APPA National Conference Comes to Minneapolis

A once in a lifetime opportunity is coming up for Minnesota municipal utility people, as the American Public Power Association (APPA) holds its annual meeting Tuesday, June 5-10, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The National Conference helps utility leaders connect with partners and peers while learning about the complex issues facing public power utilities. The program features leading political, economic, business and public policy thinkers addressing the critical issues shaping our industry’s future.

 

MMUA members and staff will be well represented, and not just in the audience.

 

MMUA Executive Director Jack Kegel is chair of the Local Arrangements Committee and is working closely with APPA staff on a variety of details, including suggesting speakers for sessions, assembling the gift bag, and coordinating volunteers to work at the welcome desk.

 

Bob Jagusch, MMUA’s director of engineering and policy analysis, will participate in a Sunday, June 7, half-day pre-conference panel discussion on Preparing for EPA's CO2 Regulation for Existing Power Plants. Jagusch will reprise that performance on Tuesday, June 9, with a discussion on EPA's Clean Power Plan, or Section 111(d,) Proposal: The Big Picture. The session will explore what to expect in EPA's final rule for carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.

 

Breakout sessions Tuesday, June 9 will have a distinct Minnesota flavor.

 

Elk River Municipal Utilities General Manager Troy Adams will present on Recruiting and Retaining Qualified Employees with Competitive Pay.

Guy Swenson, General Manager, Barnesville Municipal Electric and Karen Weeden, Senior Rate Analyst, Missouri River Energy Services, will present on “Communicating the Value of Public Power.” Attendees will learn how to communicate the benefits of public power and gaining goodwill, not just during Public Power Week, but year-round.

 

Mark Fritsch, General Manager, Owatonna Public Utilities, will co-present on “Engage and Empower Employees: Building a Safety Culture.” Fritsch will explore how to engage and empower employees to build an organization-wide culture of safety.

 

John Crooks, Utilities Director, Shakopee Public Utilities Commission and MMUA’s Jagusch will present a case study on “Using New Technologies to Meet Changing Customer Expectations.”  This presentation springs from Shakopee Public Utility Commission’s environmental learning center and smart home project, which tested programs that allow customers to control appliances with smart phones. The presentation will also look at findings from the MMUA-SPU smart grid grant program. 

 

MMUA associate members will also get into the act. Dave Berg, Principal, Dave Berg Consulting, will co-present on Managing the Rate Impacts of Distributed Generation. This session will present ways to educate policymakers on the rate impacts of distributed generation.

 

The National Conference is public power's largest annual gathering, helping utility leaders connect with partners and peers while preparing for the future.