Public Power Now

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Chris Vetromile, Wildfire Manager for Texas public power utility Austin Energy, details how Austin Energy is proactively working to mitigate the threat of wildfires including utilizing artificial intelligence technology.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Rory Jones, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Lightshift Energy, and Jason Viadero, Director of Engineering and Generation Assets at Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company, discuss a recently announced program under which MMWEC has selected Lightshift as its exclusive partner to deploy the state’s first jointly implemented fleet of grid-scale...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Dick Peffley, General Manager for Michigan public power utility Lansing Board of Water and Light, details a new utility demand response program called “Peak Power Partner” for its residential electric customers and provides an update on the utility’s plan to provide 50 percent clean energy by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Aaron Rasmussen, Principal Engineer, Grid Automation, at Omaha Public Power District, and Rick Stava, Manager of Protection and Automation Engineering, at OPPD, detail a new OPPD substation simulator. Among other things, the OPPD officials discuss the training that is available through the substation simulator for OPPD personnel and detail the advantages...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Amy Zubaly, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association, discusses the upcoming hurricane season and details how FMEA and public power utilities in Florida are preparing for the 2024 hurricane season.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Denver DeWees, Electric Department Director for the City of Aztec, New Mexico, details how a 2-megawatt solar PV plus 4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage project will benefit the city’s utility and customers. Specifically, he said that energy produced by the solar farm will have a fixed cost with a lower rate. There are “literally millions of dollars o...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Brittany Davis, the General Manager and CEO Elect for Tennessee public power utility McMinnville Electric System, notes that included among her long-term goals is the development of a strategic plan for the utility. She also details the ways in which she has introduced herself to the McMinnville community and employees of MES.

Burbank Water and Power on April 5 is scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting for a new iron flow battery storage project.  Among the benefits of iron flow battery storage technology is the useful life of the battery, which is expected to be 25 years, as compared with 10 years for other types of storage technology, said Mandip Samra, Assistant General Manager for Power Supply at Burbank Water and Power...

Among the benefits that the Louisiana Energy and Power Authority offers to its full requirements members is to help put downward pressure on costs for LEPA full requirements members through economies of scale as a non-profit organization, Kevin Bihm, General Manager of LEPA, said in the latest episode of Public Power Now.  Another advantage that LEPA provides to member communities is the flexibili...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Kyle Holmberg, Communications and Energy Programs Analyst at Middleborough Gas and Electric Department, and Sonja Britland, Sustainability and Commercial Development Manager at Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant, detail the benefits that flow to utilities that receive APPA’s Smart Energy Provider designation. They also discuss the projects and activities th...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Emeka Anyanwu, who began his role as CEO of Nebraska public power utility Lincoln Electric System in January, said that he is focused on trying to understand and internalize “the culture and the spirit” of LES. He also provided an update on the utility’s efforts to meet a decarbonization goal that aims to eliminate or offset the utility’s carbon dioxide p...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Ursula Schryver, Senior Vice President of Education, Training, and Events at APPA, details the benefits of attending APPA’s national conference and highlights sessions scheduled to take place at the conference. The National Conference will be held from June 7 through June 12 in San Diego, California.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, two officials from Washington State’s Snohomish County PUD: John Hieb, Principal Engineer, and Suzy Oversvee, Senior Program Manager for New Energy Initiatives, and Daniel Crawley, Supervisor for Strategic Research at Chattanooga, Tenn.-based EPB, discuss projects that Snohomish County PUD and EPB will pursue as a result of funding announced by the U.S. D...

An ice storm that hit Oregon in January was “orders of magnitude larger than anything we’ve seen before,” Kyle Roadman, General Manager of Oregon public power utility Emerald People’s Utility District, said in the latest episode of Public Power Now. In the episode, he details how Emerald People’s Utility District crews worked to rapidly restore power to customers in the wake of the ice storm and h...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Dan Beans, Electric Utility Director for the public power community of Roseville, California, provides an overview of supply chain challenges facing Roseville’s utility and details the strategies that the utility has implemented to address those challenges. He also discusses state mandates that Roseville’s utility is facing and the ways in which the utili...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Kim Rikalo and Star Walker, who work for California public power utility SMUD, discuss the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and LIHEAP Action Day, which falls this year on February 7.  Rikalo, SMUD’s Manager for Residential and Assistance Delivery, and Walker, SMUD’s Segment Delivery Supervisor for Assistance Delivery, detail the importance of LI...

Among the many ways in which the Indiana Municipal Power Agency is proactively helping its member communities is the creation of an IMPA services group that serves as a line department for certain towns or cities. “We do all the operation and maintenance for those communities,” said Jack Alvey, President and CEO of IMPA, in the latest episode of Public Power Now. This has helped member communities...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Darren Springer, General Manager of Vermont public power utility Burlington Electric Department, offers an update on Burlington’s Net Zero by 2030 goal and details how Burlington Electric Department is helping to achieve this goal. Springer also provides additional details about how the utility will benefit from joining the Vermont Public Power Supply Aut...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Amme Storma, a financial analyst with Wisconsin public power utility Kaukauna Utilities, and Laura Beeman, a managing consultant with Beam Reach Consulting Group, provide insights on community benefits plans, which the Department of Energy requires as part of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunity announceme...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Jeffrey Stewart, Director of Louisiana public power utility Lafayette Utilities System, details the benefits of public power utilities participating in APPA’s 2024 Public Power Lineworkers Rodeo. Lafayette Utilities System is hosting the Lineworkers Rodeo, which will take place on April 5-6 in Lafayette, Louisiana.

At Massachusetts public power utility Groton Electric Light Department, “customer service has always been our focus, from the top down,” said Kevin Kelly, General Manager at Groton Electric Light Department, in the latest episode of Public Power Now. The utility was recently recognized by APPA with a Public Power Customer Satisfaction Award for providing excellent service to its community.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Tim Bryant, who became CEO and General Manager of North Carolina-based public power utility Fayetteville Public Works Commission in August, details what his priorities have been since taking on his new role at the utility. Bryant also discusses the steps that the utility has taken to achieve high levels of reliability.

This episode of Public Power Now features a recent APPA webinar that details how APPA members can benefit from participating in three Association programs: the Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments program, the Reliable Public Power Provider program and the Smart Energy Provider program. The webinar includes public power officials who detail how their utilities have engaged with th...

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Kimberly Schlichting, President and CEO of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, offers details on a new DEMEC Joint Lineworker Training Yard. Among other things, she details the wide range of benefits that will flow from the new facility for the joint action agency’s members including cost savings.

In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Deenise Becenti, Government and Public Affairs Manager at the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, details how the Light Up Navajo project is helping to bring electricity to families in the Navajo Nation and discusses the benefits that are flowing from NTUA solar energy projects including providing job opportunities for the Navajo Nation.