May 2026

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

By Mike Hyland

Executive Director, NEPPA

I have been told, more than once, that I’m not the world’s best communicator. In fact – if you ask my wife Colleen, she will confirm it’s true (and she reminds me often). Good Memory? Yep – mine is very good. Work ethic? Yes – I have that in spades. Willing to roll up my sleeves and get dirty? Yes, I love it. Ability to communicate successes and failures? ... Hmm... ah... eh… not great.

It’s not that I don’t want to be a great communicator, but I have a problem. In my head I think I tell people what I’m doing or what my ideas are – only to find out later that I’ve told no one. A common reaction from my family or work colleagues is "Holy Heck – why didn’t you tell me?". I stand there surprised and sometimes think no one listened to me in the first place. In reality – I’m talking to people in my head and never mentioned a word out of my mouth. 

So – I want to talk about what’s been going on a NEPPA. I might have told you all the great things in play (or maybe I didn’t). At the risk of being duplicative – here we go!

Let’s start with Substations. We changed things up over the past year in our Substation 1 and Substation 2 classes. We worked with the Northwest Lineman’s College to review their curriculum and add some of that to the NEPPA Substation classes. Thanks to NEPPA’s Manager of Safety & Training, Codie Perry, and NEPPA’s Technical Trainer, John Lanciani, for running that to ground. One of Mr. Lanciani’s requests (well, maybe a demand) was to deliver more hands-on training for the classes. Thus - we have a new (slightly used) substation, which was energized at a local site in Devens, MA and just a week later full of students in NEPPA’s Substation 1 Class. The guys from LELWD worked to make all this happen almost seamlessly. 

And how about some other new classes that seem to be making an impact. We offered the Customer Service 101: Basics of Electricity Operations & Customer De-Escalation class here at NEPPA’s facility a few times and it went over well. Due to its success and word of mouth, some utilities wanted all their employees to sit in on this class but couldn't have all employees leave the utility at one time to travel to NEPPA. Thus – we have now offered this class as part of our NEPPA @ your-site training. At least two, maybe three, NEPPA members have taken us up on this and the evaluations have been very good! 

Last year we teamed up with Ed and Marcie Carpetner to offer their Chainsaw Safety for Operations course here at NEPPA to a sold-out group of 24 students. In July we are holding Chainsaw Safety again to another sold-out crowd. Let us know if you have some employees interested and we will arrange another offering if we can get at least 12 students!

Let's talk about Hot Line Work. Codie has put together a new 2-day course that we are offering May 27-28th at the training center entitled “Hot Work Essentials”. If there’s one thing I do say out loud all the time it is how passionate Codie is about teaching and safety. He has arranged for two senior safety instructors to help him deliver on such an important topic – Kenny Rollins and Mike Pazzanese. 

So, how’s your driving these days? Could be better (like mine), I’m sure. It seems to me that more cars are on the road than I can remember. With this comes more frustration. More road rage? Well, Codie is now a National Safety Council Defensive Driving Instructor. Woot!! We just piloted our 4-to-5-hour Defensive Driving course last week at NEPPA’s facility, and we are ready to roll it out. We will be offering it as an @ your site course. Thanks to Nichole Magnifico at PURMA for pushing us to make this happen! I sat in on the course, and although I’ve aged a bit and become calmer, I must admit - I still experience some road rage while driving in Boston and DC traffic. I learned some excellent tips on how to keep my driving under control. A simple fact – on average, 100 people will die today in vehicle accidents. 100 every day!

I might have told you that we are holding our 4th Annual Mutual Aid Disaster Exercise. But then again, I probably didn’t. On June 10th we will again review the NEPPA Mutual Aid program and how our program ties into the other regional systems and the National Mutual Aid program operated through APPA. In 2023 we covered Hurricane Donald, a remake of the 1950 Hurricane Donna. In 2024 we covered Winter Storm Hannah – a mixture of some of the worst snow and ice storms in the past 30 years. Last year we had Codie’s Chaos, a scenario based on the 1953 Worcester Tornado. What are we presenting on June 10th? Now that’s a secret worth keeping. However, David Ketchen, Chair of the NEPPA Engineering Subcommittee, and Northeast Region Coordinator of the NEPPA Mutual Aid program will be making a presentation about his recent work over in Saipan. You won’t want to miss that!

Cheers,

-Mike 

Upcoming Training & Events

Recapping the RodE&O!

Winners Announced for the 18th Annual Lineworker's Rodeo at NEPPA's 2026 RodE&O Conference

May 12, 2026 – Lincoln, NH – 21 teams competed last Tuesday at NEPPA’s Lineworker’s Rodeo, to kick off our RodE&O Conference and Expo at Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, NH. Family, friends, vendors and supporters watched as teams took on 6 different events throughout the day, showcasing their skills and their commitment to safety. 50% of competitors this year were apprentice lineworkers, actively enrolled in NEPPA’s 4-year apprentice lineworker program. NEPPA holds this event annually in May and it continues to grow, with over 300 attendees at Loon this year. This multi-day conference includes not only the rodeo competition, but educational sessions, networking events, a golf tournament to benefit NEPPA’s Benevolent Fund and a vendor expo with 50+ industry partners exhibiting.

We are proud to announce the following Competition Results below: 

Hurtman Rescue: 1st Place - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

Transformer Changeout: 1st Place - Hudson Light and Power Department

Obstacle Course: 1st Place - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

Guy Wire Installation: 1st Place - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

4kV Angle Deadend Insulator Changeout: 1st Place - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

Pole Climb with Bag: 1st Place - New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

Overall Winners: 

1st Place Overall - Reading Municipal Light Department

2nd Place Overall - Vermont Electric Cooperative 

3rd Place Overall - Hudson Light and Power Department


Below are the Robert "Henny" Henriksen Mutual Aid Service Award Recipients for 2026:

Dan Flynn (Wakefield Gas and Electric / NEPPA)
Kevin Snow (Groveland Municipal Light Department)
Dana Sullivan (Taunton Municipal Light Plant)

We are always looking to get feedback on our events so we can use it to improve them going forward. Please click below and let us know the good, bad and the ugly!

IT Roundtable



June 2, 2026

8:30 am - 1:00 pm

NEPPA Training Center

Littleton, MA

Tactical Tuesday



June 9, 2026

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Held Virtually

(Free to members)

Topic: Modern Substation Automation 

Mutual Aid Disaster Exercise



June 10, 2026

8:00 am - 3:00 pm

NEPPA Training Center

Littleton, MA

Apprentice Lineworker Rodeo



June 17-18, 2026

NEPPA Training Center

Littleton, MA

Cybersecurity Course 
(Hosted by NEPPA on behalf of NCPC)

July 14-16, 2026


(Tues-Wed) 
8:00 am - 2:30 pm 
& 
(Thurs) 
8:00 am - 12:00 pm

NEPPA Training Center

Littleton, MA

In The News

Our Members Support Us From the Ground Up

Thank you to the following utilities who responded to our call for pole donations for our training yard. We are so grateful for their investment in our apprentices!

There is still time to donate! Email training@neppa.org if you have a pole or two to spare. You can be sure that our students will get a lot of use out of it.

We are Hiring! 
Come Join the NEPPA Team 
as our new Program Scheduling Specialist

NEW JOB: POSTED 5/18/26 - PROGRAM SCHEDULING SPECIALIST (FULL TIME) The Program Scheduling Specialist supports NEPPA’s Administrative, Finance, Safety & Training staff in the planning and delivering of the Association’s programs. The Specialist is responsible for most administrative tasks, including scheduling, correspondence, preparation of materials, and maintenance of student records. Location: 200 New Estate Rd, Littleton, Massachusetts.

HG&E’s LNG Infrastructure & Resiliency Project Approved

April 27, 2026 - Holyoke, MA - Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) announced that the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) has issued its Final Decision approving HG&E’s LNG Infrastructure & Resiliency Project, with conditions, on April 24, 2026. This milestone represents a significant step forward in strengthening the reliability and resilience of the City’s natural gas system while supporting long-term community and economic development needs. The LNG Infrastructure & Resiliency Project is designed to enhance system reliability during peak demand and extreme weather events by upgrading critical infrastructure, including the installation of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank. The project aims to ensure HG&E can continue delivering safe, reliable, and competitive energy services to residents and businesses.

Read More

ENE’s Chief Strategy Officer Meets with Maine State Senator to Discuss Role of Legislature and Impact on Customer-Owned Utilities

April 17, 2026 -- Energy New England’s Chief Strategy Officer Vin Ragucci recently met with Maine State Senator Brad Farrin for a productive discussion on the role of the Legislature and its impact on customer-owned utilities as public power entities are known in Maine. 

As ENE’s client base in Maine continues to grow, it is expanding its legislative and regulatory relationships to better support client needs. Also, part of the conversation included Scott Noyes of MC2 Energy Services who spoke about data center assistance and their microgrid concepts.

“The meeting provided a great opportunity to connect, exchange perspectives, and continue building a strong, collaborative dialogue moving forward,” Energy New England noted.

Read More

From left to right: Maine State Senator Brad Farrin, Vin Ragucci, Scott Noyes and David Wilby of Wilby Associates (Photo courtesy of Energy New England, on behalf of APPA)

Keeping you Connected... Events & Opportunities

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If you want to advertise, please click below or visit: https://reserveyourad.com/NEPPA/

If you have any questions, please contact an E&M sales associate at 800-572-0011 ext. 0104 or advertising@eandmsales.com. As always, your support is greatly appreciated!

Legislative Update

Federal Funding: DHS Shutdown Ends as Reconciliation Moves Forward; White House Releases FY27 Budget Request; Energy Sec. Wright Testifies on FY27 DOE Budget Request  

Congressional Actions: Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Data Center Legislation 

Administration Actions: President Trump Invokes Defense Production Act for Energy Sectors; FERC Reveals Timeline for Large Load Interconnection ANOPR

Read More in this Month's Legislative Update

Upcoming Training & Events



Hot Work Essentials SOLD OUT

May 27-28, 2026

7:30 am - 2:30 pm

Littleton, MA

IT Roundtable

June 2, 2026

8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Littleton, MA

Tactical Tuesday (Virtual)
June 9, 2026
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Held virtually

Mutual Aid Disaster Exercise

June 10, 2026

8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Littleton, MA

APPA's National Conference
June 26 - July 1, 2026
Boston, MA

Chainsaw Safety for Utility Operations SOLD OUT

July 8, 2026

8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Littleton, MA

Cybersecurity in a Resource Constrained Environment for Public and Rural Utilities
July 14-16, 2026

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Littleton, MA

Tactical Tuesday (Virtual)
July 14, 2026
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Held virtually

2026 Annual Conference*

August 16 - 19, 2026

Margaritaville Resort
Hyannis, MA

(PUMP) Public Utility Management Program SOLD OUT

April 14-16, 2026

September 9, 2026 (Virtual)

September 23, 2026 (Virtual)

October 27-29, 2026
8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Littleton, MA

Energy Connect Conference*
September 29 - October 1
Hilton Mystic
Mystic, CT

2027 Annual Conference*

August 29 - September 1, 2027

Newport Harbor Island Resort
Newport, RI

*Registration not yet available.

See All Events

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Our Seasonal "Bucket Brief" 
Brought to you by NEPPA's Safety Committee

Keeping Lineworker Crews in the Safety Mindset 
with Key Reminders and Resources

JOB BOARD

PAST ISSUES

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Northeast Public Power Association | communications@neppa.org | www.neppa.org