The Fall E&O Conference was held at the Riverview Inn in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Oct. 1-2. We had 80 attendees who represented municipal power providers from as far east as Bristol, Tennessee, all the way west to Union City. Sixteen meeting sponsors/exhibitors offered a great opportunity to learn about their products and services, as well as serving as hosts for the social hour. Torco Testing, Tom Grimes, and Kevin Simpson, graciously provided a hospitality suite. The sponsors were enthusiastic about the event. "ENA appreciates the opportunity to participate in TMEPA conferences, and TMEPA’s Fall E&O Conference was no exception. I have attended several TMEPA conferences and always find them to be worthwhile from both a business and personal perspective," said Brad Reynolds, ENA. When asked about the value of the conference to his company, Brad responded, "The TMEPA conferences introduce us to municipalities that are interested in using their fiber infrastructures to earn revenue as underlying service providers for local school districts and libraries. We attend these conferences because there is value in having strong relationships with quality partners. TMEPA is the conduit that helps to make that happen."
Kenneth King of Bristol, Tennessee, chair of the E&O, welcomed all attendees to the meeting and introduced Brian Taylor, superintendent from CDE Lightband, Clarksville, for welcoming remarks.
The program was excellent. The fall planning committee consisted of: Allen Potter, Tullahoma; Alan Roderick, Chattanooga; and Brad Zill, Union City; along with E&O officers including Ken King; Daniel Kimbell, Clarksville, vice chair; and Michael Cain, Jackson, secretary. The committee scheduled a great meeting showcasing interesting topics and speakers.
Doreen Bonesteel, Power Secure Lighting, spoke about financial analysis for backyard area light. Grounding and lightning protection was presented by Bill Hall from Eaton Innovative Technology. There was an extended break for almost 45 minutes that allowed for great mix and mingle time with the exhibitors. Ralph Dunn from McMinnville reported on the LED lighting project that was just completed in the city of McMinnville. Brian McClean, formerly with JB Wright and now the perimeter security engineer for ROSS Technology Corporation, spoke about cyber-fence/substation security.
The planning committee and officers decided to hold the business meeting just before lunch, and officers for the 2016 year were elected, Kenny Longley from Cleveland Utilities was nominated for the position of secretary starting fall 2016. The 2016 fall program committee was named: Leslie Jones, Jackson Energy Authority; Ralph Dunn, McMinnville Electric System; and Clayton Dowell, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services. You can look forward to a great fall conference at the Sheraton Four
Points, Brentwood, Tennessee, on Oct. 6-7, 2016. After a great buffet lunch, the meeting continued with a presentation on the Bierer Service Tester, Model ST800 by Rick Kennerly. David Peirano, from Ashby Co., explained the S & C Trip Saver II.
Friday morning started with a breakfast with the exhibitors. The group heard from Mike Simmons, JT & S, Jeremy Elrod, TMEPA, and Phillip Burgess, TVPPA. Brad Zill, explained the technology surrounding AMI transformer loading versus CIS loading. A roundtable discussion followed and the meeting dismissed around noon.
"I particularly liked the substation security session. As municipals, we have a large number of older, urban substations that are still a critical part of our distribution system. The TMEPA E&O Conference is the only place where engineering and operations staff can hear about problems and solutions that are specific to municipal utilities," said Brian Coate, electric department manager, Tullahoma utilities board.
A certificate of attendance is available to attendees by request. You can view the entire program including all topics, as well as a list of our wonderful sponsors, by clicking HERE or on the link at TMEPA website. Look for the E&O link in the left margin.