SITTING DOWN WITH BPA ADMINISTRATOR ELLIOT MAINZER - Northwest ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 1
SITTING DOWN
WITH BPA
ADMINISTRATOR
ELLIOT MAINZER
Four Steps to Successfully
Implement Your Strategic Plan
Balancing Customer Service
with Changing Regulations
Ravalli Electric Co-op Starts the
New Year off Right in New Facility
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 1
Elliot Mainzer visits the Quenett Creek Substation in The
30 Dalles, Ore., with staff from Northern Wasco PUD.
On the cover: A lot has changed since
16 20
we last talked with Elliot Mainzer in
2012, including his promotion to BPA
administrator in 2014. NWPPA Executive
Director Scott Corwin sat down with
Mainzer last month to talk about wildfires,
transmission issues, and even some jazz.
Opinions expressed in single articles are JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME 74 | NUMBER 1
not necessarily policies of the Association.
For permission to reprint articles, write or
call the associate editor. 3 NWPPA News
Editor: Debbie Kuraspediani
Associate Editor: Brenda Dunn
12 Training Opportunities
Graphic Designer: Mark Woodward
Advertising: Brenda Dunn at (360) 816-1453 14 Policy Making & Management
or brenda@nwppa.org
16 Energy Efficiency
The Bulletin is published monthly by
Northwest Public Power Association,
9817 N.E. 54th Street, Ste. 200, 18 Customer Service
Vancouver, WA 98662.
20 Engineering and Operations
© Copyright 2020 by the Northwest Public
Power Association. All rights reserved. 22 Member News
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
26 Associate Member News
28 Washington, D.C.
30 Cover Story
www.facebook.com/NWPPAssoc 34 Job Opportunities
www.twitter.com/NWPPAssoc
2 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020
NWPPA NEWS
Where’s
the
?
A
s part of our 80 anniversary celebration, we will be hiding one acorn graphic (like this one )
th
somewhere in each issue of the 2020 Bulletin. When you find it, please email the correct page and
location to brenda@nwppa.org.
At the end of each month, we will randomly select someone with the correct answer to receive a gift
card from NWPPA.
Check out our Facebook page and the subsequent magazine issue for where we hide it each month.
ANNUAL NOMINATIONS DUE THIS MONTH
I
f you have not yet submitted your nominations for Awards
the 2020-2021 NWPPA Board of Trustees, 2020 Nominations for the Life Awards, Paul J. Raver
annual awards, and/or 2020 resolutions, you still Community Service Award, John M. George Public
have a few weeks to do so. As a reminder, here is Service Award, William “Bill” McCrorie Distin-
what the Association needs: guished Service Award, and Homer T. Bone Award
are due by January 31.
Board seats
Visit www.nwppa.org/members/awards-nom-
Nominations, which are due January 31, are inations/ for nomination forms for all the above
being sought for three open utility seats on the awards.
NWPPA Board of Trustees in 2020. One vacant seat
is for a representative from Nevada, one is for an Resolutions
undesignated utility seat, and the third will open due Submissions for any new draft 2020 resolutions
to a mid-term retirement, in which case the board or updates to the existing 2019 resolutions are due
will directly appoint an Oregon cooperative manager. January 23. All resolutions can be found online at
Nominations are also being accepted for one www.nwppa.org/government-relations/.
associate member advisor in the consultant category.
If you have any questions, please contact Execu- If you have questions about any of the above
tive Director Scott Corwin at scottc@nwppa.org. categories, please contact NWPPA at (360) 254-
0109 or nwppa@nwppa.org.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 3
NWPPA NEWS
WELCOME TO THREE
NEW UTILITY MEMBERS
W
e are excited to start 2020 with three new utility members joining
the association: United Electric Cooperative in Heyburn, Idaho;
Kitsap County PUD in Poulsbo, Wash.; and Inland Power and Light
Company in Spokane, Wash.
United Electric was incorporated on June 27, 1997, as a result of the
consolidation of Unity Light & Power in Burley, Idaho, and Rural Electric
Company in Rupert, Idaho. United Electric began functional operations as
one utility on January 1, 1998. The directors from each cooperative’s board
were combined to form the new eight-member board. David Phillips currently
serves as president of the United Electric Board.
United Electric provides service to both Minidoka and Cassia counties
with approximately 582 miles of line and 4,597 customers with a projected
growth rate of 1%. Residential usage is 35% of its power sales, general
service is 21%, industrial service is 18%, and irrigation is 25%. Annual
operating revenue is $18 million and annual KWH sales are 298 million.
Jo Elg manages the United Electric staff of 24 employees. More informa-
tion can be found at uec.coop. E&O Booths
Kitsap County PUD was formed at the general election of 1940 by a vote
of the county’s electorate to explore providing electrical service as a public Still Available
special purpose District instead of a private company. Though electrical
A
service never came to fruition, in 1959 the District initiated several actions ttention, associate members!
to study regional water resources in Kitsap County. Kitsap PUD began
We have less than 10 booth
providing utility service as a water system manager in the 1970s through the
assumption of several small, privately owned water systems and municipal spots available for the 2020 E&O
water districts. During the 1990s, Kitsap PUD conducted an aggressive Conference & Trade Show, which
water-related education program from grade school to adults. In 1995, the is now only a few months away. If
District was one of the prime movers in starting a very successful Annual you would like to buy one of the last
Water Festival for grades 4 through 6. Kitsap PUD also manages a high-speed
remaining 10’ X 10’ exhibit spaces
fiber-optic network for interested residential customers.
Bob Hunter manages the Kitsap PUD staff and Debra Lester currently for the 2020 show in Reno, Nev.,
serves as president of the three-person board of commissioners. More infor- April 7-9, act fast! We are down to
mation can be found at www.kpud.org. single digits so you should not dilly
Inland Power was organized in 1937, and on April 27, 1938, 160 farms
dally. (All truck spaces have been
northeast of Spokane were the first Inland members to receive power from
the cooperative. By 1965 Inland Power served more than 9,000 members sold.)
with over 4,000 miles of line. During the 1970s, Inland Power experienced To purchase booth space for
record levels of growth. In 1974, the cooperative had margins of $432,656 this year’s trade show, please
and as a result, 1975 was the first year Inland paid capital credits to its contact Taryn Johnson as soon as
members. Today, Inland Power is the largest electric cooperative in Washing-
ton and provides electric service to 13 counties in eastern Washington and possible at taryn@nwppa.org or
northern Idaho with approximately 40,000 members. (360) 816-1446. Booths are sold
Chad Jensen manages the 84-person staff and Brian Slaybaugh currently on a first-come, first-served basis.
serves as president of the nine-person board of trustees. More information
can be found at inlandpower.com.
4 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020
Professional
Computer
Solutions
Intelligent design. Uncommon service. part of the CSA family of utility solutions
BETTER TOGETHER
When asked why Central Service Association and Professional Computer Systems united,
the answer is simple:
We are better together.
While each of us have products and unique services that the other’s customers could well
find helpful, one major trait is dominant: we are relationship people,
committed to exceptional
service.
CSA, a member-owned cooperative, is celebrating 80 years serving the needs of
utilities primarily in the Mid-South, while PCS has 40 years of history and
clients in 22 states plus Bermuda.
Together we are over 175 employees strong!
Together we are over 160 utilities united!
Together we have over 120 years of service to public utilities!
Together we are over 50 products and services designed solely for utilities!
Combining our vision, resources, services and products gives us even more to offer
our clients – like the ideal solution you have been seeking but not found yet.
We invite you to come see for yourself.
Billing Financials Work Management Meter Data Management GIS
Cyber Security Employee Benefit Plans and more...
Central Service Association Professional Computer Solutions, LLC
Toll free 877.842.5962 / www.csa1.com www.pcsco.com / Toll free2020
BULLETIN/JANUARY 888.843.3106
| NWPPA.ORG 5
NWPPA NEWS
CERTIFICATE CLASSES
Credit-Based Programs
• Accounting and Finance Certificate
REFRESHED FOR 2020
• Customer and Energy Service
Certificate
Both the Accounting and Finance and
the Customer and Energy Service certif-
icate programs can be achieved by com-
pleting 60 continuing education hours
(CEHs) within four years. Many of these
CEHs are self-selected from a menu
NWPPA of course options that meet the goals
of the program and allow individual
CERTIFICATE flexibility based on interest and personal
development goals. Both programs have
PROGRAMS
two required elements: attendance at the
program-specific annual conference, and
attendance in a foundational industry
course (either Electric Utility System
Operations or Electric Utility Business
Fundamentals). Knowledge of current
topics and industry trends, as well as
N
core understanding of utility business
WPPA’s high-quality classes, conferences, and events are well known through-
fundamentals, helps create a well-versed
out the region, but did you know that many of these events qualify for credit
employee. For more information about
toward a program certificate?
the Accounting and Finance program,
NWPPA offers eight certificate programs designed to enhance and acknowledge
contact Jenny Keesey at (360) 816-1458
your skills as a professional in the utility industry. Two of these programs are credit-
or jenny@nwppa.org; for more infor-
based, three are course-based, and the remaining three partner with other organiza-
mation about the Customer and Energy
tions. All eight certificate programs were designed by expert instructors well-versed in
Service program, contact Taryn Johnson
the public power industry.
at (360) 816-1446 or taryn@nwppa.org.
Our certificate programs have existed for many years, but last year we refreshed
them with new content and a new format. We also developed the NWPPA Certificate Course-Based Programs
Program Booklet. The booklet includes a tracking tool to easily log your progress as
• Administrative Professionals
you move through a program. Once you complete a program’s requirements, submit
Certificate
the tracking tool to the appropriate training manager. After NWPPA validates your
attendance, you will receive a certificate of completion from NWPPA. • Foreman Leadership Certificate
As of January 2019, when the program was refreshed, nearly 1,300 people have • Leadership Skills Certificate
participated in one or more of the certificate program classes. Are you one of those
employees? If you are unsure of your program status, or if you believe you’ve met
the criteria for a certificate, please contact us at (360) 254-0109. Our goals are to Course-based programs include the
ensure that employees receive high-quality foundational knowledge in their program Administrative Professionals, Foreman
area, and that they are recognized in their organization and among their peers for this Leadership, and Leadership Skills cer-
achievement. tificate programs. Like the credit-based
For those thinking about starting a certificate program, the new year is an excellent programs, these must also be completed
time. Managers and supervisors can also utilize the certificate program outline to help within four years; however, there is
guide personal development planning for employees. Participation in these programs defined content for these three. For each
offers regular networking opportunities to engage with and learn from their counter- of these programs, courses may be taken
parts for a richer educational experience. in any order and are offered multiple
Detailed information about all of the certificate programs and courses can be found times within the four-year period. These
in the Training and Education Catalog at www.nwppa.org/catalog. programs are geared to support employ-
We look forward to seeing you in 2020! ees to develop and strengthen their skills;
to grow; and to further contribute in
their organization. For more information
about any of the three course-based
programs, contact Jenny Keesey at (360)
816-1458 or jenny@nwppa.org.
6 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020
Partner Programs
• Staking Technician Certification
• Credentialed Cooperative Director
• Board Leadership Certificate As of January 2019, when the program was
refreshed, nearly 1,300 people have participated
We partner with Hi-Line Engineering in one or more of the certificate program
to deliver the Staking Technician Certi-
fication program to utility staking tech- classes. Are you one of those employees?
nicians and engineers. This is a useful
program for all skill levels, and courses March 2019 Leadership
can be used to train both the novice Skills graduates: (L-R)
and refresh the skills of the experienced Brendan Johnson,
Columbia REA; Jason
employee. For more information about
Radinovich, Harney
this program, contact Dale Mayuiers at Electric Cooperative;
(360) 816-1447 or dale@nwppa.org. Shawntaye Keith,
Midstate Electric Cooper-
We also partner with NRECA to deliver ative; Jean Hall, Jefferson
their Credentialed Cooperative Director County PUD; and Brenda
and Board Leadership Certificate pro- Dunn, NWPPA.
grams, which are relevant for coopera-
tive directors, policy makers, and general
managers (as well as those at PUDs and
other member organizations). We often
bring these courses to organizations as
an in-house class or as a pre-conference January 2019 Foreman
Leadership graduates:
class for an annual, statewide, or
(L-R) Derek Madsen,
regional meetings. For more informa- Lane Electric; Kelly
tion about either program, contact Butts, Lakeview Light
Nicole Farabee at (360) 816-1454 or and Power; Bo Lee,
nicolef@nwppa.org. Jefferson PUD; and Bruce
Damrow, instructor.
YEARS
November 2016 Staking
Technician graduates:
NWPPA (L-R) Matt Pamperin,
CERTIFICATE instructor, Hi-Line;
PROGRAMS Robert Richmond,
Franklin PUD; Amy
Sawyer, Pend Oreille
PUD; Julie Coppola,
City of Ellensburg; and
Michael Peña, Richland
Energy Services.
Download the latest version of the
certificate program brochure at
www.nwppa.org/certificate-program.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 7
NWPPA NEWS
2020
CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE
Wildfires: What Utilities Need to Know Accounting & Finance Conference
January 22-23, 2020 – Seattle, Wash. June 17-18, 2020 – Skamania, Wash.
Engineering & Operations Conference and Administrative Professionals Conference
Trade Show May 6-7, 2020 – Richland, Wash.
April 6–9, 2020 – Reno, Nev.
Northwest Communications & Energy
IT Conference Innovations Conference (NIC)
April 21-23, 2020 – Hood River, Ore.
September 21-23, 2020 – Bend, Ore.
NWPPA Annual Conference & Membership 3 C’s Conference
Meeting
October 13-15, 2020 – Seattle, Wash.
May 17–20, 2020 – Kennewick, Wash.
Women in Public Power
Labor & Employee Relations Group Annual
October 2020 – Location TBD
Meeting
June 8-10, 2020 – Powell Butte, Ore.
8 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020
REGISTER NOW!
JOIN US FOR OUR 80TH ANNUAL
CONFERENCE AND MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MAY 17-20, 2020 IN KENNEWICK, WASH.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 9
NWPPA NEWS
LEARN TO PREP FOR TECH DISASTERS
AT APRIL’S IT CONFERENCE
April 21-23, 2020
2020 Hood River, Ore.
2020 IT Conference
Technology Disaster Preparedness
I
f you are either grappling with how to humor, and attendee interactions. He Cody Energy Group, and also teaches
secure your utility from a technology received the 2013 Meeting Professionals for NRECA, including delivering work-
disaster or looking for information International’s Meeting Madness Best shops on strategic technology planning
on what’s in the technology pipeline Speaker of the Year award and authored at TechAdvantage. We recommend that
(or both!), then you’ll want to join us “Live and Learn or Die Stupid.” If his you invite your manager to attend this
in Hood River, Ore., April 21-23, for name sounds familiar, he was also the thought-provoking class with you.
the NWPPA IT Conference: Technol- closing keynote speaker for last year’s Stay late and enjoy all that Hood
ogy Disaster Preparedness. This year’s Accounting and Finance Conference— River offers. About 60 minutes from
conference will feature sessions on vector and received rave reviews! Portland along the scenic Columbia
attacks, cyber mutual assistance, CIRST Come early to beautiful Hood River Gorge, Hood River provides panoramic
lessons learned, virtual reality, PCI DDS and attend the pre-conference class, views, hiking trails, mountain bike trails,
common challenges, a NERC CIP over- Technology, Leadership, Planning, and craft breweries, wineries, farm-to-table
view, 5G small cell updates, data center Decision Making in a Changing Business bounty, and a historic shopping district.
designs, Microsoft updates, and more. Environment*. This session is instructed Take a drive along the Fruit Loop
We’re excited to announce that Dave by Eric Cody, who previously served as or watch kitesurfers glide along the
Mitchell will wrap up this year’s con- vice president of three subsidiaries of Columbia River in what is known as the
ference with his keynote presentation, the New England Electric System (now windsurfing capital of the world.
“The Power of Understanding People.” known as National Grid USA) for more Register now for the IT Conference
Mitchell, who is CEO of The Leadership than a decade of his 40-year utility and Cody’s pre-conference class at
Difference, will deliver a solid under- career. One of his positions there was www.nwppa.org. If you have any
standing of diverse communications vice president of IT and one of his roles questions about the event, please contact
through a combination of pertinent was managing a staff of more than 200. Jenny Keesey at jenny@nwppa.org.
human dynamics, laugh-out-loud He now manages his own company,
*Separate registration required.
10 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020A Look Back at
Public Power
50 YEARS AGO – 1970
Clallam County PUD Board Commissioner Alvin
E. Fletcher was named the 1970 president of the
Washington State PUD Association … The Alaska
Power Administration announced that it will
receive $1 million from the $4.7 billion public works
appropriation signed by President Richard Nixon …
At Grant County PUD, the employees decided to
donate the price of Christmas cards to a local chil-
dren’s organization (Wash.) … The first stage of the
500,000-volt BPA Marion substation line, the first
such line in Oregon, was energized … Seattle City
Light completed a $2 million light improvement
project aimed at better safety conditions and a
decrease in crime (Wash.).
25 YEARS AGO – 1995
An early arrival of snow and cold prompted Chelan
County PUD to help hundreds of deer displaced
from their normal winter range by the summer
forest fires (Wash.) … Northern Wasco PUD got the
final approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission to begin construction of the utility’s
hydro plant at McNary Dam (Ore.) … Kootenai
Electric Cooperative signed a power management
JOIN US IN agreement with Enova Energy Management, Inc.
in order to secure the lowest-possible-cost power
RENO, NEV. and minimize rate increases (Idaho) … Clark Public
Utilities’ commissioners took action to reduce
its power purchases from the Bonneville Power
APRIL 7-9, 2020 Administration by nearly 50% (Wash.).
5 YEARS AGO – 2015
The Northern California Power Agency selected
Randy S. Howard as its next general manager
(Calif.) … Columbia REA welcomed Brendan John-
SAVE THE DATE | MAY 6-7, 2020 son as a data administrator (Wash.) … The govern-
ing boards of Beartooth Electric Cooperative
(Mont.) and Lower Valley Energy (Wyo.) signed a
three-year contract for LVE to manage Beartooth
… OPALCO’s board of directors announced that
Island Network will be re-created as a new entity
2020
and wholly owned subsidiary of the co-op to
ADMINISTRATIVE provide internet service (Wash.) … Matanuska Elec-
PROFESSIONALS tric Association started the first of 10 engines at
the new Eklutna Generation Station (Alaska).
CONFERENCE
COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE, AND CONQUER!
MAY 6–7, 2020 | RICHLAND, WASH.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 11TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND APRIL 2020
Please visit www.nwppa.org to view the full descriptions for these and other events.
ONLINE — ENGINEERING WEBINAR ONLINE — COMMUNICATION LABOR AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
SERIES: UNDERSTANDING WIRE SLAP TUNE-UP WEBINAR SERIES: ALL THREE GROUP MEMBER MEETING
Who Should Attend: Engineering WEBINARS Who Should Attend: Members of the
personnel and others who would benefit Who Should Attend: Anyone who wants NWPPA Labor and Employee Relations
from an understanding of current to increase his or her communication Group: general managers, labor relations
electric utility engineering principles and skills to be more effective working with managers, operations managers, and
practices. both internal and external customers. human resource professionals.
February 4, 2020–Online February 18-April 21, 2020–Online February 27-28, 2020–Tillamook, Ore.
STAKING TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION ONLINE — COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP SKILLS SERIES:
PROGRAM: CONSTRUCTION TUNE-UP WEBINAR SERIES: INTER- CHALLENGING COMMUNICATIONS
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION PERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN
THE WORKPLACE
Who Should Attend: Supervisors and
Who Should Attend: Staking technicians managers, and employees who will
February 18, 2020
and engineers. be transitioning to a supervisory or
February 10, 2020–Portland, Ore. ONLINE — COMMUNICATION managerial role in the future.
TUNE-UP WEBINAR SERIES: March 3-4, 2020–Anchorage, Alaska
STAKING TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION HOW TO HANDLE CRITICAL
PROGRAM: JOINT-USE AND MAKE- CONVERSATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL
READY SURVEYS March 17, 2020 SERIES: EXPANDING YOUR ABILITY TO
Who Should Attend: Staking technicians INFLUENCE—ALL THREE DAYS
and engineers. ONLINE — COMMUNICATION
TUNE-UP WEBINAR SERIES:
Who Should Attend: Administrative
February 11, 2020–Portland, Ore. CROSS-GENERATIONAL & CUL- assistants, executive assistants, and
TURAL COMMUNICATION employees in administrative or service-
FOREMAN LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE April 21, 2020 oriented roles.
PROGRAM PART 2
March 4-6, 2020–Anchorage, Alaska
Who Should Attend: Foremen and crew ONLINE — CFO & SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
leaders. WEBINAR SERIES: MANAGING THE DAY ONE: USING DIPLOMACY, TACT,
February 11-13, 2020–Boise, Idaho FINANCES OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND DISCRETION TO BUILD TRUST
Who Should Attend: CFOs, senior March 4, 2020
LEADERSHIP SKILLS SERIES: accountants, accounting staff, and
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND WORK DAY TWO: GETTING SUPPORT FOR
finance staff wanting to better understand YOUR IDEAS
STYLES the cost of service and rate design
Who Should Attend: Supervisors and March 5, 2020
components.
managers, and employees who will DAY THREE: PROFESSIONAL
February 19, 2020–Online
be transitioning to a supervisory or DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SMART
managerial role in the future. ELECTRIC UTILITY BUSINESS GOALS AND SELF-APPRAISALS
February 11-13, 2020–Vancouver, Wash. FUNDAMENTALS March 5, 2020
Who Should Attend: Any new employee
STAKING TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION (we recommend at least six months ONLINE — ENGINEERING WEBINAR
PROGRAM: OVERHEAD/POLE-LINE SERIES: SEPARABLE CONNECTORS IN
at the utility before attending) or any UNDERGROUND SYSTEMS
STRUCTURE DESIGN AND LAYOUT
experienced employees who want to Who Should Attend: Engineering
Who Should Attend: Staking technicians
expand their understanding of how utility personnel and others who would benefit
and engineers.
business works. from an understanding of current
February 12-14, 2020–Portland, Ore.
February 25-26, 2020–Boise, Idaho electric utility engineering principles and
practices.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORK ORDER
SYSTEM March 10, 2020–Online
Who Should Attend: Employees
ONBOARDING FOR SUCCESS
involved in any aspect of preparing and/
Who Should Attend: Managers,
or processing work orders for their
supervisors, and human resources
electric utility, or employees outside
personnel.
the accounting area who want a better
understanding of the work order process. March 10, 2020–Vancouver, Wash.
February 26-27, 2020–Sacramento, Calif.
12 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020LINEMAN SKILLS SERIES: FOREMAN LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE IT CONFERENCE PRE-SESSION CLASS:
EQUIPOTENTIAL GROUNDING PROGRAM PART 2 TECHNOLOGY, LEADERSHIP, PLAN-
Who Should Attend: Line crew Who Should Attend: Foremen and crew NING, AND DECISION MAKING IN A
supervisors and managers, crew foremen, leaders. CHANGING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
linemen, and substation workers. March 24-26, 2020–Shelton, Wash.
Who Should Attend: IT professionals,
March 10, 2020–Spokane, Wash.
senior managers, and anyone involved
ASCEND TO LEADERSHIP: BASECAMP in the utility’s budgetary and decision-
LINEMAN SKILLS SERIES: LINEMAN Who Should Attend: Managers at making processes.
RIGGING all levels who wish to enhance their April 20, 2020–Hood River, Ore.
Who Should Attend: Linemen and line skills, build their toolkit for leadership,
crew foremen. and connect with other leaders across ADVANCED PROJECT PLANNING,
ORGANIZATION, AND EXECUTION
March 11, 2020–Spokane, Wash. the industry. Completion of the
Leadership Skills Series or Foreman Who Should Attend: Any utility employee
METERING FOR LINEMEN Leadership Certificate Program is highly looking for advanced instruction for
Who Should Attend: Journeyman linemen recommended, but not required, prior organizing and/or managing projects.
and other electrical workers who want a to attending the Ascend to Leadership April 21-22, 2020–Spokane, Wash.
better understanding of revenue metering program.
and the hazards while working with IT CONFERENCE
March 24-26, 2020–Sacramento, Calif.
revenue meters for both single-phase and Who Should Attend: IT professionals
three-phase meters. ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE
and others who are responsible for
March 12, 2020–Spokane, Wash. MEETING information technology programs;
Who Should Attend: Utility environmen- also, members of the operations and
ONLINE — CFO & SENIOR ACCOUN- tal professionals (new and experienced), engineering functions who would like to
TANT WEBINAR SERIES: WORK PLAN government agency staff, vendors, and build a stronger relationship with IT. See
OVERSIGHT anyone who is tasked with or interested page 10 for more information.
Who Should Attend: CFOs, senior in environmental issues, regulatory April 21-23, 2020–Hood River, Ore.
accountants, accounting staff, and compliance, or mitigation in the environ-
finance staff wanting to better understand mental arena of electric utilities. LEADERSHIP SKILLS SERIES: HR
the cost of service and rate design BASICS & BUILDING A MORE EFFECTIVE
April 6, 2020–Reno, Nev. WORKPLACE
components.
March 18, 2020–Online
Who Should Attend: Supervisors and
ENGINEERING & OPERATIONS
CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW
managers, and those employees who
ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS Who Should Attend: Electric utility will be transitioning to a supervisor or
Who Should Attend: Engineers, line engineering and operations personnel, as manager role in the near future.
workers, substation workers, apprentices, well as those in information technology, April 22-23, 2020–Spokane, Wash.
and support staff that have direct safety, purchasing, environmental,
responsibility for the construction, INFLUENCING OTHERS: HUMAN
accounting, communications, or any DYNAMICS WORKSHOP
operation, and maintenance of the utility’s area where a more in-depth knowledge
distribution system. Who Should Attend: Anyone who
of engineering and operations would be engages in frequent human interactions,
Prerequisite: It is highly recommended beneficial. such as utility and community leaders,
that students complete Electric Utility April 7-9, 2020–Reno, Nev. customer service representatives, human
System Operations before attending resources professionals, and field
this class. Those who do not must have ONLINE — ENGINEERING WEBINAR
SERIES: DESIGNING ROADWAY
employees.
substantial experience in the basics of
ILLUMINATION April 28-29, 2020–Tacoma, Wash.
electric systems and utility operations.
Who Should Attend: Engineering
March 18-19, 2020–Portland, Ore. MANAGING AND LEADING CHANGE
personnel and others who would benefit
from an understanding of current Who Should Attend: Anyone experiencing
EMPLOYER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING or anticipating change within his or
TEAM PREPARATIONS electric utility engineering principles and
practices. her utility, especially those driving
Who Should Attend: General managers,
change, implementing change, and
operations managers, members of the April 14, 2020–Online
communicating about change with
employer bargaining team, and chief
ONLINE — CFO & SENIOR customers and members.
negotiators. We recommend that you send
more than one team member to this class. ACCOUNTANT WEBINAR SERIES: April 28-29, 2020–Tacoma, Wash.
IMPORTANT CFO DUTIES
March 18-19, 2020–Portland, Ore. OREGON UTILITIES RECORDS
Who Should Attend: CFOs, senior
accountants, accounting staff, and finance MANAGEMENT GROUP
UTILITY WAREHOUSING FROM A TO Z Who Should Attend: Records managers,
Who Should Attend: Warehouse and staff who want to better understand CFO
duties. records coordinators, administrative
materials management professionals. assistants, executive assistants, and
April 16, 2020–Online
March 24-26, 2020–Wenatchee, Wash. anyone managing records for their
department.
April 30, 2020–Eugene, Ore.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 13POLICY MAKING AND MANAGEMENT
FOUR STEPS TO 3. Workforce engagement
If leadership fails to embrace the strategic plan, no one else
SUCCESSFULLY will implement it. Fortunately, your leadership team has demon-
strated the will to make this plan come to life. Your leaders are
IMPLEMENT YOUR
ready to walk the walk and talk the talk. Further, they know to
create a line of sight between individual employees’ responsibili-
STRATEGIC PLAN
ties and the strategic plan.
You have given a lot of thought to impacts inside the
organization. While the strategic priorities should be of no
By Julie Ryan surprise to employees, the strategies may require a different way
of working together. For decades, change occurred at a glacial
F
pace inside the utility and work was easily compartmentalized
ollowing approval of the proposed strategic plan, there is into different areas. But with increasing regulations and swiftly
an audible sigh of relief in the board room. The months of changing technologies, this is less so. For example, your planned
planning and engagement have resulted in clearly defined future investment in new grid technology could impact field
strategic priorities, and your leadership group is aligned to operations, engineering, IT and operational technology, human
deliver on a great set of strategies. Now you can take that vaca- resources, and more areas. Realize that people may not be used
tion you put off and bask in the glow of successfully completing to a rapidly changing environment. Changes to traditional roles
this big initiative. But wait! Now the implementation is in front or responsibilities can be uncomfortable for some employees, so
of you. It does not matter that you have a stellar strategic plan if acknowledge that change management may be needed to help
you don’t deliver on it. Implementation is the next job ahead. employees acclimate to changes inside the utility.
Rest easy, you can still take that vacation. While many Looking holistically at what needs to be completed, you
companies struggle with strategy implementation, yours will not realize that limiting decision-making to the executive level will
because you have a plan to avoid the typical pitfalls. A smooth stymie efforts to implement the strategies. Decisions must be
implementation comes down to four steps: alternative scenarios, pushed further down into the organization, delegating to those
project planning, workforce engagement, and reporting. with the necessary technical skills and experience. Yet this can
be challenging in a traditional, top-down work culture. It will
1. Alternative scenarios require clear communication about where and how decisions
Some organizations fail to consider alternative scenarios, are made in order to push decision-making deeper into the
which can expose them when reality is different from the organization.
assumptions. When utilities slip into defensive or reactive mode, Having people in the right roles is critical for a strong
that can trigger an over-response where the strategy is left by implementation plan. Your team has already discussed how
the side of the road. You already know the adage: forecasts are the work must be distributed across time and across people;
never correct. And your team understands that there will always everyone acknowledges that there has been a tendency to keep
be some surprises that differ from the base assumptions. But assigning the same good people to important initiatives. You
because you did a risk analysis as part of your original strategic and the leadership team have already begun discussing how
plan, your team has considered alternative scenarios and you strategy projects could be structured to engage more employees
have discussed how you could adapt the strategy. This is not and support additional professional growth.
just an exercise. Even if a different event occurs that you hadn’t
identified as an alternative scenario, your team is prepared to 4. Reporting
adapt to a different reality. Proactive analysis of potential risks Your mind now shifts to the board. Their questions through-
and associated mitigation has helped prepare your organization out the strategic planning process and their interest in the stra-
to respond to surprises. tegic plan’s success foreshadow their likely desire to hear about
the strategies’ progress. Targets must be calibrated appropriately
2. Project planning to be consistent with the success measures in the strategic plan
Weak project planning could result in uncoordinated and to create the right outcomes. The board reporting package
actions or lack of action. However, this will not be an issue for will need to be restructured to provide updates on the strategies’
your organization because your team sees the strategic plan implementation. You want the reporting package to be a helpful
as one massive project that requires deft project management management tool as well as a status report for the board. The
techniques. You believe that your implementation will be as objective will be to provide valuable and timely information.
carefully planned as the strategy was. The implementation plan And lastly, you have already noted in your work calendar
will unfold as a multiple-year plan, where activities are staged that the strategic plan should be refreshed in the next two to
over time. And the first 12 to 24 months of activities will be the three years. While many of the strategic priorities will continue
most carefully mapped out, with more detail and more specific to be relevant in the future, the strategies will evolve based upon
action items than in the later years. This will be a large project what gets executed in the next few years and what changes in
plan with different tasks and interdependencies that are updated the industry.
as work unfolds over the coming months. The implementation
plan notes sequential activities, parallel activities, and outcomes. Julie Ryan is the managing partner at Aether Advisors LLC,
In addition to start and complete dates, the implementation plan advising clients on strategy and risk management. She can be
has mid-project milestones and associated deliverables. contacted at jryan@aetheradvisors.com.
14 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020GOLIGHT INC
800.557.0098 | www.golight.com
Introducing the 2 Newest Product Lines from Golight Inc. the Stryker ST and the
Golight GT Series. Same great functions but added features such as our Multi Light
Wireless Remote Control, Home Command Button, Increased Candela, and Higher
IP Ratings. See our full product line at www.golight.com
2 NEW
Light Series
NOW... 32%
MORE INTENSITY BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 15ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Ravalli Electric Co-op Starts the New
Year off Right in New Facility
By Melissa Greenwood
R
avalli Electric Co-op employees An idea is born a trip to St. Louis to see several other
and directors received the gift of During a strategic planning session newly built co-op facilities.
a new co-op facility this year and in 2016, the Ravalli Electric Board of “Our plan was to visit other co-op
celebrated this momentous occasion with Directors decided the need for a new facilities and take note of what they had
a holiday grand opening on December facility had finally become a reality with done to help guide us in our planning,”
19, 2019. More than 600 people—and the trending growth. The old co-op said Grotbo. “We really wanted to have
even Santa Claus—attended the event at had simply run out of space for its a good sense of what we would and
the co-op’s new location in Victor, Mont. equipment and staff; something had to wouldn’t need, look at what types of
“It was an overall great event,” said be done. After months of evaluation, it energy efficiency options co-ops were
REC General Manager Mark Grotbo. was deemed the current location was utilizing, and find out what makes a
“We had a lot of interest in the building not suitable for expansion and the co-op good headquarters to be able to ade-
as we were constructing it, so letting the would need to relocate to a new home. quately serve our membership and also
public come and walk through and see REC surveyed several properties keep our employees happy.”
what we had done really helped them see available in the Bitterroot Valley before
our vision.” Moving from Corvallis to Victor
purchasing a 52-acre parcel in the
Nestled in the beautiful Bitterroot heart of its service territory. The project After a year of research and planning,
Valley of Western Montana, Ravalli was planned on just 15 of those acres, construction of the facility began in
Electric Co-op had been serving leaving a lot of options for the remaining June 2018. On November 19, 2019, the
members for over 70 years at their old property including room for expansion, entire REC staff moved from the old
location in Corvallis. The co-op cur- business opportunities, and future facility to the new one 15 miles down
rently services 11,201 meters and 1,265 growth. The new location also provides the road.
miles of line. The co-op has tracked better access to both ends of the valley “We moved 43 semi-loads of materi-
continuous growth of its system as more and REC’s service territory. als and goods,” said Grotbo. “We were
and more people move to the land of A building committee made up of open for business at our old location on
coveted fly fishing, huckleberry-covered Grotbo, REC Project Manager Bob Tuesday, and open at our new location
mountains, and star-filled skies of the Lee, and two directors from the board on Wednesday. It was a total team effort
well-known Big Sky Country. immediately began to research and plan and I am very proud of our staff for
for the new co-op facility. This included making it happen.”
16 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020is now one of the top-ranked attributes
employees want to have for a comfort-
able and enjoyable workplace.”
The warehouse, which is triple the
size of the old warehouse, has 10 drive-
through bays for utility vehicles. REC
line crews can now comfortably fit their
entire fleet system indoors for protection.
With a larger warehouse and fleet
storage area, line crews and service fleet
will be able to better respond to outages
as well as regular maintenance work.
The vehicle bay is also equipped with a
radiant floor heat system, ensuring the
trucks can be warm and ready to go at
General Manager Mark Grotbo cuts the ribbon at the grand opening on December 19, 2019. all times of the year, especially during
Photo by Ryan Hall, MECA. Montana’s frigid winter months.
A solar panel breezeway lines the
front entrance to the uniquely designed
building. It not only generates power
but also keeps snow off the walkway for
members coming into the office.
The new facility was built with a
plan for expansion for the future in
mind. Each functional area has a plan of
where and how to expand in the future,
if necessary, as the Bitterroot Valley
continues to grow.
“While we don’t plan on having to
do anything to the new headquarters
for at least 15-20 years, we are fully
prepared and have plans in place already
to add on to the building if needed,”
Grotbo said.
Moving onward and upward
Although closing the old office was
bittersweet for some REC employees
who have been with the co-op for almost
30 years, they look forward to being
The large windows in the board room provide lots of natural light and views of the Bitterroot Valley.
able to provide better service to the REC
membership from the new and improved
location for many years to come.
The new building consists of a used in the office and warehouse “It has been an exciting journey
20,000-square-foot office space and a areas. High-efficiency HVAC systems, watching this project progress from
30,000-square-foot warehouse space, including LG ductless heat pumps, were an idea to reality,” said Grotbo. “This
which replaces the co-op’s two former installed throughout the building with building is a commitment to our
separate buildings. The building will energy recovery on all systems. members and the community and was
help improve efficiencies; improve The office building is two stories tall built to serve many generations of co-op
workflow for inside and outside func- and the second story is all windows to members.”
tions; combine workforces; and provide allow optimal natural light throughout
enough room to accommodate all 33 the building. The LED lighting system Melissa Greenwood is the manager
REC employees as they merge into one inside and outside the facility is also light of communications at Ravalli Electric
location. intelligent and motion-controlled for Cooperative, which is now located in
energy savings. Victor, Mont. She can be contacted
Energy efficiency highlights “I really wanted every office to at (406) 961-3001 or mgreenwood@
Although the new facility is not have a window for natural light,” said ravallielectric.com.
LEED-certified, REC directors and staff Grotbo. “Not only for energy efficiency
used energy efficient options whenever measures, but for our employees to have
possible. High-rated insulation was a view of the beautiful outdoors which
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 17CUSTOMER SERVICE
Balancing I
t’s a well-known fact: People don’t like change. So when
change is needed, what’s the best way to communicate it to
your change-resistant customers? Emerald PUD faced this
Customer
challenge as 2019 came to a close.
The change to be announced was about the way credit card
payments would be handled beginning in January 2020. In an
ongoing effort to be compliant to the highest of card-processing
Service with
standards and to best protect customers’ personal information,
Emerald’s customer service team was preparing to discontinue
the manual entry of customer credit card numbers on payments
made by phone. The decision was made to begin transferring
Changing
customers to the automated Pay-by-Phone system if they wish
to make a payment using a credit card, ensuring the most
secure payment method for the customer. It was the right deci-
sion for the utility and its customers, but the customer service
Regulations
team expected the news would be upsetting to some.
The challenge in communicating the upcoming change was
based on the affected customers. Most were longtime custom-
ers—many of them elderly—who were known to be opposed to
using any electronic means to make a payment. They were part
of a large pool of technology-shy customers throughout Emer-
By Kristine Lindemulder ald’s rural district who prefer to make their monthly payments
using more traditional methods such as mailing a check or
calling in their card number to a trusted customer service
representative. After reviewing the number of payments made
over the phone with a representative in the past six months,
it was determined that more than 500 customers consistently
made their payments this way. These customers would need to
be delicately informed that the familiar, comfortable payment
process they were accustomed to would soon come to an
end, and future credit card payments would need to be made
through an automated phone system.
18 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020(left) Customer Service Representative Jessica
Millan assists a customer on the phone.
(right) Customer Service Representative Sarah
Gillette instructs customer on using the card
reader.
According to Customer Service Supervisor
Kelli Strange, there are several reasons these
customers choose to make credit card pay-
ments by phone with an agent.
“Some of the most common reasons we
hear are that customers are intimidated by
computers and automated phone systems or by
the idea of having to keep track of a password
or PIN,” said Strange. “And for some, I think
they genuinely look forward to the human
interaction of talking with a friendly represen-
tative each month.”
Before customers were notified of the
change, the customer service team sat down to
discuss how it could best be communicated.
They outlined three goals they hoped to
achieve:
1. Reiterate that the Pay-by-Phone system is secure.
2. Reassure customers that the customer service team will continue to be
available to help with any questions or concerns.
3. Communicate that the driving factor behind the change was to best serve
our customers and protect their information; avoid any language that
would wrongly suggest regulation compliance was the catalyst for the
change.
With these goals in mind, the CSRs began talking to customers about the
upcoming shift to Pay-by-Phone while Emerald’s communications department
crafted the first written communication: a postcard to customers who had paid this
way within the past six months. The postcard allowed only limited space for text so
it was kept brief and focused on four key pieces of information: what was changing
and why, along with assurance that their credit card information had always been
safeguarded appropriately and that the CSRs would continue to be supportive and
easy to reach. This messaging was also featured in several issues of the utility’s
PowerLines newsletter.
In addition to customer communications, the department further encourages
customer interaction by inviting them to call or visit for any kind of account sup-
port. They have also made an iPad available at the front desk to coach customers
through some of the “intimidating” tasks. Those who are wary of paying online or
nervous about setting up an account on SmartHub, Emerald’s account management
system, are invited to the office to have a CSR assist them through making a
payment or setting up an account using the iPad. This offer has received a great
response.
Through late December, most of the change-resistant customers had responded
well to the news, yet many had continued to call in and speak to a representative to
make their payments. The real test will come at the start of January when they can
no longer pay with a CSR using a credit card.
At that time, focus will shift to a different well-known fact: The only constant in
life is change.
Kristine Lindemulder is the communications coordinator at Emerald PUD in
Eugene, Ore. She can be contacted at (541) 744-7410 or kristine@epud.org.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 19ENGINEERING & OPERATIONS
and downtime; and decreased emissions
Greening a Fleet
by nearly 20%. But perhaps most
importantly, they’ve helped boost overall
customer satisfaction in the utility’s
Clark Public Utilities Proves Sustainable Vehicle politically bifurcated service area.
Environmentally minded customers
Technology Is a Worthy Investment appreciate the commitment to reducing
emissions; the growing number of elec-
By Dameon Pesanti tric and hybrid vehicles; and the utility’s
pledge to use and seek out less polluting
W
ashington’s political leaders Public Utilities Fleet Services Manager fuels. Fiscally conservative customers
have worked for more than a Paul Chamberlain. “Whenever a new are satisfied in knowing we’re reducing
decade to put the state at the threshold comes into effect we don’t waste and expenses; using equipment
forefront of the fight against climate have to scramble to meet it—we’re longer; and making purchases only when
change. already there.” necessary.
Some organizations with large fleets For Chamberlain, the term sustain- The first step to being more sustain-
may see the increased regulations as a ability goes beyond the environmental- able is right-sizing the fleet. Although the
burden. For Clark Public Utilities they’ve ism trappings it’s commonly associated number of employees has grown over
only served to reinforce its belief that it’s with. It means maximizing equipment the last decade, the number of vehicles
been on the right path all along. efficiency and usable life; minimizing in the fleet has stayed about the same.
Since 2006, the utility has leaned maintenance and downtime; and reduc- Rather than growing the fleet, the utility
into building a more sustainable and ing waste whenever possible in the fleet emphasizes shared vehicles, motor pools,
environmentally friendly fleet, one that of 265 units. and purchasing vehicles that carry more
far exceeds any standards set by federal, “A lot of organizations balk at people.
state, or local regulators. ‘greening’ the fleet because it’s often Whenever a new vehicle is purchased
As a result, the utility’s fleet has more expensive upfront,” Chamberlain it’s evaluated for what products can be
stayed well ahead of emissions-targeted said. “But we think of it as a cost-effec- added to improve efficiency without
mandates and achieved its goal of reduc- tive investment that supports efficiency impeding performance or interrupting
ing expenses, increasing reliability, and and meets state sustainability goals.” employee workflow and work practices.
keeping customers satisfied. Sustainable fleet practices have The most efficient upgrades on
“As regulations become more strin- reduced overall fuel consumption by heavy- and light-duty trucks has been
gent, our sustainability practices have nearly 35,000 gallons a year; signifi- idle management and auxiliary heaters.
become more worthwhile,” said Clark cantly lowered maintenance expenses The $6,500 systems paid for themselves
in less than two and a half years thanks
20 NWPPA.ORG | BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020to reduced fuel consumption and main- identical to petroleum diesel, but maintenance expenses, and extended
tenance and repair costs. combusts more completely and cleanly vehicle life.
The idle management system auto- because it has as a higher cetane number, In many cases, the utility had to be
matically shuts down the engine when less carbon, and contains up to 85% less willing to be an early adopter because
the vehicle is at rest, while still allowing sulfur than ultra-low sulfur diesel. many technologies were new to the
all electronics, including the heater, to Together they’ve added between market and had to be configured to
operate without interruption. The engine 25,000 and 50,000 miles of life to every meet its work practices. Fleet would
restarts when work practices dictate or diesel vehicle, reduced fleet fuel con- like to add hybrid medium-duty and
the battery needs to be recharged. sumption, and dramatically slashed fleet first responder trucks, but the available
An hour of idle time in a diesel truck emissions; however, the greatest savings technology is not yet cost-effective.
burns more than a gallon of fuel, equals comes from reduced maintenance costs The utility’s venture into sustainabil-
about 35 miles of engine wear, and can and less vehicle downtime. Now trucks ity began in 2006 when it researched and
reduce vehicle life by 4 to 5 years. Also, spend more time in the field serving tested self-contained auxiliary motors
modern diesel engine emission systems customers and less time in the shop. called “pony motors.” On paper, they
require high temperatures to operate This helps crews stay on task instead of reduced idling and fuel consumption on
properly, but idling engines run too cool wasting time with roadside breakdowns large aerial trucks and eliminated the
to thoroughly combust fuel. or transferring equipment between need for gasoline generators with diesel
Before incorporating the technology, vehicles. trucks. However, the motors took up
utility vehicles spent half to nearly Clark’s transition to all-electric or valuable truck space, didn’t produce
three-quarters of their time idling. hybrid vehicles started in 2011 with any maintenance or fuel savings, and
Utility maintenance crews spent an Toyota Priuses and Nissan Leafs—light- produced emissions disproportionately.
inordinate amount of time maintaining duty motor pool vehicles used around Management soon realized it made more
emissions-related systems that would the community and between the utility’s sense to install power inverters with
prematurely fail and crews were occa- two locations. After technology proved auxiliary batteries.
sionally forced to bounce from one truck itself, the utility went a step further The second attempt was in 2009
to the next. Trucks were also frequently with the introduction of fuel-saving with a grant for idle mitigation. The fleet
replaced prematurely due to high main- hybrid SUVs in the meter reading fleet, tested a cold-climate start/stop system in
tenance costs and reduced reliability. and further still with the purchase of the trucks. However, that quickly failed
Incorporating idle management emissions-free electric forklifts for the because the system couldn’t meet the
in 2014 broke the cycle. Now, when warehouse. utility’s work practices.
engines run they’re at work and at In 2018, the utility purchased two Today, the results speak for them-
appropriate temperatures. When the plug-in hybrid sedans and three plug-in selves; but getting there required plenty
truck is at rest, the engine is off but hybrid Ford F-150s with a fourth of research, trial, and error by every
crews still have the resources they need going into service soon. The four-door, member of the fleet team.
to get their jobs done. four-wheel-drive crew trucks can go Linepersons don’t like when you
Starting in 2016, the utility switched anywhere they need while consuming muddle with their equipment, but crews
to renewable diesel, which also furthered about 30% less fuel. The aftermarket had to be patient and willing to be part
the improvements. Not to be confused hybrid truck kit costs about $24,000 of the experiments. Managers had to be
with biodiesel, renewable diesel is made per vehicle, but it is expected to pay open to their feedback and willing to let
from agricultural waste. It’s chemically for itself through fuel-savings, reduced go of ideas that didn’t work. Crucially,
the utility’s senior management had to
have patience and faith that the trials
and investments would pay off.
“The journey to a sustainable fleet
wasn’t an easy one and we learned that
change is difficult,” Chamberlain said.
“But across the utility our employees are
focused on lowering costs and increasing
reliability. Soon everyone understood
that we could achieve those goals…
by building a fleet that both reduces
emissions and our dependency on fossil
fuels.”
Dameon Pesanti is a media spe-
cialist at Clark Public Utilities in
Vancouver, Wash. He can be con-
tacted at either (360) 992-3449 or
dpesanti@clarkpud.com.
BULLETIN/JANUARY 2020 | NWPPA.ORG 21You can also read
