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Strategic Priority: People First
Friday is International Women's Day and Dairyland celebrates all the women in POWER who help drive the success of Dairyland's Mission every day - a few of whom are pictured above! Thank you for the expertise and dedication you bring to your roles at Dairyland, ensuring our sustainability as a critical services provider.
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Cooperative Principle #7: Concern for Community
Planning is underway for Dairyland's second annual John P. Madgett Charity Golf event, to be held on July 13 at The Grove Golf Course in Cochrane, Wis. The beneficiary of this year's event is the Waumandee-Montana-Lincoln Fire Department.
New & improved for 2024: Online registration! Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details.
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Congratulations to Josh (Telecomm. Operations) and Mary Duh on the birth of their daughter, Isabella Joan!
Isabella weighed 8 lbs.,9 ozs., and was 21 inches long at birth. She joins siblings Lucy (10), Ana (8), John (6), Ceci (4) and Dominic (2).
Congratulations to Alyssa Britton (Real Estate & ROW) and Chris Erlandson on the Feb. 21 birth of their daughter, Rosalynn Lee Erlandson! Rosalynn weighed 7 lbs., 5 ozs., and was 20 inches long at birth. She joined siblings Sidney (17), Gabriel (11) and Xabrina (9).
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Water and Waste Specialist III Brian Kalvelage has been appointed to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Waste and Materials Management Study Group. Brian's experience and participation will be an asset to the group, which provides feedback and recommendations on policy and technical issues in collaboration with WDNR staff.
Kudos also to Water and Waste Specialist III Tad Schwartzhoff, who is currently serving in his second, three-year term on the Wisconsin DNR Laboratory Certification Standards Review Council. This group provides guidance to the WDNR on lab accreditation requirements and proper analysis methods for environmental testing.
| Vice President, Strategic Growth John Carr was among national experts addressing the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition during Wisconsin Public Utility Institute's (WPUI) Transition to Clean Energy summit on March 5. | |
President & CEO Brent Ridge, EVP & CFO April Wehling, EVP & CAO Amanda Hoefling, EVP & General Counsel Joyce Peppin and Director, Member Relations & CCO Deb Mirasola attended the NRECA "Power Xchange" annual meeting this week in San Antonio. Deb was honored with the Touchstone Energy® Distinguished Service Award at the event (pictured). Click here for the award video.
Director, IT Application Services Tom Paulson was a presenter at the TechAdvantage conference, which occurs in tandem with PowerXchange. Tom presented on Dairyland's deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365.
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Photo: Dairyland Economic Development team members Jenny Kuderer-Radcliffe, Donna Walker and Craig Harmes provided program updates to member cooperative personnel.
Dairyland's semiannual Communications & Member Services meeting was held this week at the La Crescent Area Event Center. Members heard news on key accounts, economic development, Dairyland's major projects, AI best practices, load management and more. Members also received SharePoint training, provided by Gerard Lepak (IT Infrastructure) and Ellie Rundahl (Comm. & Member Services).
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Join your coworkers for cake and a Dairyland retirement celebration for Deb Mirasola (Communications & Member Services) in the Riverside Café on Thursday, March 7, at 1:30 p.m.
Celebrate Deb at the Eagle's Nest! Additionally, Deb and her husband, Joe, are hosting a retirement party on March 9 at the Eagle's Nest Sports Bar. (See details and RSVP in graphic.)
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The new Operations SharePoint Development Team seeks to evaluate the information on all Operations SharePoint sites, remove duplicate information, standardize sites and pages and provide ease of access to not only Operations personnel, but all Dairyland employees.
Operations SharePoint pages have been developed over time by various departments and SharePoint owners. Employees will continue to have access to Operations SharePoint pages during this initiative and be able to explore other departmental initiatives and news.
Meet the team: Amy Carstens, Ben Berg, Brenen Boarman, Butch Miller, Chris Gerold, Dain Wold, Diana Baker, Eric Dummer, Ethan Kiesling, Janet Cleveland, and Marty Moe. Please feel free to contact any team member with questions or suggestions.
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PREPAREDNESS: ELRP DRILL WITH MEMBERS TRAINS FOR SYSTEM EVENT |  | |
Strategic Priority: Asset Reliability & Diversification
Photo at left: Dairyland Dispatcher Chad Kurszewski contacts member cooperatives to share current conditions during Tuesday's ELRP drill.
Dairyland and member cooperative personnel conducted the annual Emergency Load Reduction Plan (ELRP) drill on Tuesday in the recently modernized System Operations Center (SOC) at the Administration Building.
The purpose of the five-hour drill is to support reliability through preparedness by simulating implementation of the ELRP as a learning experience for Dairyland and member cooperative staff. As a critical service provider, Dairyland is responsible for the safe and reliable supply of electricity to our members. Lessons learned increase our hands-on familiarity with the ELRP and help ensure the plan will be utilized as effectively as possible if a major system event were to occur.
The drill scenario, created by SOC Coordinator Chad Hagen, began by describing system conditions developing out of what MISO called an Arctic Event. Extremely cold temperatures spawned forced outages of natural gas generating units within the MISO reliability footprint. Higher than forecasted load contributed to the capacity issues.
Following that “backstory,” Dairyland dispatchers contacted member cooperative drill participants to suggest they prepare to implement their co-op’s load reduction plan. "The plan assumes that each cooperative contacted will implement their ELRP with the goal of 25 percent total load reduction through rotating distribution feeder curtailments," said Chad. "Cooperatives either deployed field personnel for the drill or conducted a tabletop simulation and review of their load reduction plan."
Cooperatives are asked to report any difficulties encountered with the load reduction plan immediately to Dairyland Dispatch, as they would in a real event. The scenario then calls for MISO directing Dairyland to end load shedding, resulting in the conclusion of the ELRP drill for member cooperatives.
Communications & PR Specialist Ellie Rundahl led messaging between Dairyland and the member cooperatives, simulating a real event by sharing media alerts, talking points and updated conditions.
All participants complete a post-drill evaluation to identify strategies that worked well and opportunities for improvement. As we look to continuously improve the effectiveness of this drill, Dairyland's communications plan for energy emergency events is being expanded to provide additional resources to our members and ensure a better understanding of our relationship with MISO.
| MILESTONE: G-3 DEMOLITION EVENT | |
Strategic Priority: Asset Reliability & Diversification
Weather permitting, the demolition of the 500-foot stack and main building of Dairyland’s retired Genoa Station #3 power plant is scheduled to occur the morning of Tuesday, March 19. This is a major milestone in the final decommissioning and dismantlement of G-3 as part of Dairyland’s energy transition plans.
Event coverage: Dairyland will be streaming the event live on Facebook and has contracted with Elevate Media for drone footage. Stay tuned for details!
Public safety: Hwy. 35 will be closed briefly to motorists in proximity to Dairyland’s Genoa Site. Officials from the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department will oversee the closure.
Please note that the date and time of the demolition is weather-dependent. It is possible that the demolition could be delayed for hours or potentially days if Mother Nature does not cooperate with our plans.
Project Background: Dairyland’s Genoa Station #3 coal-fired 345 MW power plant was retired on June 1, 2021, following 52 years of providing safe, reliable power to the region. Dismantlement and decommissioning of G-3 has since proceeded safely and in full compliance with regulatory requirements. Dairyland is contracting with Veit Co. on the demolition and removal.
| NEW! EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS | |
Strategic Priority: People First
In recognition of World Engineering Day (March 4) and International Women’s Day (March 8), Dairyland will be piloting two new employee resource groups in the coming months. The Engineering Dairyland Interest Group (DIG) will be focused on networking and development for Operations Division individuals with an engineering background, while the Women in Energy DIG will be dedicated to professional development for women at Dairyland and in the energy industry. The pilot initiative is being launched by Organizational Development. Participation is open to all employees as part of professional development.
These two groups will launch in April and June and further details will be announced closer to the launch dates. Questions? Please contact [email protected].
| CATCH UP... ON GOOD CATCHES | |
Strategic Priority: Safety Culture
All employees can review Dairyland's library of Good Catch submissions by clicking here.
The Good Catch Program expanded on March 1 to include submissions for the following categories:
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Safe: Recognition of an unsafe condition, action, or defect that could lead to potential injury if not addressed
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Reliable: Recognition of a condition, action or defect that could negatively impact the reliable operation of our assets if not addressed
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Cost-Effective: Recognition of a condition, action or defect that will reduce or avoid unnecessary cost or risk exposure
See Director, Safety & HR Elizabeth Ressie's March 1 email to all employees for details on the revised Good Catch Program. Submit a Good Catch here.
What's a Good Catch? It is a recognition of an event or circumstance that had the potential to cause property damage, injury/illness, compliance issue or could have had detrimental impact to the employees and/or the organization. Good catch data is a leading indicator, which assists us in being proactive and preventative.
| VOLTWRITE TECHNIQUE: QUALITY INPUT FOR QUALITY OUTPUT | |
Strategic Priority: Growth & Innovation
As we integrate VoltWrite into our daily operations, it's essential to understand that the key to leveraging this powerful tool lies in the art of creating quality prompts. A well-structured prompt can lead to high-quality content generation.
Here are several strategies for crafting prompts that will ensure you get the best results from VoltWrite or any other generative AI tools:
Be Clear and Specific: Ambiguity can lead VoltWrite down a rabbit hole of irrelevant content. For instance, rather than asking for “a report on sales,” specify “a monthly sales report for product X comparing Q1 and Q2 in 2023.”
Provide Context: Context helps to narrow down the scope and tailor the content more accurately to your needs. For example: "Draft an article comparing dairy-free alternatives that details industry trends, consumer preferences and future growth potential."
Set Your Tone and Style: The tone can change the entire feel of your output. You could prompt "write an informative blog on lactose intolerance," or "write a light-hearted blog on living with lactose intolerance."
Include Input Limitations: If there are strict boundaries your content must not cross, define them. "Create an ad campaign for our new yogurt product that adheres to family-friendly content guidelines."
Dairyland example: “Draft an informative content piece highlighting Dairyland Power Cooperative's commitment to renewable energy, tailored for eco-conscious consumers in the age bracket of 25-35 who prioritize sustainability in their energy choices.”
Stay tuned for an email from VP & CIO Nate Melby on an upcoming AI learning session!
| JOIN DAIRYLAND'S FIRST MARCH MADNESS BRACKET CHALLENGE | |
Strategic Priority: People First
Dairyland is excited to announce our inaugural March Madness bracket challenge for employees! Whether you're a die-hard NCAA fan or just love a bit of friendly rivalry, this tournament is for everyone in Dairyland. Here's what you need to know:
It’s All About Participation and Fun
You do not have to be a basketball guru to join in the fun. The Dairyland March Madness Tournament is about bringing us together, fostering camaraderie and enjoying a piece of the action. Whether you’re rooting for the NCAA Women's Basketball teams or cheering on the Men's, there's a place for everyone in this challenge.
Fantastic Prizes: If your bracket-busting skills are top-notch, you could find yourself finishing anywhere from first to third place – and guess what? There’s a prize waiting for you. And in a twist that keeps things interesting until the very end, even if your picks don’t pan out and you finish last, there’s a prize for that, too!
1st place: A $100 Fanatics Gift Card or WorkTango account points
2nd place: A $50 voucher to Dairyland's Apparel Store
3rd place: $25 worth of WorkTango points (2,500 points)
Last place: You won't go home empty-handed; embrace the title of "most optimistic" with your very own Moogawatt the Cow!
Bracket links & important dates: Fill out your Dairyland bracket for the Women's tournament here and the Men's here and submit by March 19! Selection Sunday opens March 17 to register, but you can create an account early. Questions? Contact Asia Parkhurst (Organizational Development).
New to the bracket challenge concept? Click here for a how-to.
Safety First: A Note on Security
For Dairyland system security and compliance, refrain from using your Dairyland email or issued phone when downloading any NCAA-related apps. Please use your personal email account for your bracket.
| LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: ENERGY MARKET COURSE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES | |
Strategic Priority: People First
As part of Dairyland's Leadership Academy, employees are encouraged to register for Get to Know Dairyland from the Inside Out – Energy Market Overview, held on March 7 or March 12. Leadership Academy provides Dairylanders with learning opportunities to promote and cultivate a culture of development, growth and innovation. Click here for more information on the energy market course.
| YOU FIRST: WEEKLY WELLNESS NEWS | |
March You First Focus: Financial Wellness
Wellness is a concept that has found its way into more and more corners of American life. At its heart, wellness is about adopting practices – like exercising more and eating healthfully – that help you live a better life.
These practices can also help you improve your financial life, under the rubric of “financial wellness.” This concept is about changing financial behaviors and adopting more effective money habits to secure financial stability and financial freedom. - Forbes
Visit the Understanding Financial Wellness article to learn more.
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Congratulations to Lyndsey Finley, winner of the February You First Reading Challenge! Lyndsey is pictured with her new Kindle, a great prize.
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