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I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere….
By Mike Hyland
Executive Director, NEPPA
Many of you might know these two lines from a song that’s become quite popular over the years. A good number of you might even be able to identify the performer most known for the song, Johnny Cash (with his 1996 version). The song been used in various commercials, probably most notably a 2022 US Postal Service TV ad. But, like most things, there is more to know about this song.
The original version of the song was written by Australian writer Geoff Mack in 1959 and made popular by Australian singer Lucky Starr. Funny enough, it did not originally mention any North American towns like the version we tap along to due to the USPS commercial. Instead, Mack was writing about all the towns he visited in Australia, such as those mentioned in verse one of the original: Mooloolaba, Nambour, Maroochydore, Murwillumbah, Cunnamulla, Ulladulla, and Gin Gin.
It would probably throw you off to hear Johnny Cash reminisce about visiting those towns, as you dance around your living room! It was in 1962, that Canadian signer Hank Snow made the North American version of the song. Over the years, a large number of North Americans have recorded their own versions of the song, from Asleep at the Wheel to the Statler Brothers and more. Crazy Fact: there is a version of the song about Finland, Thailand, Canada, the State of Texas and even a parody made during the Covid -19 pandemic titled ‘I’ve been nowhere’.
I too sometimes feel that ‘I’ve been everywhere’. For some reason in 2025, although I intended to travel less, I found myself on the road at a furious pace. In the most recent 40 days, I’ve attended two funerals (both in New Jersey), two weddings (both in Pennsylvania), the PURMA meeting (in Connecticut), TAPS (in Vermont), and most recently the NEPPA Fly-in (in Washington, DC). It might not be Mooloolaba or Gin Gin, but I feel like a road warrior.
NEPPA’s Fly-in to DC is always worth reporting on and this time wasn’t an exception. Heck, the government is shut down! This might be the first time we have found ourselves in the halls of the Senate and House while many things were not open. So, what was different? Did we have any effect versus years when the city was bustling? Hmmm – here’s my observations.
- Each group of buildings only had one cafeteria open. I know, not a big deal. But think about it – it’s like the convenient lunch shop across the street from your work being closed, and you have to walk ½ a mile to a different one. Did we have access to food – yes and although it wasn't as convenient, it beat eating trail mix or power bars to fuel up for the long days.
- Many of the entry points to the buildings were not open, so it was important to get there early and know which door was allowing people in through the metal detectors. A fun anecdote: at one point I was running from the Senate side (after meeting with Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy’s Staff) over to the House side (to meet with New Hampshire’s Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas). I was leaving Team Justice and jumping on Team Freedom for those two meetings since I live in Nashua. I needed to get into the Cannon House building but only one entry point was open out of the normal four at Cannon. What was confusing is that the one open entry point had a sign on the door that said, “Closed Due to Shut down”. About 10 good-hearted people like me (not with NEPPA) walked around the city block building twice before we finally figured it out. The positive? – I got "my steps" in. The negative? – I was sweating like a pig in my suit for the meeting.
- The staffers that were in the offices went out of their way to meet with us. They truly understand what’s at stake in DC, and act accordingly. For one of the first meetings on day one we were standing in the Rayburn House office building hallway, outside Representative Stephen Lynch’s office. It was 9:28am, the meeting was scheduled to start at 9:30am and the door was locked. Just then, a young staffer in jeans and athletic shoes, holding a coffee in one hand and wearing a backpack with keys in the other hand hustles down the hall, opens the door, welcomes us in. Within 60 seconds they are listening to us discuss NEPPA’s issues in a side conference room. He cared and made us feel we were important.
- Although Congress must work during a shut down and even gets paid, it’s not the same for the staffers. Some office chiefs of staff are paid, while others are furloughed or work without pay. The security personnel at the doors are in the same position, some work with pay, some with out, and some stay home. Same for the janitorial, the cafeteria, and every other job that makes our federal government work.
- Agencies were pretty much ‘unmeetable’. (Is that even a word?) DOE, FERC, etc. are not under the same rules as Congress. For the most part, they are shutdown to us. They might perform duties in the critical and essential services areas. However, they are short staffed and so having a bunch of Hobby-ists come in for meetings is not a high priority on their radars.
- The mood - Well, that always depends on what office you are meeting with, and I don’t think the shutdowns change that. I will admit that this time around, all staffers seem frustrated – but then again, it’s the first time we were talking to them in a shutdown. When I worked in DC, I was one of the more vocal folks for the need to decrease the size of many of the agencies. I saw waste everyday. When I moved to DC in 1996, I was a young (okay – maybe better to say I was a "younger") engineer and could not believe the number of people that didn’t do much at many agencies. I lived in the DMV, coached the DMV employee kids for 25 years, held BBQ’s with agency staff at my house, and always said to myself "Dang…we need to do something about this"... but this was different.
- The difference - Finding efficiency and performing the same (or better) with less is always a goal. Heck, I was taught this in most engineering classes. We also talk about this in our utilities – same light produced by less watts, great idea! Same meter reads with less costs thru AMI - Super-duper! I could go on, but the shutdown doesn’t equate to energy efficiency. It equates to demand destruction. When our utilities have to turn off customers due to the lack of power supply or transmission access – we have failed as a society. Same goes for a shut down. When the hard-working folks on both sides of the aisle aren’t sure of getting their paychecks, paying their bill or what their professional futures hold, shame on us. Another failure in our society.
Was the NEPPA Fly-in a success? Absolutely, Yes - and looking back we probably received more attention than we normally would have. But…at what cost? Relating this to our utility world. It’s like: cool – we saved money on not having to pay power supply, but, then realizing our customers were out of power, not cool.
Whether it’s Johnny Cash, Lucky Starr or Rob Zombie singing about where they’ve been, I’m quite glad we all went to Washington, DC. Many thanks to Ken, John, Tom, Kate, Michael, Dave, Adam, Jim, and Josh. You all rock and carry the NEPPA message so well.
Just not sure I want to travel with you to Mooloolaba.
Cheers,
-Mike
| | Celebrating 2025 Public Power Week | | Pictured above: the customer service team from Ipswich Municipal Light Department, promoting public power week in their community (...and sporting their NEPPA Benevolent Fund gear proudly) | | |
HAPPY PUBLIC POWER WEEK - From Oct. 5-11, approximately 2,000 community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities from across the United States celebrate Public Power Week.
Reliable, safe, affordable electricity is what public power is about, and it’s what our member utilities deliver 24 hours a day/seven days a week. They are all working with one purpose: powering strong communities. It’s important to tell our communities why public power is the right choice and share the immense sense of pride that we feel in our purpose: providing safe, reliable, affordable, sustainable, and customer focused service to our community.
Every department at our member utilities plays a key role in keeping our communities up and running daily. From human resources to accounting and finance, public relations to administration, and field supervision to engineering and operations, every single person can – and must – be counted on.
| | Upcoming Training & Events | | | | |
Energy Connect Conference
October 21-23, 2025
The Verve Hotel
Natick, MA
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NEPPA's 60th Anniversary Celebration
November 3, 2025
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
(Free Event)
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Tactical Tuesday
November 11, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Held Virtually &
Free to NEPPA Members
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Annual Membership Meeting & Apprentice Graduation
December 4, 2025
7:30 am - 2:00 pm
AC Marriott, Worcester, MA
Member Only Event
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PR Bootcamp
December 11, 2025
8:30 am - 2:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
| | |
Substation II Program (Session IV)
November 18 – November 21, 2025
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Littleton, MA
60th Anniversary Celebration
November 3, 2025
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
Annual Membership Meeting
December 4, 2025
7:30 am - 2:00 pm
AC Marriott Hotel
Worcester, MA
Tactical Tuesday (Virtual)
December 9, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
PR Bootcamp
December 11, 2025
8:30 am - 2:00 pm
NEPPA Training Center
Littleton, MA
2026 Annual Conference*
August 16 - 19, 2026
Margaritaville Resort
Hyannis, MA
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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2026 Apprentice Lineworker Program
Year I:
Group A: Jan. 27 – 30; Mar. 31 – Apr. 3; Jul. 21 – Jul 24; Sept. 29 – Oct 2
Group B: Feb. 3 – 6; Apr. 7 – 10; July 28-31; Oct. 6 – 9
Year II:
Group A: Feb. 10 – 13; Apr. 21 – 24 (Plymouth, NH); Aug. 4 – 7; Oct. 20 – 23
Group B: Feb. 17 – 20; Apr. 28 – May 1 (Plymouth, NH); Aug. 11 – 14; Oct. 27 – 30
Year III:
Group A: Mar. 3 -6; May 5 – 8; Sept. 1 – 4 (Pascoag, RI); Nov. 3 – 6
Group B: Mar. 10-13; May 19 – 22; Sept. 15 – 18 (Pascoag, RI); Nov. 17 – 20
Year IV: Mar. 17 – 20; Jun. 2 – 5; Sep. 22 – 25; Dec. 1 – 3
Program Make-ups
June 23 – Hands-on (for years 1 and 2)
June 24 – Hands-on (for years 3 and 4)
November 9 – Hands-on (for years 1 and 2)
November 10 – Hands-on (for years 3 and 4)
-For written exam make-ups please contact NEPPA directly to schedule.
Apprentice Lineworker Program Graduation
(Class of 2026)
December 3, 2026
Learn More
| | Federal Funding: Congress fails to pass government funding stopgap measure; The House passes FY26 Energy and Water appropriations bill… | | FERC: FERC approves new grid reliability standards; FERC nominees pass out of committee… | | Energy Department: DOE issues a request for information on its Speed to Power Initiative; Energy Secretary Wright announces the cancellation of $13B in unobligated clean energy project funds… | | Jon Blair Chosen to Lead Marblehead Municipal Light Department as New General Manager | | |
September 29, 2025 - Marblehead, MA - The Marblehead Municipal Light Commission unanimously voted to enter into an employment contract with Jon Blair as MMLD's new General Manager with an effective start date of Monday, September 29, 2025.
A North Shore native, Jon began his career as a Submarine Officer in the United States Navy, supporting multiple deployments in engineering and operations roles aboard USS DALLAS. He subsequently joined the Ipswich Electric Light Department as Operations Manager in 2016 before advancing to General Manager where he served from 2017 through 2023.
| | | Island Time is Work Time for
New Hampshire Electric Co-Op | | |
October 3, 2025 - Alton, NH - For most, a trip to the islands on New Hampshire’s lakes is the perfect getaway. Not so for Co-op lineworkers. We provide power to some of the most rural and hard-to-reach places in the state.
That translates to island work becoming its own specialty. Craggy and hilly terrain. An inability to access the utility lines with bucket trucks — the mainland’s mainstays — requires intense physical labor with a certain edge of gymnastic agility as climbing is the only way up. Not to mention navigating the weather-dependent lakes – Winnipesaukee and Squam – in pontoons.
Since the early 1960s, the Co-op, the only member-owned utility in New Hampshire, has been serving island members. Alton and Meredith districts perform the majority of island work, with the Plymouth district serving a small number of island homes. When our lineworkers are on the islands, they handle the same jobs as on the mainland – connections, maintenance and outage restorations — to keep the power on for more than 1,000 homes located on more than 50 different islands. They just plan and approach the tasks differently. Additionally, our Alton and Meredith districts have boats so the lineworkers in those districts are required to have commercial boat licenses.
| | Third Taxing District Donates $5,000
to Support Norwalk Tree Alliance’s Mission
to Plant 53,000 Trees | | Pictured above: A $5,000 donation from the Third Taxing district to Norwalk Tree Alliance, from left to Right. Erica Joyce, Executive Assistant; Jeff Scherr, Norwalk Tree Alliance; Ron Scofield, Assistant General Manager; Kevin Barber, General Manager | | |
September 8, 2025 - Norwalk, CT- The Norwalk Tree Alliance is proud to announce a generous $5,000 donation from the Third Taxing District (TTD), underscoring the district’s commitment to both reliable power and a greener community.
The donation was presented to Jeff Scherr, President of the Norwalk Tree Alliance, by TTD representatives Kevin Barber, General Manager; Ron Scofield, Assistant General Manager; and Erica Joyce, Executive Assistant.
“Utilities and trees have not always been thought of as partners,” said Scherr. “But TTD understands that healthy trees planted in the right places benefit everyone — by avoiding conflicts with wires and waterlines while cooling homes, reducing energy costs, and improving our city’s quality of life.”
Why It Matters: Norwalk faces a shortage of more than 53,000 trees needed to restore canopy coverage, reduce summer heat, and protect local air and water quality. Every tree planted must be placed carefully to grow strong and safe for decades.
“Supporting the Norwalk Tree Alliance is an investment in a cooler, healthier, and more resilient Norwalk,” said Kevin Barber, General Manager of TTD. “Trees reduce demand on our electrical grid by naturally cooling homes and neighborhoods. We are proud to support this important mission.”
| | Keeping you Connected... Events & Opportunities | | American Public Power Association's Annual Conference Coming to Boston, MA in 2026 | | |
When: June 26 - July 1, 2026
Where: Boston, MA (Conference location and hotel TBD)
About the National Conference
The APPA National Conference is your time to reconnect, recharge, and power up for the future at the nation’s premier gathering of public power leaders. Join us and explore how changing policy, technology, and lifestyles are reshaping the energy industry and how that impacts your community. Engage with visionaries and experts, exchange strategies and solutions with other public power leaders and policymakers, and discover tools for your future success. Join us to plug in to the experience, innovation, and leadership of your national public power community.
Who Should Attend
Connect with public power’s leaders for ideas and insights at the National Conference:
- General managers and CEOs
- Senior managers, rising stars and future leaders
- Mayors
- Governing board members
- City council members
- Policy and strategy makers
- Industry partners and vendors
- Consultants and subject matter experts
| | | | Hierarchy of Hazard Controls | |
October 2025 - Elimination is the most effective hazard control method as the hazard is physically removed from the workplace. Eliminating tasks performed in high areas would eliminate falls, for instance, while performing linework if feasible de-energize the line test and ground this will remove the hazard and the employees can perform the task in a controlled manner. While effective, eliminating hazards is not always possible. Many pieces of electrical equipment carry the risk of arc flash. If so, the other types of control measures on the hierarchy offer solutions.
Read More
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