News of the week

Happy Thanksgiving from MMUA!

To you and yours, MMUA wishes a Happy Thanksgiving. MMUA thanks you for another fantastic year of providing ratepayers with reliable utilities and excellent service. Our association is strong because of the tremendous commitment of individuals and communities to maintaining and increasing the value of local utility control. We are proud to work with you, and we hope your holiday season is filled with cheer and restoration.

Two Minnesota utilities recognized by APPA as Smart Energy Providers

Earlier this month, two Minnesota municipal utilities were honored with the Smart Energy Provider (SEP) designation by the American Public Power Association (APPA) at the Customer Connections Conference in San Antonio. Elk River Municipal Utilities and Moorhead Public Service were each awarded the designation for a second time, following the same recognition in 2021. They join Austin Utilities, Detroit Lakes Public Utilities, Rochester Public Utilities, and Saint Peter Municipal Utilities in representing Minnesota on the national list of designees.

The SEP designation recognizes public power utilities for demonstrating leading practices in four key disciplines: smart energy program structure; energy efficiency and distributed energy programs; environmental and sustainability initiatives; and customer experience.

These Minnesota utilities join more than 90 public power utilities nationwide that hold the SEP designation. Congratulations to the hard-working members of these communities!

MMUA announces new Gas Circuit Rider Plus program

MMUA is continuing to improve its natural gas services. For twenty years, MMUA has offered the Gas Circuit Rider program, providing specialized support for member gas utilities. Ensuring Pipeline and Hazardous

Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) compliance is at the core of the program. This service includes both operator technical training and regulatory compliance assistance. 

Some MMUA members currently involved in the Gas Circuit Rider program have been requesting additional days of service. Those gas utilities not involved in the MMUA program have asked for more flexible program options. To meet these needs, MMUA is pleased to introduce a new program available to all current participants, as well as to those municipal gas utilities not currently enrolled in the program. Through the new Gas Circuit Rider Plus program, utilities can partner with MMUA to develop employees, maintain compliance, and improve operations in a targeted, focused manner. From training new employees to evaluation of covered tasks, the Gas Circuit Rider Plus program is designed to address topics that fall outside of what can be covered in the six service days a year allotted through the Gas Circuit Rider core program.

To learn more about these offerings, click here. You can also learn more by connecting with Natural Gas Circuit Rider Dennis Danielson at the Technical and Operations (T&O) Conference in December. He’ll be facilitating a roundtable discussion there.

Experts urge unified action for infrastructure expansion

"By 2035 alone we’re going to need to add about 75,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines," warns Jesse Jenkins from Princeton University's ZERO Lab, underscoring the mounting pressure to find solutions for the colossal infrastructure overhaul demanded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This pressing need emphasizes the imperative for collaborative efforts, urging federal officials, private stakeholders, and local governments to unite. The U.S. Department of the Treasury stresses the pivotal role of trade associations and unions in disseminating crucial information about prevailing wage requirements and electric vehicle tax credits.

Despite challenges in transmission buildout and workforce shortages, experts highlight the private sector's enthusiastic embrace of financial opportunities, signaling progress. The IRA underscores the urgency of coordinated efforts, spotlighting tangible, on-the-ground infrastructure development as a key driver of economic and environmental progress.

To read more, click here.

Funding opportunities

Apply now for state competitiveness fund matching grant program for energy-related IIJA and IRA federal funding programs

State funds are now available to assist qualifying local units of government by covering some or all the matching requirements needed to access federal discretionary grant funding for energy projects.

During the 2023 legislative session, the Legislature approved $100 million in general funds for the Minnesota Department of Commerce to award grants of up to $15 million to eligible entities, including cities, to enhance their chances of receiving federal funds under the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for energy-related projects.

The Department of Commerce will open two concurrent application periods. The quick response round is for applications that have already submitted a federal funding proposal but wish to seek assistance for covering the required matching funds. The standard response round is for applicants who have not yet submitted a federal funding proposal.

The deadline for the quick response round is November 27, 2023, and the deadline for the standard response round is January 15, 2024.

Learn more about the program and apply for funding through the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s webpage.

Looking ahead

Transformer School

Registration is open for Transformer School, which will be held from January 23-26. This school has been rescheduled from December due to instructor availability.

Transformer School will cover three-phase transformer connections. Click here for more information and registration. The Pre-Conference will cover basic single-phase transformer connections and theory. Please note: separate registration is required for the pre-conference. Register by December 21 for the best rate.

Meter School

Meter School registration is open. The school, held from February 6-9 at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall, is your once-a-year opportunity to obtain electric metering instruction and hands-on application, installation, and troubleshooting. Participants select from two course options, dependent upon skill/work experience: Basic/intermediate or Advanced.

• Basic/intermediate: ideal for those with little metering experience. This track builds on the concepts covered in the Pre-Conference.
• Advanced: intended for those who steadily work with meters and wiring meter installations.

This course will cover a wide range of topics including why we have electric meters and the core principles behind single and three-phase metering, mounting and wiring meter sockets on a variety of set ups, voltage transformers, testing procedures, metering hazards, safety procedures and precautions, and more.

A pre-conference learning session is also held in conjunction with the school. The pre-conference is an ideal introductory course for those with little metering experience or as a "refresher" on basic metering. Separate registration is required for the pre-conference.

Register before January 5 for the best rate.

As always, thank you for your association with MMUA and your commitment to delivering excellent service through locally owned utility assets in your community. Have a great week!

Christian Glanville

Marketing and Member Relations Manager

Direct: 763.746.0727 / Cell: 612.655.0598

Fax: 763.551.0459

cglanville@mmua.org | www.mmua.org

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