News of the week

MN Lineworkers Rodeo winners announced

The sixth annual MN Lineworkers Rodeo was held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall on Tuesday, and we could not have asked for a much better day. Twenty lineworkers competed across three events: hurtman rescue, an obstacle course, and single phase tie in.

Thank you to all participants and volunteers for their work to make this event a special reminder of the incredible skill and commitment required by the craft of linework. The winners of the overall competition are as follows:

• First place, journeyman: Mike Enright, Shakopee Public Utilities
• Second place, journeyman: Chad Peterson, Rochester Public Utilities
• Third place, journeyman: Matt Tupper, Rochester Public Utilities

• First place, apprentice: Brandon Heitz, City of Chaska—Electric Department
• Second place, apprentice: Bryson Whyte, Marshall Public Utilities
• Third place, apprentice: Spencer DeFrang, Rochester Public Utilities

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you again to all participants!

Applications open for DOE technology fellowship

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) has opened applications for the 2024 Operational Technology (OT) Defender Fellowship.

CESER launched the OT Defender Fellowship in 2020 in collaboration with DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory and with support from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation. The year-long fellowship is a unique, tailored, and highly selective training and education program in which participants expand their understanding of key federal cybersecurity policies, roles and responsibilities, public and private collaborative programs, and themes. 

The program also allows middle- and senior-level OT security mangers in the US energy sector an opportunity to more fully grasp the cyber strategies and tactics that adversarial state and non-state actors use in targeting US energy infrastructure, and how the US government is postured to counter these adversarial activities. Additional information on the program as well as eligibility requirements are available from DOE’s program website here. Applications are due by September 30.

Advancing EV infrastructure: $100 million funding opportunity announced

In a move towards bolstering electric vehicle (EV) accessibility, the executive branch has unveiled the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator. This program, announced by the Department of Transportation on September 13, earmarks up to $100 million in federal funding for the repair and replacement of non-operational EV charging stations.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has established the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, managed by the Federal Highway Administration, with 10% of funds set aside for states and localities requiring additional support in deploying EV charging infrastructure strategically.

In this initial phase, the focus lies on enhancing the reliability of the existing network. The Federal Highway Administration anticipates that the available funding will likely cover all eligible projects, encompassing both publicly and privately owned chargers, as long as they are accessible to the public without restriction. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center Station Locator, 4.1% of public charging ports were inaccessible as of September 11, 2023.

Details on eligible applicants and projects can be found here. The deadline for applications is November 13, 2023.

Last chance to register for next Stepping Into Leadership Cohort

We invite you to join the next cohort of our popular leadership enrichment program, Stepping Into Leadership. Act now: classes begin on October 4!

Stepping Into Leadership is designed for those who are new to a supervisory role or current supervisors and leaders who wish to improve their leadership skills. Participants will have 56 hours of instruction delivered in a mix of in-person and virtual settings over a 14-month period.

The course beginning October 4 will cover a myriad of developmental topics, such as building a personal leadership style, exploring effective communication, managing conflict, and fortifying organizational leadership. To learn more, click here.

Funding opportunities

MN Department of Commerce announces revamped website for funding opportunities

Information on funding for energy related projects is now being shared online by the Division of Energy Resources at the Minnesota Department of Commerce (MNDOC). 

The New Energy Programs page joins with the existing Federal Funding opportunities page to provide additional insight for Minnesotans on new state funding for energy opportunities and programs. Details on the new rebates, grants, and other programs will be added to the site as the programs are developed by MNDOC to make those funds accessible to all Minnesotans.

You are encouraged to bookmark this new page for future reference: New Energy Programs / Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy (mn.gov); updates are currently included for the EV Rebate Program and Heat Pump Rebate Program. Please plan to check back frequently for future updates; you can also stay current by signing up for MNDOC's newsletter at this link.

2023 Energy Future Grants (EFG) Creating a Community-Led Energy Future 

• DE-FOA-0002870
• Deadline: Full Application due 9.30.2023.

DOE's State and Community Energy Program issued a funding opportunity with $27 million in financial and technical assistance to support local, state, and tribal government-led partnership efforts advancing clean energy program innovation. Community-led EFG projects foster integrated clean energy solutions in and across the power, transportation, and building sectors. Approximately 50 multi-jurisdictional teams, with ideally 3-4 (or more) state, local, and tribal government partners on the team, are expected to receive awards of $500,000. Teams will also partner with community benefit organizations to turn innovative, novel or early action ideas into solutions that address barriers to clean energy deployment and provide measurable benefits to disadvantaged communities.

Letters of Support from MN Department of Commerce

The Minnesota Department of Commerce will gladly consider supplying a letter of support for funding proposals. Please send any requests for Commerce letters of support via email to fedquestions.commerce@state.mn.us, allowing at least 3 weeks for processing, if at all possible. Please include information on what funding opportunity is being applied to, and a short recap of the proposal project being submitted, the total project cost, and how much federal funding is being sought. In the Subject line of the email, please include “Letter of Support request for XXXXX, due date YYYYY” (where XXXXX is the title or section number of the funding request, and YYYYY is when the proposal is due).

Looking ahead

Interacting on the Issues—Join the MMUA government relations team and peers from your region to discuss the implications of new laws, explore solution opportunities, and network with others committed to protecting, promoting, and strengthening hometown utilities.

There is no cost to attend, however registration is required for planning purposes. Encourage your whole commission to attend and learn about how commissioners can help champion hometown utilities. You can learn more and register by clicking on the links below.

September 18—New Ulm

September 27—Grand Rapids

October 3—Detroit Lakes

October 4—Marshall

Cross Training School—Learn how to safely assist in electrical work. Register by September 15 for the best rate. The school will be held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall from October 10-12. Please click here to learn more. Register by this Friday, September 15 for the best rate.

Tree Trimming Workshop—Registration is open. This workshop is intended for any municipal employee responsible for tree work; it’s not just for lineworkers. It will be held at Brainerd Public Utilities from October 17-19. Please click here to learn more and register.

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

To download a copy of this email, click here.