By David Ketchen, Assistant General Manager, LELWD Littleton Electric Light & Water Department, Littleton, MA and Michael Hyland, P.E., Executive Director, Northeast Public Power Association

The NEPPA membership is an innovative savvy group of utilities. Over the years we have seen examples of innovation leadership through projects ranging from Battery storage to Solar integration, and Demand side management to electric vehicle to grid pilots. The grid in the northeast is alive and well with challenges ranging from supply limitations to demand growth projections. At each and every turn, the engineering and operations staff throughout the NEPPA community must remain on top of their game to ensure the lights stay on at a reasonable price while ensuring the safety of the public and the environmental goals of the community remains as top priorities. This sediment is in no way a proclamation that E&O staff are more important than every other employee at a utility. In fact, it’s the other way around. The E&O staffs at NEPPA utilities work in concert with all other departments to deliver a service that can change lives, fuel the local economy, and outshine our competition.

Beside my role at LELWD, I’m also involved with the NEPPA Mutual Aid Committee and the newly reformed Engineering Subcommittee. And while NEPPA’s Mutual Aid program has been in the limelight recently based on our assistance to Jacksonville and Bartow Florida after Hurricane Ian, there is also a lot happening with the Engineering Subcommittee as well. This past summer we have regrouped the Subcommittee and are indeed excited about what lies ahead. We have a nice core group of energized technical staff representing three states and looking for more volunteers. We have been working on a utility survey to begin benchmarking of utility performance indicators which we hope your utilities will participate. As a group we are developing a path forward for utility E&O personal to meet, share ideas, and maybe learn a thing or two. From manufacturing visits to meetings and webinars, we’d love to have your input. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at DKetchen@LELWD.com.

One issue that certainly has emerged within the industry is the need for recruitment on the E&O side of our business. Lineworkers and engineers are at a premium, and it’s time we worked together to recruit, mentor, and retain technical workers within the public power business model. The Engineering Subcommittee has been working alongside other groups within NEPPA to develop a Scholarship program for 2023 in addition to an internship program. If we can attract students from Middle School through University, we might be able to stem the tide of the great exodus form the work force, including the retirement of a large percentage of public power employees over the next decade. Competition for employees has never been more intense, and an internship or cooperative work opportunity at your utility could make a difference as to whether a young skilled worked comes to public power or enters a different field altogether. Please reach out to Mike Hyland at NEPPA if interested in participating in a NEPPA organized Internship Program in 2023.

I look forward to discussing all things engineering and mutual aid with you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mike or myself to get involved. It’s never too late, and there’s always room for one more.

Sincerely

Dave Ketchen and Mike Hyland

(9:00 am – 1:00 pm)

He will be speaking on Leadership...The Power of Integrity!

November 8-9, 2022

NEPPA Training Center

Littleton, MA

2:00 pm (EST)

Virtual

@Your-Site Virtual: Circuit Breakers & Relays

Andover, MA

2:00 pm (EST)

Virtual

Mystic Marriott

Groton, CT

*Please contact communications@neppa.org to be notified as soon as registration opens.

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Congress: A continuing resolution is passed without Sen. Manchin’s energy permitting reform...  

Cybersecurity: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issues an RFI to gather feedback on cyber incident reporting requirements; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issues a NOPR on advanced cybersecurity investment incentives...

Utilities included: Merrimac Municipal Light Department, Groveland Municipal Light Department, Marblehead Municipal Light Department, Middleton Municipal Electric Department, Littleton Electric Light and Water Department, Groveland Municipal Light Department, Rowley Municipal Lighting Plant, Groton Electric Light Department, Belmont Municipal Light Department, Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, Braintree Electric Light Department, Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant, Peabody Municipal Light Plant, Reading Municipal Light Department, Danvers Electric Division, Holyoke Gas & Electric Department, Chicopee Electric Light, Sterling Municipal Light Department, Holden Municipal Light Department, West Boylston Municipal Lighting Plant, Mansfield Municipal Electric Department, Norwood Municipal Light Department, Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, Town of Wallingford Electric Division and Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department.

The Mutual Aid Committee, the Regional Coordinators and our internal staff – thank all for their continued great work!

BURLINGTON, Mass. – October 4, 2022 – FirstLight Power, a leading clean provider of renewable energy and energy storage resources, today announced the expansion of the landmark municipal electric department purchase agreement with Energy New England (ENE).

Photo to right: 2022 Customer Service, Credits & Collections Conference

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