Alliance News and Events
MUNICIPALITIES SPEAK OUT AGAINST FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT INCREASE ELECTRIC RATES
February 19th, 2010
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Left to right: Duncan Kincheloe,General Manager of MPUA;
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Today (Tuesday), the Missouri Public Utility Alliance stood with U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton and Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson in protecting electric ratepayers across the state from rate increases resulting from changes in federal regulation on green house gases. MPUA General Manager and CEO Duncan Kincheloe, representing eighty-eight municipal electric utilities in the state, announced that Missouri’s municipal electric rate payers could not afford increases in their electric bills resulting from green house gas regulations. Kincheloe’s comments came during a Jefferson City news conference Tuesday in which Congressman Skelton announced legislation to eliminate green house gases from regulation under the Clean Air Act.
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City of Columbia Receives Approval for Office of Sustainability
February 19th, 2010
By Daniel Cailler, Columbia Daily Tribune
Reprinted by permission from Columbia Daily Tribune
Goals are energy savings, retrofits.
The city received approval Friday of its proposal for use of a $1,018,300 Department of Energy stimulus block grant, Assistant City Manager Paula Hertwig-Hopkins said. The application for the grant was filed in June.
“We have the approval on everything, and we can start on doing energy audits and bringing the sustainability manager on board,” she said.
The Office of Sustainability will work with several city departments, including Public Works and Water and Light, as well as with state and federal agencies. The department will make recommendations to the city on policy issues regarding sustainability and long-range plans to reduce energy consumption. The office also will develop monitoring and tracking systems that will highlight cost and benefit analysis.
MWEA (Missouri Water Environment Association) Presents Collections Outreach Training Program - January 28 - Clinton, MO
December 29th, 2009
Topics include:
• Rules, Regulations and CMOM Updates
• SSES -Project Overview
• Alternative Solutions and Fats, Oils & Grease
• Private Line Rehabilitation - A True Story
• What is an Inflow & Infiltration Reduction Report
• A Sewer Lateral Insurance Program
• Collection System Safety Issue
• Round Table Discussion of New Technology and Products
Click here for Agenda
Click here for Registration
DNR Seeks Municipal Energy Conservation Project Proposals
December 4th, 2009
Energize Missouri Communities Request for Project Proposals
The department is seeking proposals from eligible applicants for projects that will reduce the energy use of cities and counties, have a positive impact on their budgets, and enhance the economic development in the Missouri through job creation.
The Department hosted a webinar on Dec. 7 and will hold six application development workshops Dec. 8 through Dec. 17 throughout the state to provide eligible applicants (city and county government officials) with individualized assistance.
Deadline for application 1/15/2010 at 4:00 PM
Click here for more information: EnergizeMissouriCommunities.pdf
CITY OF FULTON AWARDED "SMART GRID" STIMULUS FUNDS
October 30th, 2009
Selected from over 400 applicants, the City of Fulton’s municipal electric utility is one of 100 recipients of Smart Grid Grant awards just announced by the Department of Energy. Those projects, which include more than 30 projects sponsored by municipally-owned utilities, will receive stimulus funding under the Smart Grid Investment Grant program. Fulton is the only Missouri recipient of these monies – public or private.
The City of Fulton’s project will replace more than 5,000 current electric meters with a smart meter network that includes a dynamic pricing program to reduce consumer energy use. Fulton’s share of the grant awards is just over $1.5 million which was matched by the city. The city also made an additional commitment of $1 million for gas and water meter improvements. The project is expected to take 18 months to implement once the final award is received.
Nationally, the $3.4 billion in grant awards are part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and will be matched by $4.7 billion in recipient funding for a total public-private investment of more than $8 billion. The grants will go to utilities, cities, private companies, manufacturers, grid operators and other partners. Roughly $550 million of the grants are to go to public power utilities.
These grant awards are the first part of President Obama’s efforts to build a “bigger, better, and smarter grid” and is part of an initiative which plans to deploy smart meters in homes, businesses and industry to promote efficiency. The investments are to expand access to smart meters and customer systems and are meant to give consumers the ability to save money and help drive down peak demand, thus limiting the need for stand-by power generation – typically the most expensive power generation in a utility’s portfolio.
Houston, MO First in State to Receive Federal Stimulus Funds
October 13th, 2009
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The City of Houston will receive the state's first federal stimulus funds in a ceremony set for Wednesday, October 14, with leaders of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Acting DNR Director Bill Bryan will make the presentation at 10 a.m. at Houston City Hall. |
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| Houston's flow equalization basin and clarifier |
DNR Hearings on Energy Efficiency Grant Program for Cities
October 9th, 2009
We received a flyer from DNR advertising a series of outreach meetings designed to give the Energy Center the input they need to develop a $12 million dollar Energy Efficiency Grant program for cities and counties as part of the federal stimulus program. Additionally the sessions are designed to inform you about the types of projects that can be funded.
Earlier this year, 17 cities and 10 counties in Missouri received formula grants for this purpose. Under the federal rules, 60% of the NEW money has to go to cities and counties that were not eligible for the earlier funds. The remaining 40% is eligible for distribution to either group.
The purpose of the meetings is not necessarily to receive ideas for specific grants . Rather it is to receive ideas on how the grant program should be structured. Issues that are up for discussion would include issues such as:
1. Level of matching required and whether local match could be provided on an in-kind basis
2. Distribution by formula or on a state-wide competitive basis
3. Classes or types of projects to be considered
4. Eligibility requirements for ultimate recipients (what combination of individuals, businesses, and
governmental entities)
DNR Flyer: Energizing Missouri Communities.pdf
New Program Helps Municipal Utilities Access Clean and Efficient Energy Funds
October 8th, 2009
From the American Public Power Association’s Energy Efficiency Resource Central (EERCnet.org)
As federal funds continue to be offered to finance energy efficiency projects, a new program sets out to help public power utilities make the most of the funding opportunities. Spearheaded by the Alliance to Save Energy Efficiency, the American Public Power Association, and the Large Public Power Council, with funding from Sea Change and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean and Efficient Energy Program for Public Power is a three-year program that aims to promote investment opportunities and strategies in energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Given the funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the program’s timing can immediately help municipal utilities create new, green jobs and save money with energy-conserving technologies and practices.
“Energy efficiency aligns well with public power’s mission of acting in the best interest of the community and serving customers,” APPA President and CEO Mark Crisson said. “CEEP will help public power utilities continue to provide affordable, reliable power by achieving higher levels of energy efficiency.”
“CEEP will help boost [the public power] sector’s participation in clean and efficient energy programs by providing resources that are tailored to the unique drivers and constraints of locally-owned and operated utilities,” said Jan Schori, former general manager of the Sacramento, Calif., Municipal Utility District. Schori chairs the CEEP steering committee, which also includes public power leaders from SMUD and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in California; Austin Energy in Texas; AMP in Ohio; Burlington Electric Department in Vermont; Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida; Long Island Power Authority in New York; Lincoln Electric System in Nebraska; Wisconsin Public Power; and City Utilities of Springfield, Mo.
A major part of this initiative will be the CEEP Web site, www.cleanefficientenergy.org, where successful strategies and case studies from energy efficiency programs will be available for use by public power managers. These “tool kits” will include turnkey program models and downloadable template materials so utilities can quickly implement programs that have already been shown to work. These toolkits feature resources on innovative financing, targeted partnerships, job creation, and best practices, all with the aim of clean and efficient energy.
Through the site, CEEP also directs visitors to the right agencies for stimulus and non-stimulus funding and gives extensive guidance on how to craft the best proposal for success in applying. The program emphasizes that stimulus funding does more than just help a utility in its activities financially, but also represents an opportunity to link public power utilities to each other, other municipal agencies, state energy offices, and local partners.
Since its launch in February, CEEP has already co-hosted a workshop on innovative financing for energy efficiency at the APPA Business & Financial Conference in September and plans to host an annual clean energy summit.
2009 MPUA Conference Presentations Now Available
October 8th, 2009
The presentations from the 2009 MPUA Annual Conference are now available here.
Governor Jay Nixon Recognizes Municipal Utilities in Missouri
October 7th, 2009
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| Attending the signing of the proclamation for Public Power Week in Missouri were left to right: Susan Wendleton, Carthage; Tina Worley, Columbia; Steve Svec, Chillicothe (MPUA JOC Chair); Duncan Kincheloe, MPUA; Gov. Jay Nixon, Ken Johnson, Carthage; Chad Davis, Trenton; Connie Kacprowicz, Columbia; and Ewell Lawson, MPUA. |
Proclaims “Public Power Week” October 4-10, 2009
[October 5, 2009 – Jefferson City, MO] Governor Jay Nixon recently met with municipal utility leaders from across the state to proclaim October 4-10, 2009 as Public Power Week in Missouri. In recognizing the eighty-eight city-owned electric utilities in Missouri, Governor Nixon cited the importance that these utilities bring to their communities and to the state.
In meeting with the Governor, Steve Svec, General Manager of Chillicothe Municipal Utilities and Chairman of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance said, “Public Power Week is a chance for municipal utilities to articulate why public power is a good fit for their communities. We are absolutely dedicated to providing top-notch, reliable service and the lowest rates possible.”
In his proclamation, Governor Nixon cited local-control, customer service, reliability and economic development as reasons to honor municipal electric utilities as “valuable community assets that contribute to the well-being of local citizens” and “for their contributions to their communities and state.” He further pointed out that city-owned electric utilities “have been the proving ground for many of the state’s first renewable energy sources.”
“Municipal utilities in Missouri know how important it is to keep the lights on for the people in their communities, and we continue to find ways to do so with special dedication to reliability, safety and the environment,” said Duncan Kincheloe, CEO and General Manager of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance. “This was especially evident during the Southeast Missouri ice storms this year when most municipalities got their lights on, then worked collectively to assist others with theirs.”
Public Power Week is an annual event sponsored by the Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) in conjunction with the national activities of the American Public Power Association (APPA) in Washington, D.C. Both organizations are service organizations for community-owned electric utilities at the state and national levels, respectively.
The first electric utility West of the Mississippi was a not-for-profit municipal utility serving the citizens of Butler, Missouri in 1881. It is the nation’s oldest, continuously operated locally-controlled municipal electric utility. Today, municipal utilities serve about a million Missourians and are counted among the more than 2,000 other public electric utilities across the America that collectively provide electricity on a not-for-profit basis to 45 million Americans.
“We are proud to be a public power community,” said Ken Johnson, Vice President of the Board, Carthage Water & Electric. “Our focus is to make our communities a better place in which to live and work and it goes beyond serving customers. We serve the community.”
MWEA 13th Annual Fall Technical Conference
September 28th, 2009
Missouri Water Environment Association (MWEA) has scheduled its
13th Annual Fall Technical Conference
for November 5, 2009 in Columbia, Missouri.
Deadline to register for the conference is October 30.
Gov. Jay Nixon Names Bill Bryan as Deputy Director of DNR and Director of the Division of State Parks
September 14th, 2009
September 14, 2009-JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon today named Bill Bryan as deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources and director of the Division of State Parks. Bryan served for nearly two decades in the office of Attorney General pursuing actions against polluters and violators of the state's laws on environmental protection, and was named Outstanding Public Official of the Year in 1998 by the Sierra Club for his work on cases enforcing anti-pollution laws against CAFOs.
"Bill Bryan has already served Missouri admirably as an environmental advocate, by prosecuting cases against polluters who damage our air, land and water," Gov. Nixon said. "Bill will bring to DNR the same sterling environmental credentials and aggressive approach to environmental protection that he demonstrated for many years in the Attorney General's Office."
"With his well-respected background in environmental protection and outdoors issues, Bill will be a welcome addition to our department," said Mark Templeton, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "I look forward to his leadership being a part of our continuing efforts to preserve Missouri's tremendous natural resources for future generations."
KSMU Radio: Missouri Residents May See Electric Rates Jump Due to Climate Legislation
September 10th, 2009
KSMU's Matt Evans interviewed Floyd Gilzow, MPUA Director of Member Relations and Public Affairs, after the Missouri Public Utility Alliance released a study that says the average electric rates across Missouri could increase by as much as 50% if the current national climate change legislation passes.
Go to KSMU to listen to the interview.
Clean Water Commission Passes Effluent Regulations
September 10th, 2009
On September 3, 2009, the Clean Water Commission passed the amendment for effluent regulations (10 CSR 20-7.015.) This amendment will provide a mechanism to place E. coli bacteria limits and effluent monitoring requirements that conform to the federal water quality standard for indicator bacteria. The amendment also incorporates a minor addition that will allow alternative limits for discharges to subsurface waters associated with risk-based corrective action projects administered by the Hazardous Waste Program so long as no unreasonable risk to human health or the environment is created. It also addresses water quality conditions potentially impacted by the discharge of overflows from Combined Sewer Systems, commonly referred to as combined sewer overflows.
* Comment PDF and Response PDF
* Public Notice PDF
* Regulatory Impact Report PDF
* Preliminary Draft Rule Revisions PDF
* Costs Associated with the Removal of Permit Limits that Allow Discharges of Partially-Treated Wastewater
During Peak Wet-Weather Flows PDF
For more information, go to MoDNR.
Municipal Utilities Spearhead Effort to Protect Ratepayers
September 8th, 2009
Earlier this summer, MPUA and City Utilities of Springfield enlisted the assistance of the Missouri Energy Development Association to assemble a team of senior level analysts from all three investor owned utilities, the rural cooperative association and municipal representatives to create a consensus analysis of the Waxman-Markey climate change bill to present to Senators Bond and McCaskill as well as all of the Congressional Representative from Missouri. After two months of work and negotiation, this letter represents a unified message from all sectors of the Electric Service Providers industry. This letter has also been shared with the Governor, and key leaders in the Missouri General Assembly.
Letter to Missouri's Congressional Delegation
Carthage Water and Light Dept. Renovates Landmark for New Facility
September 4th, 2009
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| By Kevin McClintock Scott Dudolski and John Amershek, with the Carthage Water and Electric Plant, are putting the finishing touches to the interior of the former McCune-Brooks Hospital ER section, which recently had a leaking roof and hallways filled with water. |
Source: The Carthage Press
By John Hacker, Editor
email: jhacker@carthagepress.com
Carthage’s city-owned utility looks to be the entity that saves a landmark from the wrecking ball that loomed after two state agencies backed away from it in two years.
City Administrator Tom Short said Carthage Water and Electric Plant is moving forward with work to make the 90-plus year-old former McCune-Brooks hospital building and its leaky emergency room area weather tight for the coming winter.
That work should make it easier to plan the renovations needed to turn the former hospital into CW&EP’s customer service and business headquarters in the coming months.
City Utilities of Springfield Tests Burning of Torrefied Wood
August 31st, 2009
Springfield, Missouri – City Utilities of Springfield conducted a test burn of torrefied wood at the James
River Power Station on Thursday, August 13, 2009, at 10 a.m. The test burn, using 50 tons of torrefied wood, is
believed to be the largest test burn of this type of biomass conducted in the United States.
Torrefied wood is created by “roasting” wood chips in a large furnace to remove moisture and make the product
more brittle. This process physically and chemically changes the chips making them easier to crush for burning in
specific generating units. The final product will be blended with coal for burning in James River Power Station –
Unit 3. James River Power Station went into service in 1957 and has five generating units. Unit 3 provides 44
megawatts of electricity and has been in service since 1960.
Should results of the test be successful and approved, it’s estimated that by blending torrefied wood with coal at a
10 percent mixture, over 100,000 tons of coal would be replaced annually at James River Power Station. Final
results of the test burn are expected later this fall.
James River Power Station is located at 5701 South Kissick Road.
Local TV station interviews Gilzow and Kacprowicz on Cap
August 7th, 2009
Local Missouri news outlets are showing an increasing interest in the
potential cost of federal Climate Change Legislation to customers. A
recent discussion of the Alliance’s study "Analysis of the Electricity Price Impacts of Alternative Carbon Emission Cap-and-Trade Programs in the Midwest"
of the legislative predecessors of Waxman-Markey prompted a TV
interview for Columbia Water and Light’s Connie Kacprowicz and the
Alliance’s Floyd Gilzow.
Utility officials meet with Blunt to discuss cap and trade
August 5th, 2009
MPUA’s Director of Member Relations and Public Affairs Floyd Gilzow and Springfield City Utilities (CU) Associate General Manager for Electric Production Scott Miller were one of a small group of electric utility officials asked recently to meet with Congressman Roy Blunt to discuss pending climate change legislation.
Welcome to our new website
July 14th, 2009
The URL stays the same, but www.MPUA.org has a completely different look now! This redesigned website is the result of a year of analysis, design and programming which was completed and launched on July 1, 2009. Our goal is to provide our members and visitors an easily navigable website that is appealing and informative. The updated site features a more intuitive and user-friendly experience which efficiently guides our members to the resources needed while simultaneously allowing new users to browse the site to learn more about our organizations. Working closely with Clearpage Interactive of Columbia, Missouri, MPUA staff envisioned and developed a fresh, new look for the website, including a new logo for MPUA. In the coming months, we will be adding more resources and information for our members. Please feel free to email your comments and suggestions for additional items of interest and/or any corrections that need to be made to: info@mpua.org.