in waiting areas I have seen:
When out in the field I have seen crews:
Why do I see all of this good will? Because it is ingrained in the public power business model, which is more community than business and that is a good thing.
Wildly varying estimates have the US at anywhere between 65-90% a service economy. But, as one of the original customer service industries, we have not succumbed to the changing forest. We have focused on what is in front of us, the customer. While other industries and segments of the power industry have focused on the return on investment, we have focused on the people before us. Because of this we haven’t stopped to recognize how, while service devolves around us, ours has continued to shine.
So, please take a minute and think about how many groups you know that provide the great service that you and your utility do. Now think about who the shining stars are at your utility that inspire others.
These folks deserve recognition. Maybe they are common to your organization, but they are not everywhere. Take a moment and click here to download a form to nominate your shining stars and send your folks to the one conference a year that motivates and recognizes their service. To find out more information or to register, click here!
The Carol A. Tracey Award for Customer Service is for any employee who has given exemplary service.
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AROUND NEW ENGLAND
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It was with regret, satisfaction, gratitude and anticipation for spending the future with my family that I announced my retirement as General Manager of Ashburnham's Municipal Light Plant earlier this year. My final day at AMLP will be July 31, 2014. This email's purpose is to not only express my appreciation for your contributions to our efforts at AMLP during my 17 year tenure, but to provide future Contact Protocol and information to friends and business associates — for both the light plant and me personally after my retirement. AMLP Business Contact Information:
In the interim period between my retirement and the hiring of a new General Manager, you may continue to use my email address SHerriott@amlp.org. After 7/31, it will automatically forward to Anne Olivari, our very capable Office Manager since 1988. Or you may contact Anne directly at AOlivari@amlp.org.
Stan Herriott Personal Contact Information:
You may reach me personally after I retire on July 31st via my personal email account — SHerriott@comcast.net.
Thank you for your kindness and support. I remain forever appreciative to you, our team, our Light Plant Commissioners and the citizens, businesses and government of the Town of Ashburnham.
Gratefully,
Stan
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July 22, 2014 -Boston, MA - The Arthur J. Hurley Company, an 85 year old family-owned distributor of electrical wire and cable, proudly announces the appointment of Jim Clark as the Executive Vice President and CFO; Kevin Soden as the Company’s Account Manager for the Utility / Municipal / Engineering market in New England and Camilo Pereira as the Company’s Business Manager in charge of key national accounts and overall expansion in the transit, utility and construction markets.
Jim Clark will have overall responsibility for the company’s finances, and lead Hurley, already an established and highly respected supplier in Connecticut, in expanding that market by establishing a new Connecticut distribution facility to better serve its growing customer base in southern New England and beyond.
Jim worked in the banking and finance industries for the past 20 years. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from Babson College and is involved with many community activities including Board positions for the Connecticut chapter of Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) and the Glastonbury Lacrosse Club. A native of Connecticut, Jim currently resides in Glastonbury, CT with his wife Jamie and three children.
Kevin Soden will be responsible for sales team leadership, driving revenue, contributions in product and vendor selection, as well as general account management.
Kevin joins the Hurley team from PLM Inc. where he served as Principal Engineer in the New York and New England territories. During his successful tenure at PLM, he prepared engineering proposals with cost estimating for electrical substations, transmission systems and overhead and underground distribution systems. Kevin is well versed in schedule preparation, permitting support, and distribution systems planning which should enable him to represent Hurley's wide range of electrical wire and cable offerings He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New York.
Camilo Pereira has worked in a broad spectrum of industries such as manufacturing, distribution and aerospace where he specialized in communications, operations and strategy. He is a graduate of Tufts University and holds Master Degrees from The University of Southern California and London School of Economics. Camilo is based in Danville, California where he lives with his wife and two children.
Arthur J. Hurley III, Hurley President and CEO, states, "We are very excited to welcome Jim, Kevin and Camilo to our company. Not only will they bring a tighter focus on customer relationship quality to our team, but they will also be great role models for our employees and help us expand our markets."
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For the second consecutive year, Georgetown Municipal Light Department 2nd Class Lineworker Jesse Cote was the overall top performer at the recent Northeast Public Power Association Lineworker Apprentice School’s annual Skills Assessment Rodeo. Cote competed against approximately 50 other students in 10 separate events at NEPPA’s Training Center in Littleton in the 16th annual event.
Competitors in the two-day skills assessment rodeo utilize the skills they develop while at the training facility. The events include Pole Top Rescue, Bucket Rescue, Free Climb, Fall Arrested Climb, Obstacle Course, Single Cross Arm Changeout, Double Cross Arm Changeout, Insulator Changeout, Transformer Changeout, and Cutout Fuse Replacement from the ground using an extendable hotstick.
Each event is scored based upon a point system that rewards quality and safe work and each event is timed.
"This is the third year that Cote has participated in the two-day training event which further showcases the extensive skills and training required on the job," Georgetown Municipal Light Department General Manager David Schofield said. "We are quite pleased that he has demonstrated, once again, that he has mastered these skills while maintaining his focus on safety and quality of work."
 Georgetown Municipal Light Department 2nd Class Lineworker Jesse Cote, center, was the overall top performer at the recent Northeast Public Power Association Lineworker Apprentice School’s annual Skills Assessment Rodeo for the second consecutive year. Congratulating Jesse on his accomplishment are (from left to right) Georgetown Light Commission Chair Scott Edwards, General Manager Dave Schofield, Commissioner Pete Dion and Commissioner John Smolinsky. ##SHARELINKS##
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Energy New England, LLC, a leading provider of wholesale and retail energy services, announced today that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Seldera, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameresco, Inc., (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, to launch an expanded version of the ECHOSM Analytics dashboard and create a new technology-based tool to provide low-cost energy savings by adapting building consumption to occupant behaviors. With the roots of both organizations centered in the Commonwealth, the partnership and resulting products will further solidify the region as a center for technological solutions to energy efficiency and speaks to the depth of knowledge and experience in Massachusetts.
Through their experience and knowledge of web-based platforms and sensing, Seldera brings a technology focused perspective to the product line with the ultimate goal of integrating it into their well-respected Building Dynamics suite. Andreas Savvides, Executive Vice President of Seldera, said "the combination of technology with an experienced partner like Energy New England adds a lot of value for the customer." John G. Tzimorangas, President and CEO of ENE, shared his enthusiasm for the potential in the partnership and added "ECHOSM Analytics has proven to be a useful tool for our clients; this will only serve to transform a good tool into a GREAT one."
"We strive to deliver quick paybacks and low initial cost solutions to our customers. Reducing building costs and increasing the bottom line is precisely what Seldera’s new technology offers for campuses, commercial and industrial manufacturing facilities," said Andreas Savvides, Executive Vice President, Seldera. Seldera’s new offering, ECHOSM Analytics with Building Dynamics, dubbed EA-BD, combines demand management capabilities with load analysis and occupant behavior analysis in a single expandable platform that can share intelligence with new or existing controls. The system correlates building occupancy patterns and production processes with energy consumption end uses to expose low-cost/no cost measures and performs the what-if analysis for more elaborate upgrades.
"Utilizing the Building Dynamics service has been a seamless experience for us and has delivered impressive and notable savings to our bottom line," said Dennis Nelson, VP of Claims of New London County Insurance companies.
Building managers and owners are continuously looking to reduce costs through energy efficiency. The first step is learning where energy consumption occurs. ECHOSM Analytics with Building Dynamics provide those insights through a combination of sensing and analytics in an easy-to-install system. The tool is installed in a single visit, and can work together with the existing building automation systems. The application is particularly effective in rapidly changing environments and buildings with complex loads such as industrial facilities and university campuses. Owners and managers can view data anytime and keep track of real-time energy consumption and automate savings opportunities. Seldera’s software services, one of the new offerings of Ameresco Inc, sends owners and managers email and text alerts for continuous monitoring.
About Energy New England, LLC.
Energy New England, LLC (www.energynewengland.com) is a leading provider of wholesale and retail energy services. The company conducts more than $300M in structured transactions annually, and has also grown to become the leading provider of conservation and efficiency services for the public power community in the region. The company’s customer base has grown exponentially over the past few years. Its comprehensive portfolio includes power supply and risk management services, energy and water conservation services, energy brokering, and renewable energy solutions. Energy New England has customers situated throughout New England as well as other power pools. The company works with an increasing number of utilities, independent power producers, industrial, commercial and institutional facilities, municipalities and non-profits.
About Seldera, An Ameresco company
Part of the Ameresco family since 2012, Seldera is a wholly owned subsidiary with offices in New Haven, CT and Framingham, MA and specializes in the development of scalable, secure, intelligent sensing solutions for building energy efficiency. The Seldera team has a high-level of knowledge and experience with the fast-paced and constant occupancy changes on campuses. For more information, visit www.seldera.com.
About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for facilities throughout North America. Ameresco’s services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco provides local expertise through its 70 offices in 33 states, five Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom. Ameresco has more than 900 employees. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.
Contacts
Energy New England, LLC
Gary Cunningham
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After its recent Board Meeting, Energy New England (ENE), LLC, an energy cooperative based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, announced that William G. Bottiggi will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of ENE, effective June 4, 2014. Bottiggi was first elected to the position in 2013 by the ENE members. "Bill is a respected leader in the Public Power industry and continues to be innovative and at the forefront of opportunities in the business", said John G. Tzimorangas, President and Chief Executive Officer of Energy New England. "We are pleased to have Bill reelected to the Chairman position for another year", commented Tzimorangas. Bottiggi has 30 years experience in the utility industry and is currently the General Manager of the Braintree Electric Light Department and has served as an ENE Board Member since 2004. His previous experience included various Massachusetts utility management roles in the areas of transmission and distribution, where he managed substantial capital and operations budgets. Bottiggi represents the New England Public Power community as one of two Directors on the American Public Power Association Board and is a Board Member of the Northeast Public Power Association.
A life-long resident of Massachusetts, Bottiggi resides in Marshfield with his wife, Susanne. He received a BS from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY and an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He is active in a number of affiliated business, town and personal board organizations.
Formed in 1998, ENE has grown significantly over the past few years, and is a leading provider of both supply and demand side services to the public power community. The company works with more than 35 municipal systems on a dedicated basis in the provision of one or more supply or demand-side services. In addition, it manages more than 900 MW of load and 550 MW of generation throughout New England.
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ASSOCIATION HAPPENINGS
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NEPPA welcomes Altran North America as an associate member as of Tuesday, July 22, 2014! Altran North America is an engineering firm. The company is located at 1 Advantage Court, Suite A, Bordentown, NJ 08505. The primary contact person is Ron Pacitti who is the Vice President of Business Development. He can be reached at ron.pacitti@altran.com or 855.425.8726(phone) or 609.298.4970(fax). E-J Electric T&D, LLC became a corporate member of NEPPA on Friday, July 27, 2014! The company is located at 419 South Cherry Street, Wallingford, CT 06492. The primary contact person is Kevin M. Kirby, who is the Director of Business Development. He can be reached at kkirby@ej1899.com or 203.526.9625(phone) or 203.626.9629(fax). ##SHARELINKS##
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CALENDAR
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August 24 - 27, 2014 Sea Crest Beach Hotel Falmouth, MA Registration for the conference is now open! To register, please print out a brochure found here. For more information, please click here.  ##SHARELINKS##
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September 10, 2014 Hawthorne Hotel Salem, MA To see more information or to register, please click here!  ##SHARELINKS##
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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In This Issue:
Senate Approves FERC Nominees
On July 15, the Senate approved Norman Bay by a vote of 52-45, and Cheryl LaFleur by a vote of 90-7, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Under an agreement struck with the White House, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee Chair Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), LaFleur will be named Chair – with full powers – for nine-months. Bay will then be appointed Chair in April 2015.
LaFleur’s second five-year term will expire on June 30, 2019. Bay’s term will end on June 30, 2018, given that he is filling the seat occupied by former Chair Jon Wellinghoff. Both are Democrats. With the confirmation of LaFleur and Bay, FERC has a full five member panel, with two Republicans – Phil Moeller and Tony Clark, and Democrat John Norris.
LaFleur told reporters she plans to serve out her new five-year term even after she relinquishes the chairmanship next year. "My understanding [is] that I’ll be leading the commission for the next nine months, with full authority," she said after the agency’s monthly meeting.
To read the complete legislative update including the following topics, click the links below: ##SHARELINKS##
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