Essent
Our Product is Energy
Our Mission is Service
Our Power is People
Essential news for NMPP Energy members
October 2016 Vol. 41 Issue 9
N
Nebraska Municipal Power Pool
e
l
w
s
l
e
Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska
t
l
t
e
INSIDE
WELL-EARNED RETIREMENT:
Mike Beachler retires from Fairbury
Utilities after more than 40 years of
service...........................................Page 3
r
National Public Gas Agency
l
Public Alliance for Community Energy
Funds still available
for LED lighting program
For Municipal Energy Agency of
Nebraska (MEAN) long-term wholesale electricity participants and their
retail business customers, there are
a few months remaining to upgrade
to more efficient lighting through the
ENERGYsmart LED Commercial
Lighting Program.
The demand-side management
program provides a cash rebate to
commercial businesses of MEAN
communities for upgrading to more
efficient commercial and industrial
LED lighting. The MEAN Board
of Directors approved the program
for fiscal year 2016-17, which runs
through March 2017 or until funds
last. The board allocated $75,000 for
the program.
To date, there have been more
than $20,000 in approved rebates
from 12 projects. The majority of the
projects are retail and municipal customers with one public school project
completed.
LED projects to date
Municipal
23%
Retail 63%
Public
Schools 14%
NMPP Energy photo
Callaway Public Schools
upgraded to LED lighting through
MEAN’s ENERGYsmart LED
Commercial Lighting Program.
The program covers LED lighting
applications for high/low bay, exit
signs, linear replacement or retrofit,
freezer/refrigerator case lighting and
incandescent replacement applications.
Program information and a
downloadable application are available
on the NMPP Energy website (nmppenergy.org) under the ENERGYsmart
section or email NMPP Member
Services Coordinator Amanda Hansen
at [email protected].
3Save the Date!
March 28-30, 2017
2017 NMPP Energy Annual Meeting & Conference
in South Sioux City, Neb.
Energy Education 101
The path of electricity:
From generation source to home
Flipping on a light switch is
simple enough.
Opening the refrigerator to
grab a cold beverage is a routine,
common convenience.
Grabbing a hot coffee to start
our morning is done without
much thought.
These mundane, daily chores
seem extremely simple – but delivering electricity to the products
that makes the light come on, the
beverage cold and coffee hot is
anything but simple.
Delivering electricity from
where it’s initially generated to
where it is consumed relies on a
complex maze of interconnected
transmission and distribution
lines, substations, transformers
and other equipment.
When thinking about the
path of electricity, a simple analogy might be a long-distance car
trip. The start point is typically
a large power plant and the end
destination is a home/business.
The “road trip” is coordinated
and regulated by third-party
regional entities, depending
on where the “road trip” takes
place—that is an Energy Education 101 article for a future newsletter. For this article we’ll stick
with the basic path of electricity,
from its generation source to
where it is ultimately used.
2
www.nmppenergy.org
Essent
October ‘16
®
Generation to transmission
When electricity is generated,
it leaves the generation source
and travels to a step-up substation. These substations increase
E
nergy
ducation 101
Energy Education 101 is an ongoing series in the Essent newsletter focusing on energy-related
topics with the goal of providing
straightforward information that
can help provide a better understanding of the energy that
powers our modern society.
the voltage, or electric energy
pressure, so it can move long
distances over transmission lines.
Voltage relates to pressure — the
higher the voltage, the longer
electric energy can travel. It’s
similar to water traveling through
a garden hose – increasing the
pressure (by narrowing the opening) causes the water to travel
faster giving it the capability of
traveling farther.
The step-up substation
typically increases the voltage to
345,000 volts for electricity to
begin its journey on the high-voltage transmission system. These
transmission lines can be identified by their large steel structures.
Using our “road trip” analogy
— these lines can be thought of
as the “Interstates” for electricity
travel.
Stepping down voltage
to local substations
After traveling along highvoltage transmission lines, electricity is then delivered to local
substations where it is stepped
See ‘ELECTRICITY’ on page 5
Transmission vs.
Distribution lines:
What’s the difference?
Electric transmission and distribution lines can be confused
with each other as they both
deliver electricity, but at different
stages in the process:
Transmission lines are
the regional high voltage “Interstates” of electricity carrying
electricity over long distances.
Distribution lines are the
local utility electric lines you see
in communities that carry lower
voltage electricity to homes and
businesses.
It may help to think of “transmission” as referring to regional
delivery and “distribution” referring to local delivery of electricity.
Stock photo
High-voltage transmission
lines carry electricity over long
distances.
Mike Beachler retires from City of Fairbury
Utilities superintendent was strong advocate for public power, NMPP Energy
Mike Beachler, utilities superintendent for the City of Fairbury, Neb., retired Sept. 1 after
more than 40 years of service for
Fairbury utilities. A reception
was held in his honor at the City
offices.
Beachler was highly active
with the Nebraska Municipal
Power Pool (NMPP) and Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska
(MEAN) for many years. He
served as board president for the
Nebraska Municipal Power Pool
for 13 years, the longest term for
any NMPP board president.
Throughout his
career,
Beachler
was a strong
advocate
for public
power and
of commuMember News nities working together
for the common good. He earned
MEAN’s Rudy Hultgren Dedicated Service Award in 2015 for
his efforts in promoting public
power and its ideals. Along with
his service on the NMPP board,
he also served on various MEAN
boards and committees. The
MEAN board of directors recognized Beachler’s efforts with a
standing ovation during his last
MEAN board meeting in August.
The staff who serve the
organizations of NMPP Energy
congratulate Mike for his tireless
public service and wish him the
best in his retirement.
Mike Beachler
APPA photo
Tool manufacturing plant
to reopen in DeWitt
Malco Products, a Minnesota-based tool company, announced plans to purchase the
former Vise-Grip manufacturing
plant, which has been vacant for
nearly eight years.
“It’s a big boost to DeWitt to
have some manufacturing going
back in there,” Village Board
Trustee Larry Wattjes told the
Beatrice Daily Sun. “We sell our
own electricity and so we took
a great big hit on that. Over the
last eight years the cash flow has
been really going down.”
Company officials praised
the Nebraska Department of
Economic Development for its
assistance and said the purchase
plans are still being finalized.
They declined to say what would
be manufactured at the plant. A
community event with company
representatives was scheduled in
August.
Carlisle announces
energy efficiency program
The Carlisle (Iowa) Municipal Electric Utility announced
in August the beginning of its
energy efficiency rebate program.
The program provides
energy rebates for electric department customers purchasing and
installing new refrigerators, heat
pumps, water heaters, freezers,
dishwashers, clothes washer and
air conditioners. The program
will continue through June 2017.
Rebate amounts vary depending
on the appliance/specifications
purchased. The program has a
$5,000 limit and is on a firstcome, first-serve basis.
Fort Morgan earns award
for bridge project
A project by the City of Fort
Morgan, Colo., to rehabilitate the
historic Rainbow Bridge earned
an award from the Colorado
chapter of the American Public
Works Association (APWA).
The project was recognized
in the Parks and Trails category
for small communities, APWA
Colorado announced in September. City officials will receive the
award at the APWA Colorado
Annual Awards Luncheon in
November.
The rehabilitation project
was completed in early 2016. The
bridge has become an icon of the
City of Fort Morgan over nearly
a century, for its unique beauty as
well as the strength to withstand
numerous historic floods.
3
Essent
October ‘16
www.nmppenergy.org
®
Energy-related carbon emissions
from natural gas surpass coal
Energy-associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from natural
gas are expected to surpass those
from coal for the first time since
1972. Even though natural gas is
less carbon-intensive than coal,
increases in natural gas consumption and decreases in coal consumption in the past decade have
resulted in natural gas-related CO2
emissions surpassing those from
coal. EIA’s latest Short-Term
Energy Outlook projects energy-related CO2 emissions from natural
gas to be 10 percent greater than
those from coal in 2016.
From 1990 to about 2005,
consumption of coal and natural gas in the United States was
relatively similar, but their emissions were different because coal
is more carbon-intensive than
natural gas. In a year when consumption of coal and natural gas
were nearly equal, such as 2005,
energy-related CO2 emissions
from coal were about 84 percent
higher than those from natural
gas. In 2015, natural gas consumption was 81 percent higher
than coal consumption, and their
emissions were nearly equal. Both
fuels were associated with about
1.5 billion metric tons of energy-
Source: U.S. EIA
Since 2005, natural gas usage has increased while coal usage
has decreased which resulted in lower overall U.S. total carbon
emissions.
related CO2 emissions in the
United States in 2015.
Annual carbon intensity rates
in the United States have generally been decreasing since 2005.
The U.S. total carbon intensity
rate reflects the relative consumption of fuels and those fuels’ relative carbon intensities. Petroleum
is less carbon-intensive than coal
but more carbon-intensive than
natural gas. Petroleum accounts
for a larger share of U.S. energyrelated CO2 emissions because of
its high levels of consumption.
Another contributing factor to lower carbon intensity is
increased consumption of fuels
that produce no carbon dioxide,
such as nuclear-powered electricity
and renewable energy. As these
fuels make up a larger share of
U.S. energy consumption, the
U.S. average carbon intensity
declines. Although use of natural
gas and petroleum have increased
in recent years, the decline in
coal consumption and increase in
nonfossil fuel consumption have
lowered U.S. total carbon intensity from 60 million metric tons of
CO2 for every quadrillion British
thermal unit (MMmtCO2/quad
Btu) in 2005 to 54 MMmtCO2/
quad Btu in 2015.
— Source: U.S. EIA
Village of Trenton becomes newest member of NMPP
4
Essent
October ‘16
www.nmppenergy.org
®
The Village of Trenton, Neb., in August passed a resolution to become a member of the Nebraska
Municipal Power Pool.
The Village of approximately 550 residents is located in southwest Nebraska and is the county seat
of Hitchcock County. The Village appointed John Rundel as the Village’s representative to serve on the
NMPP Members Council and Wendy McKain as the alternate representative. The Members Council
elects representatives to serve on the NMPP Board of Directors.
Report projects slow growth
in electric demand in Nebraska
The Nebraska Power Association’s recently released
2016 Load and Capability
Report echoes a similar theme
occurring nationally: slow
growth in overall consumer
electric demand.
The annual report compiles data from the state’s
electric utilities and summarizes electric demand growth,
electric reserve margins and
existing, committed and
planned and studies generating
resources 20 years ahead. This
year’s report estimates annual
demand growth in Nebraska
of 0.29 percent for 2016
through 2035. Nationally,
the U.S. Energy Information
Administration is currently
forecasting demand growth of
0.3 percent through 2040.
Nebraska utilities, including the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, are
required by the Southwest
Power Pool to have enough
generating resources to cover
their respective electric load
obligations plus a percentage
in reserve electric capacity.
Due to the projected
slow load growth, the report
pushed back the statewide
deficit timeframe where
electric demand would outpace generating resources to
beyond 2035.
The state’s existing generation resource capability is
7,730 megawatts, down from
7,866 in 2015, according to
the report. The retirement of
some older, smaller natural
gas/oil generating units as
well as increased energy efficiency measures were among
reasons for the decline.
To view the report, go to
www.nepower.org and click
on the “Legislative Policy”
link.
Electricity
The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) recently announced
the final day of operation for its
Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station
will be Oct. 24. The OPPD Board
of Directors voted unanimously
in June to decommission the
478-megawatt generating plant,
located near Fort Calhoun, Neb.
OPPD cited several economic
factors leading to the decision, including low wholesale market prices
due primarily to low natural gas
prices, overall reduced energy demand, considerations regarding the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
pending Clean Power Plan, and
lack of economies of scale as Fort
Calhoun is the smallest nuclear
power plant in the country.
The utility cited slow electric
load growth and increased regulatory and operational costs leading
to the recent early retirements of
several other U.S. nuclear generating stations.
MEAN board fills
vice chair vacancy
Continued from page 2
down to a lower voltage (34,500
to 115,000 volts) so it can be
used by large industrial users,
which require higher voltage
power (2,300 to 4,000 volts) than
homes or small businesses to run
heavy machinery.
From there, electricity is
stepped down even more by
transformers in neighborhood
substations and on electric distribution system line poles so it can
be delivered safely to homes and
Fort Calhoun
nuclear plant
shutting down
in October
businesses through local distribution electric lines.
The act of simply flipping on
a light switch or grabbing a cold/
hot beverage is simple – but it’s
amazingly complex when you
really think of what all it takes to
have electricity delivered to where
we need it when we need it. Not
to mention, that the whole process takes place instantaneously
in real-time, 24 hours of every
day, all year round.
The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) at its
board meeting August 18 elected
Tom Ourada, city administrator
for Crete, Neb., to serve as vice
chairman of the MEAN board of
directors, filling a vacancy.
MEAN board of director officers are elected to one-year terms,
which run April 1-March 31.
The board is the final authority
on rates and charges to MEAN
long-term, total requirements
participants.
5
Essent
October ‘16
www.nmppenergy.org
®
This
month’s
Featured Champion Business
Consortia provides financial, regulatory services to public utilities
Consortia Consulting has
been supporting the success
of rural communications companies for 25 years by offering
financial solutions, regulatory
support, business development
and training and education.
This past year, Consortia expanded their services to offer
financial and regulatory offerings
to electric, gas and water utilities across the Midwest with an
emphasis on public utilities.
Financial Support
Consortia’s staff is ready to
provide support and training on
various financial tasks. As the
industry faces a large amount of
retirements, Consortia is able
to assist in bringing new employees up to speed or serving
as temporary support until you
find a replacement. Even if your
utility is not facing any upcoming retirements, Consortia is still
able to assist with your financial
needs. Some of the financial
tasks they have assisted with in
the past include:
• Month-end and year-end
closing of the general ledger
• External audit and assist
in implementing auditors’ recommendations
• Implementing internal
controls and segregation of duties
• Completion and submittal
of annual budget
• Utility accounting training
• Pole attachment calculations and agreements
• Cost of service studies
• Rate designs
• Assistance in establishing
revenue requirements
Regulatory Support
As the utility industry
becomes more regulated, Consortia is here to help relieve
some stress from your office and
allow your employees to focus on
other tasks. We can assist in the
completion of various reports
including the EIA reports, SPP
Attachment H, several state required reports and various FCC
reports.
General Support
Consortia is also able to provide general support as questions
or tasks arise. We understand
that employees at small utilities
often wear numerous hats and
may need some guidance as new
tasks are assigned. We are here
to help you conquer those obstacles. Please feel free to contact
Krista Allen at (402) 441-1684 or
[email protected].
For a complete listing of NMPP Energy Champion Businesses, see page 7
Employment Opportunities
Electrical Lineman
Apprentice/ Journeyman
6
Essent
October ‘16
www.nmppenergy.org
®
The City of Neligh, Neb., is
accepting applications for the
Electrical Department. The job is
a full-time position and includes
but is not limited to working
with high-voltage electricity,
operating bucket trucks and
digger derricks, trencher, dump
truck, loader and backhoe. Must
have a Class B CDL or be willing
to obtain within three months.
The City will require on call rotation and the physical ability to
work for extended periods in all
types of weather conditions. Ap-
plicants must be willing to learn
the operation of the electrical
generation units and apparatus.
Knowledge of electric generation would be beneficial. The
City also requires the applicant
to be willing to work in other
departments if necessary. Wages
are dependent upon qualifications and prior experience. The
City has an excellent benefit
package with health and life
insurance, retirement, vacation,
sick and personal leave and paid
holidays. The successful applicant must pass a pre-employment drug test. Position open
until filled. Applications may be
picked up at the City office at
202 Main Street or sent electronically by emailing dana@neligh.
org. With questions call the City
office at (402) 887-4066. The
City of Neligh is an EOE.
Utility Superintendent
The Village of Ansley, Neb., is
accepting applications for a utility
superintendent. This individual will
oversee and maintain all areas of
the electrical distribution system
and generating plant, water and
See ‘EMPLOYMENT’ on page 8
Champions are businesses and organizations that
support NMPP Energy’s effort to provide products
and services to members. Consider these businesses
when your utility or municipality has a business
need. If your business is interested in becoming an
NMPP Energy Champion, call Andrew Ross at (800)
234-2595.
Champions Business Directory
Financial Services
Ameritas Investment Corp. (Ameritas.com)................................................................................................ Omaha, Neb.
D.A. Davidson & Co. (Davidsoncompanies.com)....................................................................................... Omaha, Neb.
UNICO Group, Inc. and Midlands Financial Benefits (unicogroup.com)........................................Lincoln, Neb.
Nebraska Energy Federal Credit Union (ne-fcu.com)....................................................................... Columbus, Neb.
RBC Capital Markets (rbc.com).........................................................................................................................Denver, Colo.
Smith Hayes Financial Corp. (Smithhayes.com).........................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Regulatory/Compliance Services
Power Plant Compliance (Powplant.com)...................................................................................................... Oketo, Kan.
NAQS Environmental Experts (naqs.com)...................................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Utility Services & Supplies
EnergySolutions, Inc. (Energysolutions-inc.com)....................................................................................... Omaha, Neb.
Hometown Connections, LLC (Hometownconnections.com).......................................................Lakewood, Colo.
JK Energy Consulting, LLC (JKenergyconsulting.com)............................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Kriz-Davis Co. (Krizdavis.com)..................................................................................................................Grand Island, Neb.
NovaTech (Novatechweb.com)..........................................................................................................................Lenexa, Kan.
PDS, Inc. (PDSinc.biz)............................................................................................................................................ Omaha, Neb.
Protective Equipment Testing Laboratory (petl.com)................................................................... Great Bend, Kan.
REM Electric, Inc. (Davidsoncompanies.com)..................................................................................Nebraska City, Neb.
RESCO (Rural Electric Supply Cooperative) (resco1.com) ................................................................. Ankeny, Iowa
Solomon Corporation (Solomoncorp.com)................................................................................................ Solomon, Kan.
Stanley Consultants, Inc. (Stanleyconsultants.com)........................................................................... Muscatine, Iowa
Computer/Technology Services
VentureTech (venturetech.net).........................................................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Salt Creek Software, Inc. (Saltcreek.com)......................................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Engineering Services
EPSIM Corporation (epsim.us).........................................................................................................................Boulder, Colo.
HDR (hdrinc.com)................................................................................................................................................... Omaha, Neb.
JEO Consulting Group, Inc. (jeo.com).......................................................................................................... Wahoo, Neb.
Lutz, Daily & Brain, LLC (ldbeng.com)...............................................................................................Overland Park, Kan.
Olsson Associates (Olssonassociates.com) ...................................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
Sega Inc. (segainc.com)......................................................................................................................................... Stilwell, Kan.
Legal Services
Chapman and Cutler, LLP (chapman.com)...................................................................................... Salt Lake City, Utah
Spiegel & McDiarmid (spiegelmcd.com)............................................................................................... Washington, D.C.
Telecommunication Services
Consortia Consulting (consortiaconsulting.com).......................................................................................Lincoln, Neb.
River Oaks Communications Corp. (rivoaks.com).............................................................................Centennial, Colo.
Upcoming Board/Committee Meetings
November 2 - JOC Meeting, Lincoln, Neb.
November 3 - NMPP Board, Lincoln, Neb.
November 16 - ACE Board/MEAN Committees, North Platte, Neb.
November 17 - MEAN Board/Management Committee
7
Essent
October ‘16
www.nmppenergy.org
®
8377 Glynoaks Drive
Lincoln NE 68516
NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 402
LINCOLN, NE
Essent
N
e
w
s
l
e
t
t
e
r
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Employment (cont.)
sewer departments. Duties include, but
are not limited to, maintenance, repair
and upgrades of all utility systems. This
person must be willing to work with the
other Village departments when needed.
Requirements include a valid Nebraska
driver’s license, must obtain CDL (B) within
three months of hire, pre-employment
drug and alcohol testing, and becoming
a certified water operator (Village will pay
for training). Electrical or lineman experience is preferred and wage is based on
experience. Benefits include insurance and
retirement package. Resume and references can be mailed to: Village of Ansley,
P.O. Box 307, Ansley NE 68814 or emailed
to [email protected]. Applications
will be accepted until the position is filled.
The Village of Ansley is an EOE.
A complete list of current job openings in member communities
is available on NMPP Energy’s website: www.nmppenergy.org
City Administrator
The City of Bridgeport, Neb., is
seeking applicants for the position
of city administrator. Bridgeport is a
progressive city of 1,500 located in
Western Nebraska. Applicants should
have strong skills in written and verbal
communication, staff supervision, and
community development. The position
of city administrator is highly visible and
requires exceptional interpersonal and
time management skills. The position is
responsible for oversight of all operations of city government and assign-
ment of personnel responsibilities under
the direction of the mayor and city
council. Salary negotiable depending on
qualifications and experience. Resumes
and applications may be mailed to City
Administrator Search, P.O. Box 280,
Bridgeport, NE 69336. Resumes accepted until Oct. 12, 2016. Job description is
available by contacting the city clerk at
(308) 262-1623, by stopping by the City
Office at 809 Main Street, or by visiting
www.cityofbport.com.
To submit an ad: NMPP members can advertise job openings for free in the Essent newsletter and on the
nmppenergy website. E-mail your job opening to: [email protected].
Essent is published as a service to NMPP Energy members. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $50 per year. Copyright 2016, Nebraska Municipal Power Pool.
Send comments to: Essent, Attn: Editor, 8377 Glynoaks Drive, Lincoln, NE 68516 or e-mail: [email protected];
phone: (800) 234-2595 • Fax: (402) 474-0473 • www.nmppenergy.org
Publisher: Robert L. Poehling, Executive Director, NMPP Energy
Editor: Kevin Wickham, Communications Specialist