From the President and CEO |
To kick-off this month of gratitude, Brent looks back on a few "cooperative wins," from October. The inaugural Day of Service, impressive employee support for the United Way, scholarship awards, economic development successes and capital credit retirements all made the list. |
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That's NTEC: Ad Campaign Reinforces Benefits of Power Plant |
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Source: Dairyland Power Cooperative
A new digital ad campaign is reinforcing the value of Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) - a planned, state-of-the-art natural gas plant in Superior, Wis. The 625 MW plant will ensure the delivery of safe, reliable and affordable energy, while supporting renewable energy resources and the Superior, Wis., community.
“From filling in critical gaps when solar and wind output is low, to serving as a safety-first resource during storms and extreme temperatures, NTEC is key to sustaining grid reliability and supporting renewable energy production,” said Dairyland's Vice President, Strategic Growth John Carr.
Dairyland submitted a Letter of Interest (LOI) for funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s New Empowering Rural America (New ERA) grants program for an extensive portfolio of clean energy projects. The LOI proposes 1,700 MW of wind and solar generation, which would reduce Dairyland's CO2 profile by over 70 percent.
“The eight solar and four wind energy resources in Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota proposed by Dairyland depend on NTEC for on-demand response support,” Carr said.
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Interruptible Heat Test:
7 a.m., Nov. 15
The 2023 Winter Preparedness Test for interruptible heat (dual fuel) accounts is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 15, beginning at 7 a.m. This annual load control test is performed in advance of the winter Full Load Control season to ensure member familiarity with the control sequence and to ensure that backup heating systems have been validated for proper function. During the test, residential Interruptible Heat load classes (2, 2W, 4B) will be controlled:
- 6:55 a.m. - control start
- 7:00 a.m. - all loads interrupted (2, 2W, 4B)
- 10 a.m. - Class 2, 2W, 4B loads begin diversified restoral
- 10:30 a.m. - Class 4B loads fully restored
- 11 a.m. - Class 2, 2W loads fully restored
In advance of the test, cooperative staff are encouraged to:
- Verify the cooperative’s Everbridge Notification contact list accurately reflects participating members
- Use mailings, bill inserts, newsletters, website, social media or other communication tools to facilitate member awareness
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That's a Wrap!
Day of Service Volunteers Log Nearly 600 Hours
The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives® of the Dairyland Power System kicked-off National Co-op Month with their inaugural Cooperative Day of Service on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Dairyland coordinated six projects throughout its service territory and joined forces with employees from 12 local electric cooperatives to showcase the cooperatives’ dedication to the cooperative principle, Concern for Community. Nearly 120 volunteers donated 600 hours of work in just one day.
Projects included:
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Alma, Wis. – 12 miles of highway clean-up
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Elk Mound, Wis. – Painting at the Elk Mound Hill Castle and the Village Park, including the Lions shed and ball field dugouts. Volunteers also weeded, raked and seeded the Solid Waste and Recycling Site, cleared brush and trails, seal-coated the basketball court and painted curb stops at the library.
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Holmen, Wis. – Volunteers worked with the Mississippi Valley Conservancy to conduct brush clearing at the New Amsterdam Prairie.
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Osceola, Wis. - Installing lights at Farmington Recreation Park
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Prairie du Chien, Wis. – Volunteers worked at Wisconsin Badger Camp painting tables and cabins, organizing the maintenance shop, cleaning up trails and clearing brush.
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Rushford, Minn. – Volunteers worked with the Southeastern Minnesota Citizens Action Council (SEMCAC) to complete various projects including highway clean-up and painting, cleaning windows and replacing exterior lighting at SEMCAC facilities.
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Tony, Wis. – Volunteers gave a local ballfield a facelift by removing and replacing old fences and bleachers. Materials were donated by Tony Lumber and through contributions from Jump River Electric Cooperative.
Save the Date for next year: Oct. 2, 2024. Cooperatives with ideas for future projects in their service territory can contact Ellie Meyer and Dana Bolwerk. Next month: Look for a video highlighting the day's work!
Thank you to all who gave of their time and talent to make a difference in our local communities!
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Meetings, Meetings, Meetings
October brought back-to-back learning and networking opportunities for employees of Dairyland and its member cooperatives.
On Oct. 19-20, communications and member services employees attended a Touchstone Energy® Member Engagement Workshop for our cooperative members at the Radisson Hotel in
La Crosse. Touchstone Energy Senior Program Manager, Strategic Relations Scott Bialick and members of the Touchstone Energy team facilitated the workshop to showcase best practices, new member engagement survey results and strategies, and share updated TSE material as well as effective and efficient ways to maximize value from each piece. Dairyland's EVP & Chief Administrative Officer Amanda Hoefling welcomed members to the event and Government Relations Manager Jennifer Shilling provided first-hand insight of ways cooperatives can become their elected officials' trusted energy advisor.
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A week later, more than 60 member services employees who work with their co-op's load management program gathered at the La Crescent (Minn.) Events Center for a day-long workshop. Led by Manager, Innovation and Efficient Electrification Jeff Springer and his team of Mitch Vanden Langenberg (supervisor, load management), Ethan Kiesling (Innovation Engineer I), James Ethen (load management technician) and Chris Morgensen (grid modernization engineer II), topics covered included seasonal load management results and future plans, as well as updates to the Load Management Modernization project.
Presentations for both are on Members Only -> Meetings and Presentations -> Member Services Meeting Presentations -> 2023 Member Services and Communications Meetings
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Cardinal-Hickory Creek Receives FONSI
Source: Dairyland Power Cooperative
On Oct. 6, t he Rural Utilities Service (RUS) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345kV Transmission Line Project. The official documents are posted to the RUS’ project website.
The FONSI allows construction to begin on the nine proposed route modifications identified in the Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA), contingent on the acquisition of all pertinent permits, as well as Section 106 compliance. Dairyland Power Cooperative (La Crosse, Wis.) and ITC (Novi, Mich.) will work through permitting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as well as state and local permits.
Construction is expected for Dairyland’s Turkey River substation and the new 69 kV, N-9 reroute to the substation in 2024. The two Dairyland projects will need Iowa Department of Natural Resource (DNR) and USACE permits in place prior to their completion. The Turkey River Substation is expected to be in service in November 2024.
Did you know? Currently, there are 115 generation projects in Wisconsin and four other states representing more than 17 gigawatts of renewable energy dependent upon this transmission line – enough to power millions of homes with clean energy. Construction of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project is largely complete in Wisconsin and Iowa.
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Five "A Day with Your G&T" Events host 100 in 2023
Oct. 11 was the final of five A Day with Your G&T events for 2023. Throughout the year, Dairyland welcomed about 100 member employees and directors from 15 cooperatives to spend the day meeting Dairyland leaders and touring the
La Crosse Campus before departing for a tour of the John P. Madgett (JPM) Generating Station.
Planning for 2024 will begin soon and cooperatives will be notified when dates are set.
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We love to feature co-op news and new employees in Current Matters! Please share your latest updates with Dana Bolwerk (dana.bolwerk@dairyandpower.com).
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CVEC Contributes to Helipad
Sources: Dairyland Power Cooperative, CVEC
Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (Cornell, Wis.), with a matching donation from Dairyland Power Cooperative's (La Crosse, Wis.) Contributions Program, donated $1,000 each toward a permanent, maintained helicopter landing zone at Rocque Ridge Outfitters (Holcombe, Wis.). The 70' x 70' leveled helipad will be illuminated and available 24/7.
The need for the landing pad is felt keenly by CVEC Member Services Representative Danielle Endvick. Her 58-year-old uncle passed away in an ambulance while enroute to a hospital after suffering a heart attack at his home in Conrath, only a few miles from the new helipad site.
“In this remote corner of Chippewa County, our loved ones are far enough away from the larger medical facilities that emergency response times and access to resources like this helipad can mean the difference between life and death,” Endvick said.
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Let the Sun Shine: Vernon & Oakdale Solar Dedications
Bluff Prairie Solar | Vernon Electric Cooperative
Sources: Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association & Vernon Electric Cooperative
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers was among the dignitaries present for the ribbon cutting of Vernon Electric Cooperative’s Bluff Prairie Solar Project (1.5 megawatts) the end of October.
The project offers “solar for all,” a first-of-its-kind in the state. Vernon Electric (Westby, Wis.) also worked with Couleecap Community Action Agency, One Energy, and the state Office of Energy Innovation (OEI), which secured a grant to allow people of lower incomes to participate in the project at no cost. Of the 2,000 panels, 550 are available to low-to-moderate income members who can subscribe to the community solar project at no cost, while receiving credit for the electricity generated by the panels they've subscribed to.
In 2014 Vernon Electric became the first cooperative in Wisconsin to complete a community solar array, which allows members to buy into the project and eventually get a return on investment. The Bluff Prairie project offers a yearly buy-in of $50 per panel subscription and an annual return of about $56 on that investment.
Rep. Loren Oldenburg (R-Viroqua) and Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) attended the ribbon-cutting, as well as Joe Pater, director of the OEI; Hetti Brown, executive director for Couleecap; Vernon Electric Cooperative board members; and other stakeholders and community leaders.
Located near Red Mound, Wis., Bluff Prairie Solar is part of a 22 MW collaboration with nine other Wisconsin electric cooperatives who worked together to get a better price and return on investment for their solar projects. Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services has a similar solar project in the works.
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Webster Creek Solar | Oakdale Electric Cooperative
Source: Oakdale Electric Cooperative
On Sept. 22, OneEnergy Renewables of Madison and Oakdale Electric Cooperative (Tomah, Wis.) celebrated the Webster Creek Solar project completion. Set on a 10-acre site in New Lisbon, the projects' 3,302 solar panels are projected to generate 1.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity for OEC members. The array's unique, bifacial solar panels (see photo) will absorb energy from the sun reflected off the snow in winter months. To ensure no amount of space is unused, the ground under the solar arrays will be restored with prairie grasses and wildflowers, providing habitat for pollinators and healthy root systems.
A second utility-scale solar array in OEC's service area is Lemonweir Solar, located in Mauston Township on an 20-acre site and equipped with 6,708 panels to generate 3 MW annually. This will be the largest utility-scale solar project in OEC's service area. Webster Creek Solar and Lemonweir Solar are set to start producing energy by end of 2023.
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Podcast: Member Connections through EVs
Source: Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
In early October, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Executive Director Jana Adams interviewed three cooperative employees to discuss how they leverage the power of electric vehicles (EVs) to create strong engagement in their local communities. Two of the three guests were Dairyland Power Cooperative members: Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative Director of Communications Joan O'Fallon (Centuria, Wis.) and Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative Director of Business Development & Energy Solutions Bryan Skogheim (Albert Lea, Minn.). The two were joined by Middle Tennessee Electric Manager of Execution & Analysis Brandon Wagner to discuss the world of EVs in rural areas and ways members become brand ambassadors for their local EV Car Club and electric cooperative.
On the seventh day of each month, this 7-minute podcast features electric cooperative industry experts and communicators as they discuss the current state of the industry. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon and on TouchstoneEnergy.com.
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Gunderson, PPCS Win Leifer Award
Source: Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association
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Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (Ellsworth, Wis.) was selected as the recipient of the 2023 N.F. Leifer Memorial Journalism Award, bestowed upon the Wisconsin electric cooperative adjudged to have had the strongest overall local pages in Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News over the previous 12 months. Liz Gunderson, Pierce Pepin's communications coordinator, edits the co-op's local pages.
This is Pierce-Pepin’s first-ever Leifer award since the local-pages contest was established in 1966, although the cooperative has won three individual category awards since Gunderson became the co-op’s local-pages editor in 2017. Congratulations, Liz!
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Retired CEOs Recognized
Sources: Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative & Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association
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Dean Ortmann | Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (Cornell, Wis.)
Former Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative (CVEC) President/CEO Dean Ortmann received the Economic Development Community Leadership Award from the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation (CEDC). The honor recognizes individuals who have shown significant advocacy for economic development in Chippewa County. Ortmann was at the helm of CVEC during the formation of Ntera, a joint venture with Citizens Connected that helped bring Fiber-Fast Internet to 1,800 homes and businesses in Chippewa, Rusk and Taylor counties.
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Dallas Sloan | Barron Electric Cooperative
(Barron, Wis.)
Dallas Sloan, longtime community and cooperative leader and former head of Barron Electric Cooperative, was awarded the 2023 Ally of Cooperative Electrification (ACE) award, WECA’s highest honor. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding support and service to the industry on behalf of Wisconsin electric cooperatives and the members they serve.
During his time at Barron Electric, Sloan was instrumental in lobbying state and federal lawmakers on behalf of electric co-op interests. He was an early supporter of clean energy, overseeing the co-op’s installation of a 100-kW community solar array. In 2018, Barron Electric became the first electric cooperative in the Dairyland Power Cooperative system to lease an all-electric vehicle and promote EV technology. He also spearheaded actions to protect the Monarch butterfly.
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Electric Co-ops Gave MN Economy a
$20B Boost (2018-22)
Source: Minnesota Rural Electric Association
A newly released economic impact analysis reveals, from 2018-22, electric cooperatives injected $19.6 billion into Minnesota’s economy, fortifying the state’s financial landscape and supporting an average of 20,800 jobs each year. For the study, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation partnered with Strategen Consulting. Dairyland serves three Minnesota cooperatives: Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative (Albert Lea, Minn.), MiEnergy Cooperative (Rushford, Minn.) and People's Energy Cooperative (Oronoco, Minn.).
The analysis found electric cooperatives support nearly 623,000 jobs in the United States with $51 billion in pay and benefits each year. Furthermore, electric cooperatives contributed a staggering $554 billion to U.S. Gross Domestic Product over the five-year period.
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New Address!
As of Nov. 13, the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association will have a new home at:
6405 Century Avenue, Suite 102
Middleton, WI 53562-2200
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While there are a lot of resource links to sift through below, the newest additions are in BOLD.
Straight Talk Materials
Electric Vehicles
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MORE INFORMATION ...
LinkedIn Learning is free for all Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Each cooperative has a certain number of licenses - contact Patty Fetting for your cooperative's license allocation. Additional licenses can be purchased for $50/each. More information is available at cooperative.com >> Touchstone Energy Cooperatives >> Education. |
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Dairyland's cooperative members are looking for new team members. Click on each title to learn more about these openings! If you would like to have your cooperative's job opening posted in Current Matters, click here. |
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The recent edition of Safety Break put a spotlight on Dairyland's entire Safety Team, gives us a glimpse into the role of Work Methods Coordinator - Safety Grant Woychik and reminds readers that a successful hunt this fall is a safe hunt. |
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Dairyland Power Cooperative's offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24, for Thanksgiving. Thank you to all who will be working and on-call to keep the lights on and ovens running. We are grateful for you and your families!
Each month, Dairyland's Calendar of Events is updated to include information on meeting dates, formats and cancellations. Please forward meeting information pertinent to Dairyland staff, Board or managers to Peggy Kimani at peggy.kimani@dairylandpower.com
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Why did the turkey join the band?
Because it had the drumsticks!
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