Siemens Energy, Intermountain Power Agency partner on hydrogen energy storage system study
March 3, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 3, 2021
Siemens Energy has teamed up with Intermountain Power Agency to perform a conceptual design study on integrating a hydrogen energy storage system into an advanced class combined cycle power plant, Siemens Energy said on March 1.
The project has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, one of four funding awards received by Siemens Energy in late 2020 to advance hydrogen applications in the U.S. power generation sector.
The study is set to begin in March at the 840-MW Intermountain Generating Station in Delta, Utah. The goal of this study is to analyze the overall efficiency and reliability of CO2-free power supply involving large-scale production and storage of hydrogen.
In addition, the study will analyze aspects of integrating the system into an existing power plant and transmission grid, such as the interaction with subsystems, sizing and costs.
“The study will be designed around Siemens Energy’s Silyzer technology, which uses electrolysis to generate hydrogen. The scope of our research will include hydrogen compression, storage and intelligent plant controls,” said Tim Holt, executive board member at Siemens Energy, in a statement.
The Intermountain Generating Station is transitioning from coal to natural gas, with plans to integrate 30% hydrogen fuel at start-up in 2025 and 100% hydrogen by 2045. The project is to provide 840 MW of electricity to customers in Utah and Southern California.
“By switching from coal to a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen we can reduce carbon emissions by more than 75%,” said Dan Eldredge, general manager of Intermountain Power Agency, in a statement. “We are committed to being a leader in the transition to a clean energy future while taking advantage of the significant energy infrastructure already in place at the Intermountain Power Project. This study will help pave the way for the successful transition to net-zero carbon power generation.”
Sevier County Electric System’s Robbins details leadership lessons, highlights key projects
March 3, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 3, 2021
In a Q&A with Public Power Current, Allen Robbins, General Manager and CEO at Sevier County Electric System in Tennessee, discusses leadership lessons, highlights projects underway (including a large scale solar project) and details what he sees as the biggest challenges facing the utility and the broader public power community in the next five to 10 years.
Public Power Current: In your book, “Trial By Fire,” you detail how Sevier County Electric System in late 2016 had to unexpectedly deal with a sudden, unexpected surge of wildfires. You had only been General Manager of the electric system for four months.
Can you describe how Sevier County Electric System was able to successfully respond to these wildfires and what leadership lessons you drew from the experience?
Robbins: It was perseverance and intestinal fortitude of the employees of Sevier County Electric System that contributed most to our response to the Gatlinburg Wildfires.
I was promoted to General Manager on August 9, 2016 but I did not become the leader of Sevier County Electric System until November 28, 2016.
In the span of 12 hours I was making decisions with our line personnel I never imagined having to make. In times past the final decision making was left with someone else. Now the buck stopped with me.
During the chaos of this tragic event I had to display a calm and focused demeanor no matter how I was truly feeling on the inside. Hopelessness and inadequacy crept into my psyche but I quickly suppressed those thoughts and feelings because failure was not an option. Thank God that I had two things going for me, an outstanding staff and three predecessors that expressed solid foundational leadership skills that I was able to draw on. All three visited with me at different times offering their support.
The one thing they all said was none of us has ever experienced anything of this magnitude and that this will definitely make me a better manager. So to George Seaton, Howard Murrell and Rick Harrell I thank you for leadership and positive influences you had on me.
Public Power Current: The recent extreme weather events in Texas and elsewhere have highlighted reliability and power grid issues for utilities. Can you discuss some recent examples of how Sevier County Electric System has successfully responded to power outages caused by weather?
Robbins: On December 23, 2020 we had a volatile windstorm that resulted in multiple small outages throughout the day. Then on December 24, 2020 we had a snowstorm that brought 8” of snow to the lower areas of our service territory but much more in the higher elevations that include the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The two major challenges we had, aside from the snowstorm, was the Christmas Holiday and COVID-19.
First and foremost, what helped us in our response that turned a 7 to 10-day outage event into a 4 to 5 day event was the relationships with other public power utilities both in the Tennessee Valley and the Southeast Region.
The mutual aid agreements we have in place with TVPPA and APPA are so beneficial to a utility in need. It takes a lot of stress out of acquiring help.
Another important measure that we have put in place to help mitigate a Texas issue in Sevier County is on August 23, 2019, we signed the Long Term Partnership agreement with TVA to further ensure equitable rates and stability for our customers for many years to come.
Public Power Current: Are there specific projects underway at Sevier County Electric System that you would like to highlight?
Robbins: Sevier County is known as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with approximately 15 million visitors per year. Keeping up with the growth has had many challenges but it has borne out many opportunities for us as well.
Currently we are working on our first large scale solar project with Sevier Solid Waste using one of their Class 3 landfills. Sevier Solid Waste has state of the art digesters that processes the County’s garbage into mulch. They receive visits from all over the world and we felt like utilizing one of their landfills for solar would further demonstrate our commitment to protecting the environment and having a diverse power mix.
Secondly, we are working on a 10-mile transmission line project with one of our neighboring utilities to bring more redundancy and reliability to both of our service territories. Thirdly, through Seven States Power Corporation we have installed 7 EV chargers throughout Sevier County with 4 to 5 more to be installed in the near future.
Public Power Current: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Sevier County Electric System and the broader public power community in the next five to 10 years? How is Sevier County Electric System positioned to successfully meet these challenges?
Robbins: Retirement of skilled personnel, cyberattacks, DER, energy storage, updating grid infrastructure, unpredictable weather patterns and many more emerging technologies will all be challenges for us over the next 5 to 10 years. All of these are most definitely challenges, but where there are challenges there is opportunity.
To meet the loss of our retiring skilled workforce we have partnered with the Sevier County Economic Development Council, Walter State Community College and trade school institutions in developing a curriculum that addresses the needs of electric utilities like Sevier County Electric System.
Tennessee College of Applied Technology has a 6 to 10-month lineman curriculum that prepares the individual with entry level electric utility skill sets equivalent to a first year Apprentice.
We are the energy experts and we need to ensure our customers know this as well. So instead of resisting rooftop solar or energy storage we have worked with and tried to inform our customers on the best applications that will meet their needs.
Cyberattacks are all about training. There is no way we can prevent cyberattacks but what we can do is try to prevent cyberattack success. This requires a lot of employee training on being vigilant and not just sometimes but all the time. Beyond this I really don’t like talking about it. Brings too much attention to the issue.
Over the past 10 years we have rebuilt several of our distribution circuits, making them more robust by integrating newer components such as line sectionalizers and automated switch gear.
NYPA offers remote monitoring of utility assets to customers
March 3, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 3, 2021
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) recently announced the availability of an asset health monitoring service that will enable centralized management of power plants, substations and power lines for use by its power supply customers, including municipal utilities, cooperatives and manufacturers.
The Massena Electric Department (MED) in Northern New York will be the first customer to pilot the expanded services of NYPA’s Integrated Smart Operations Center (iSOC), which will deploy the same set of analytics that are used to monitor and help prevent equipment failures and outages of NYPA’s power assets to monitor the local municipal utility’s assets.
“These expanded digital utility services enable NYPA, along with its customers, to make continued progress in meeting New York State’s clean energy goals and creating a more resilient, reliable and flexible energy system,” NYPA said.
In the case of MED, NYPA will pilot the service and monitor select substation assets, including a transformer and two battery banks.
The pilot aims to reduce the cost of asset management and minimize business disruptions caused by unanticipated asset failures. NYPA will design and install sensors to identify “bad actor” occurrences and notify system MED personnel of any irregularities through alerts.
NYPA’s iSOC system has more than 63,000 data points that currently monitor 283 power generation and transmission assets throughout the state. This monitoring helps identify problems and issues before they occur in an effort to prevent potential service outages and reduce repair and replacement costs.
The state-of-the-art center uses a myriad of digital tools, one being GE Digital’s analytics software, which oversee NYPA’s 16 power plants and more than 1,400 circuit miles of transmission lines.
Online monitoring of power plants, substations and transmission lines will increase plant efficiency and productivity, reduce unplanned downtime, lower maintenance costs and minimize operational risks, the Authority said.
The service is available to all municipal utilities, coops and manufacturing customers served by NYPA. NYPA is offering customers the ability to centrally manage specific asset health alarms and alerts, while maintaining current utility decision-making such as approving and scheduling maintenance and ordering parts.
Traditional asset management practices rely on manual processes, institutional knowledge, and scheduled inspections and analysis, NYPA noted. “The industry, however, has continued to slowly move away from the pure decentralized approach as utilities invest in additional near-real-time monitoring, improved data quality and standardized analysis processes.”
NYPA plans to integrate and offer additional monitoring capabilities in the future, including a suite of sensors across multiple assets.
TVA, IOUs unveil plan to add EV fast chargers to allow for seamless travel across major regions
March 3, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 3, 2021
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and five investor-owned utilities (IOUs) on March 2 announced a plan to ensure that electric vehicle drivers have access to a seamless network of charging stations connecting major highway systems from the Atlantic Coast, through the Midwest and South, and into the Gulf and Central Plains regions.
The plan was unveiled by the Electric Highway Coalition, which consists of TVA and the following IOUs: American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy Corp. and Southern Co.
The plan will enable EV drivers seamless travel across major regions of the country through a network of DC fast chargers for electric vehicles.
The companies are each taking steps to provide EV charging solutions within their service territories. “This represents an unprecedented effort to offer convenient EV charging options across different company territories and allow EV travel without interruption,” TVA noted in a news release.
While many drivers recognize the benefits of driving an EV, such as the ease of low-cost home charging, some are concerned with the availability of charging stations during long road trips.
Sites along major highway routes with easy highway access and amenities for travelers are being considered as coalition members work to determine final charging station locations.
Charging stations will provide DC fast chargers that are capable of getting drivers back on the road in approximately 20-30 minutes.
The Electric Highway Coalition welcomes interested utilities to join as it seeks to extend the reach of network. Additionally, it supports, and looks forward to working with, other regional utility transportation corridor electrification initiatives, TVA said.
“This is one of many strategic partnerships that TVA is building to increase the number of electric vehicles to well over 200,000 in the Tennessee Valley by 2028,” said Jeff Lyash, TVA president and CEO.
Lyash believes that electrifying transportation can spur the same innovative transformation that electrifying the Tennessee Valley did back when TVA was founded.
TVA is leading the charge to increase EV adoption in its seven-state service area with the recently announced EV Initiative, which is based on building partnerships with LPCs, state agencies and other organizations.
TVA noted that it is making investments and coordinating partner funding that could bring up to $40 million in programs to support EV adoption in the next five years. This initiative is a multi-year plan to accelerate the electrification of transportation through programs to reduce or eliminate the market barriers that currently prevent more people from choosing EVs.
By addressing the barriers to EV adoption, the anticipated outcome is:
- Well over 200,000 EVs on Valley roadways by 2028;
- $120 million reinvested in the local economy per year from electric refueling;
- $200 million in consumer fuel savings per year; and
- Almost 1 million metric tons of CO2 saved per year (or the equivalent of the carbon sequestered by 1 million acres of U.S. forests in one year)
This announcement comes on the heels of the recently announced partnership between TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to develop and fund a fast charging network across the interstates and major highways of Tennessee. TVA plans to work with state agencies in other states to develop a fast charging network across the Tennessee Valley.
CPS Energy issues RFP for conservation and energy efficiency programs
March 2, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 2, 2021
San Antonio, Texas-based public power utility CPS Energy on March 1 formally launched a request for proposals (RFP) for conservation and energy efficiency programs to develop the next phase of its Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP).
CPS Energy said the severe impact of February’s historic winter weather storm in Texas demonstrates the relationship between year-round conservation and energy efficiency programs that enhance our community’s energy reliability.
The use of these programs contributed to material energy demand savings, which, when combined with action taken to stabilize the utility’s electric system, helped avoid a potential statewide loss of the power grid during the storm, it said.
Creating additional successful programs that are forward thinking is the goal of the RFP and CPS Energy “is moving quickly to improve the tools it uses to help customers proactively manage how they use energy,” the utility said.
STEP began in 2009 to empower customers to manage their energy through energy efficiency, weatherization, demand response and the adoption of both rooftop and community solar with a goal of saving 771 MW. This goal was achieved early and under budget in 2019 with 845 MW in energy savings.
In January 2020, the CPS Energy Board of Trustees and the City of San Antonio City Council extended the STEP Bridge program for an additional year with a target of 75 MW in energy savings.
In January 2021, the City Council approved an additional extension until July 2022 to allow additional time to recover from COVID-19 related program impacts and continue gathering public and stakeholder input for FlexSTEP.
CPS Energy is expanding the focus of FlexSTEP to include both energy and demand savings in targets.
In or around the fall of 2021, CPS Energy plans to seek the CPS Energy Board of Trustees’ and the City of San Antonio City Council’s approval of FlexSTEP.
The deadline for receipt of proposals is April 30, 2021 and additional details on the RFP are available here.
Texas PUC chair resigns; state attorney general files lawsuit against power provider
March 2, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 2, 2021
DeAnn Walker on March 1 resigned as chairwoman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT), days after she faced questions from state lawmakers at a hearing that examined rotating outages implemented by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in the wake of an arctic blast.
On Feb. 25, Walker appeared before a hearing held by the Texas Senate’s Committee on Business and Commerce. ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness also participated in the hearing.
Among other things, state Sen. Robert Nichols asked Walker questions about winterization by generators, which he said is “key to keep this from happening in the first place.”
She said that while the PUCT has enforcement authority over weatherization, it is limited to emergency operation plans. “We do not have any authority to require them to do weatherization.”
In response, Nichols said, “the time to fix these things is not during an emergency. It’s during a time when we’re not in an emergency.”
Sen. Brandon Creighton noted that Walker had mentioned several times that she doubted the authority she held.
When asked by Creighton whether she feels like she has enough authority, Walker said, “I think it depends on what obligation you’re referring to. If you’re referring to weatherization, I think I need more.”
Creighton pointed out that under the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act, “that act gives the Commission complete authority over ERCOT…you have complete authority over ERCOT. So I’m having trouble with you mentioning several different times that you lack the authority or that this or that has been delegated to ERCOT.”
Texas AG sues power provider
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on March 1 filed a lawsuit against Griddy LLC “for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act through false, misleading, and deceptive advertising and marketing practices,” Paxton’s office said in a news release.
“During the February freeze, Texas power companies failed to withstand the winter storm and left millions of Texans without power and heat during lethal, record-low temperatures across the state. Compounding this disaster, Griddy passed skyrocketing energy costs to customers with little to no warning, resulting in consumers paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars each day for electricity,” the news release said.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief from Griddy “to ensure that the Texans it serves will receive truthful and accurate energy service in the future, and to have the court order refunds from available sources,” Paxton’s office said.
ERCOT in a Feb. 26 market notice said that it had revoked all rights of Griddy Energy LLC to conduct activity under the ERCOT protocols due to a payment breach.
ERCOT said in the notice that it had initiated the mass transition of Griddy Energy customers on February 26 and that it was working closely with PUCT staff and affected market participants to ensure an efficient and effective transfer of customers to designated providers of last resort.
CPS Energy fights to protect customers, keep bills affordable in wake of extreme weather
March 2, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 2, 2021
In the wake of a recent reliability crisis in Texas, San Antonio, Texas-based public power utility CPS Energy on March 2 said that it will proactively protect customers to keep their bills affordable while continuing to pursue prudent business practices that keep the utility and San Antonio financially stable and strong.
“Last month’s extreme and historic Texas weather disaster has exposed a systemic market failure that has unfairly impacted communities and utilities across the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT),” the utility said.
“For those people who live here, please know that CPS Energy did not do anything to add to the problem. In my opinion, CPS Energy was well prepared and helped in the situation by doing what it had to do when ERCOT asked it to shed load,” said Texas State Senator José Menéndez, following the March 1, 2021, CPS Energy Special Board of Trustees meeting.
Relative to the February 2021 energy reliability crisis, the management team at CPS Energy is also focused on improving communications and other important aspects of its systems.
Formal reviews have been separately requested by the San Antonio City Council and CPS Energy’s Board of Trustees. The first review, from the city, will be starting soon and CPS Energy said that it will fully cooperate with both requests.
Since Feb. 15, 2021, CPS Energy President and CEO Paula Gold-Williams has often talked about a new financial tsunami in Texas that has been caused by gas suppliers that raised their prices by as much as 16,000 percent in anticipation of and during the storm and by ERCOT for allowing power prices to rise to and hold at the $9,000 per megawatt hour market cap, CPS Energy noted.
On Feb. 25, 2021, CPS Energy filed a voluntary event notice to the investor community that provided a general estimate of what is owed by the utility.
The estimates of the components, which could change, are natural gas fuel costs of approximately $675 million to $850 million and purchase power costs of approximately $175 million to $250 million.
CPS Energy said that it is fighting to protect its customers and taking steps to mitigate future customers’ bills from the potential impacts of these costs.
There are multiple mitigation options being considered and pursued, including federal and state financial assistance, regulatory intervention, policy help at the federal and state levels, negotiation, and appropriate legal actions as needed.
CPS Energy is also deploying multiple tools the utility has available to maintain cash and liquidity.
These tools were outlined at the March 1 Special Board of Trustees meeting.
In addition to a review of tools previously supported and approved by the Board and San Antonio City Council, there was a request to approve an additional line of credit to support operations in the interim. The credit line would only be accessed if necessary.
At the end of the meeting, the Board approved this latest request from management to create additional borrowing capacity of approximately $500 million, which the utility noted is the equivalent of an insurance policy necessary to protect the financial health of CPS Energy and its customers.
This liquidity request will also be presented to the San Antonio City Council for its consideration, as soon as reasonably possible.
“Our first priority is to protect our San Antonio customers. We will absolutely pay justified and legitimate charges, as we always have. However, prudently, we must challenge all charges that we believe may be unlawful, unconscionable, or illegitimate,” said Gold-Williams.
“This is a very complex situation, and we are focused on shielding our customers from outrageously high costs that are inappropriate. Currently, we are holding all costs on our balance sheet and not passing them through to customers. We understand we must be the advocate for our San Antonio customers to ensure a more fair and equitable end result for everyone.”
While CPS Energy believes its plan is thoughtful and prudent, it has not been fully presented to and assessed by the financial markets.
In immediate reaction to the Texas crisis, Fitch and S&P initially put the utility on a Negative Watch. Moody’s review is in process.
“CPS Energy believes that its plan will provide comfort to the financial markets. These presentations and discussions, including investor and lender outreach, are happening now,” it noted.
CPS Energy said its multifaceted strategic approach has been designed to:
- Address and stabilize concerns that have developed across Texas;
- Lower costs for all San Antonio customers where possible;
- Minimize the potential bill impact to the community’s customers; and
- Maintain San Antonio’s and CPS Energy’s financial stability in the short, medium, and long term.
Women in public power blaze a path for others to join high-voltage trades, line work
March 1, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 1, 2021
In honor of Women’s History Month, commemorated each March, the American Public Power Association’s Public Power Current newsletter is highlighting women in the high-voltage trades who work for public power utilities across the U.S.
Among other things, the women profiled in this article detail how they made the transition to become part of public power’s community of line workers and highly technical trades, and what they would tell women who are thinking about becoming an electric utility line worker, operator, or technician.
Vircynthia Charley (Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) in Arizona)
Vircynthia Charley got her start with NTUA learning the trade, earned her journeyman license and trained two other NTUA women journeyman, Melissa Parrish and Jasmine Yazzie.
Charley and Parrish are both leaders at NTUA’s Kayenta District Office in northern Arizona. Charley is the District Manager, while Parrish is the Field Superintendent and is the only female Field Superintendent for NTUA.
Charley said that what she enjoys most about her job and working for public power is sharing and giving back to her community.
“I understand the meaning of public power because it is all about community and working for the needs of the people. I was raised under that principle and it is a very important part of our traditional Navajo beliefs — to be prepared to give for the benefit of others,” she said.
Addressing the question of what advice she would give to other women wanting to enter the skilled, high-voltage trades, women are generally under-represented “and they shouldn’t be,” Charley said.
“My advice? Once you make the commitment to do the work, focus on doing the job well, and embrace the challenge. Always be prepared. Take the time to learn the skill and when you put your heart into your product, you will have a true sense of yourself. That’s what my parents taught me,” she said.
“On the technical side, I am an Army veteran and that’s where I learned the basics of electric work. After I was discharged, I wanted to pursue this trade. I never underestimated myself and never gave up. I kept moving forward, even learning to climb powerline poles and getting into the trenches,” she said.
“Yes, there can be setbacks but you learn from them and become a better worker. In my case, I became a journeyman but more importantly it was no longer a job or a title — it became my hand in reaching out to make a change. Soon, you will see who you are and which direction you are going.”
Charley also offered her thoughts on whether there is anything public power utilities can specifically do to support bringing more women into high-voltage trades.
She said that the right training and opportunities such as an apprenticeship program would help. “That show of support is a significant way to build trust, respect, and equality to build a successful utility, organization, and community.”
Rose Foster (South Carolina’s Santee Cooper)
Rose Foster started at Santee Cooper as a temporary worker on the line crew in 1993. When a permanent position was posted, she applied and was offered the job. She accepted the offer and her first official day on the line occurred in February 1994.
Foster, who is currently a safety specialist at Santee Cooper, noted that Santee Cooper has three classes of Line Technician: A, B and C Class.
“I progressed through our apprenticeship program as it is designed. We expect that most employees will be a C Class Line Tech for approximately 2 years and become eligible to take our progression test, if the supervisor is convinced you are ready,” she noted.
“If you pass the test, which consists of a written exam and field tasks, then you are promoted to B Class. After approximately 3 years and your supervisor believes you are ready, you test for your A Class.”
Foster spent 13 years on the line crew and had the opportunity to be Lead Line Tech for a few years. “I was also first response on stand-by. The position of Distribution Line Crew Training Instructor was posted,” and she decided to apply. “I enjoyed leading a crew and I appreciated watching new Line Techs learn and grow, so I thought the instructor job would be fun,” she noted.
She spent her time in training creating and teaching courses about distribution line work. “We host an annual Line Workers Rodeo and that was a large responsibility for our Learning and Development department.”
Foster noted that when a distribution safety specialist position was vacated, she thought that would be a natural progression for her. “Because a large portion of the topics I instructed was about safe operating procedures, I thought it would be a good transition.”
In terms of the biggest obstacles for increasing the number of women utility line workers, Foster said that one factor may be that young women don’t recognize the possibility of becoming an electric line worker.
“This career, in my experience, is so gratifying and challenging. If we could convince more young women to even consider this, they would love it as much as I do,” she said.
“I would love to have more women in this field,” Foster said.
What would Foster say to a woman who is thinking about becoming an electric utility line worker?
“Be prepared to work hard. Leave your feelings at home. Enjoy the ride, every day is a new adventure and it’s very rewarding to make people’s lives better by supplying them with reliable electricity for their homes and businesses,” she said.
Jacqueline Montero (Fayetteville Public Works Commission in North Carolina)
Jacqueline Montero is a line worker at Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) in North Carolina.
Montero noted that after working at an events company in Florida for more than 10 years, she was looking for a change of pace and a job where she could have more stability and less travel.
“And I wanted to challenge myself by doing something that would challenge me mentally and physically,” she said.
After moving from Florida to North Carolina, she explored opportunities at the Fayetteville Technical Community College.
After speaking with staff at the college and reading material provided by the staff, she signed up for a basic training course for electric utility line workers.
“It sounded like a challenge and I like challenges, so I put myself to it,” Montero said.
She noted that most of the course was at a pole farm where she learned how to climb poles, how to work as a team, safety rules, how to change a line and how to put arms up.
Montero said she was surprised to learn that she was the first female to graduate from the course and that at age 38 she was able to successfully meet the physical challenges such as climbing associated with the course.
She also noted that two male classmates wound up quitting the course because they were scared of heights and didn’t want to go any higher than 10 feet. “I surprised myself that I was capable” of being able to “beat the guys on that.”
As for what daily life is like for her as a lineworker at Fayetteville PWC, Montero said that “we wake up early in the morning. We organize our trucks, our equipment and then go to the job site.”
Her team currently works as groundsmen. They are in charge of laying down all the pipes and wires for all new construction.
“It’s a great experience. I’m really grateful that they gave me the opportunity to work for them,” Montero said.
She noted that her teammates treat each other with respect and like family “because one mistake or one bad move or not paying attention,” can cost “my life or somebody else’s life,” so safety is always front of mind.
What would Montero say to a woman who is thinking about becoming an electric utility line worker?
Overall, not just as a female but also as a Latina, Montero said she would encourage the next generation of women to “go for it. It can seem challenging at times but if you focus and put your mind into it, you’ll be able to do it,” she said.
“Even if you’re not sure or just curious, to take the leap of faith like I did,” Montero said. “Just believe in yourself that you can accomplish anything that you put your mind into.”
Lisa Barbato (Colorado Springs Utilities)
As the newly named General Manager of Energy Supply at Colorado Springs Utilities, Lisa Barbato leads the overall business performance of generating facilities at the public power utility that produces approximately 1,000 megawatts of electricity from a combination of solar, coal, natural gas and hydroelectric plants, as well as the fuel acquisition for these facilities and supply of natural gas to the Colorado Springs Utilities’ system.
She is also responsible for retiring the coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant by no later than 2023.
“Working for a public power company provides a great sense of pride when you can see how your contributions benefit your own community,” Barbato said.
In 2017 Barbato was named General Manager of the Distribution, Collection and Treatment Department at Colorado Springs Utilities.
The following year the Utilities Board named a new CEO of Colorado Springs Utilities, Aram Benyamin. One of his first actions was to institute a four-service general manager rotation program to give leaders the ability to learn how different parts of the organization operate, to expose them to different industries and to introduce them to new employees they otherwise would have never met.
Barbato was one of four general managers selected for this pilot program. She went from her role overseeing wastewater and water operations to the General Manager of Energy Supply. She had never worked in energy before and now she was one of the top energy executives at the organization.
“I was kind of excited. There were so many changes that were going to be happening on the energy side of the business and I was excited to be a part of that,” Barbato remembered, when Benyamin told her about her new position.
“With the integrated resource plan discussion and retiring of the coal power plants, it all seemed a little daunting. But I was ready to make a difference and leave a legacy with the future of energy in this organization,” she said.
After the general manager rotation program ended in June 2020, she competed for the job and was named the first female General Manager of Energy Supply for Colorado Springs Utilities in July 2020.
Barbato oversees 250 employees. She focuses on energy policy development, is responsible for understanding the fuels and commodity markets, engaging new technologies, driving innovation toward the delivery of reliable energy solutions and demonstrating expertise in the area of North American Electric Reliability Corporation regulatory compliance.
When asked what advice she has for other women wanting to enter the skilled/technical trades, Barbato said, “Don’t be afraid of being uncomfortable. You may think you cannot do things, but you are very capable and more than qualified.”
She added, “Don’t be afraid to choose a path less traveled than others in your demographics. You will find that you will be valued and add a diverse perspective.”
Sheri Rice (Seattle City Light)
Sheri Rice has been with Seattle City Light for 23 years. She started as a flagger and has since completed two apprenticeships, one as a utility construction worker and the other as an electrician constructor for substations. Between those apprenticeships she worked as a material supplier for line crews.
She has been a constructor for the last 16 years.
When asked what she enjoys most about her job and working for public power, Rice said “The variety. I think people underestimate the opportunities working for a public utility. I really enjoy keeping the public’s lights on. There is a sense a pride in solving the problems and getting people in power during and after storms.”
She said that the equipment “is constantly changing and advancing which means we as journeymen are constantly learning.”
As for what advice Rice has for other women wanting to enter the skilled, high-voltage trades, she said that apprenticeships are the best path. “If you want to learn, earn college credit, make a stable livable wage with benefits and retirement it is the way to go,” she said.
“Do your research, find out which aspect of the High voltage trades interests you. If there is an opportunity to work as a helper on the crews apply, get your feet wet. There are all kinds of free guides on training, study guides and pre-tests to check aptitude online, take them and use them,” Rice said.
“Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t be intimidated by the physical aspects of these jobs. You will learn how to use your body mechanics on how to get the job done.”
Rice also said that public power utilities can do a number of things to support bringing more women in to high-voltage trades.
“Publications like this help. Going out to high schools, job fairs and outreach programs. Start talking to your daughters, nieces and neighbors,” she said.
“Apprenticeships need to be presented alongside college opportunities. Women need to understand the opportunities of these careers and that they are completely capable of being successful in them.”
Texas lawmakers hold series of hearings over recent power outages
March 1, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 1, 2021
Texas lawmakers over two days last week held a series of hearings tied to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) last month entering emergency conditions and initiating rotating outages in the state in the wake of an arctic blast.
On Feb. 25, ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness appeared before the Texas Senate’s Committee on Business and Commerce. Magness offered a presentation and fielded questions from state senators for a little over six hours during the hearing.
Magness said that “this storm, at its worst, took out 48.6 percent of the generation available to ERCOT to manage the system. Now, we always keep reserves. We don’t ever want to manage it down to zero. But when you lose almost half of your generation. When you have record demand like we have never seen in the winter in Texas, you’re going to have a problem.”
He said that if ERCOT had not acted by calling for controlled outages, “Texas was headed for a blackout.” Magness said that if the outages had not been ordered, “we’d probably be talking today about when the power’s going to come on. And what my team and the folks at the utilities in Texas would be doing is an exercise called black start, and we drill it every year, but we’ve never done it.”
Magness noted that Texas has never had a blackout. “There’s been blackouts in the Northeast. There’s been blackouts in New York. There’s been blackouts in California. Several places have had major blackouts. But if we have one, we’re going to be relying on folks in the utility industry to basically restart the electric grid,” which he said is a “very difficult process” and it is at a minimum weeks in terms of duration. “There’s no way it’s not weeks and it could be months,” he said.
“I feel a great deal of responsibility and remorse about the event,” he said at a later point. “I believe the operators on our team did everything they could have.”
“But you wouldn’t have changed anything in terms of your play calling during those critical hours?” asked Texas Sen. John Whitmire.
“As I sit here now, I don’t believe I would,” Magness responded. “I wouldn’t step in front of them and question their judgement and their experience,” he said in reference to ERCOT’s operators.
“If we listen to all the tapes and we look at all the evidence and there were things that they should have done differently, that should certainly be on me because I’m ultimately responsible” for ERCOT.
Whitmore also asked Magness whether he was “ever concerned in the early parts of the crisis when the generators were saying, we’re doing the best we can because the gas lines are freezing up – do you ever” worry about the natural gas lines “not being really as frozen as were being claimed for the purposes of raising the price of gas?”
“What we were concerned about at the time was the generation units that were reporting that they couldn’t run or could run less because of gas shortage kind of issues. We don’t have any real significant interface with the gas industry. We don’t manage any of their operations,” Magness said.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Feb. 22 said that its Office of Enforcement is examining wholesale natural gas and electricity market activity during recent extreme cold weather to determine if any market participants engaged in market manipulation or other violations.
When asked by another state senator whether the market construct in ERCOT is adequate or should be changed, Magness said that “We’re certainly not the policymakers on that. We’ve seen a lot of success with the market structure we’ve got. We’ve served the highest demands during the summer that we’ve ever seen. We’re getting some new investment – maybe not the type of investment everybody wants – but we’re getting new investment.”
Along with the Committee on Business and Commerce, the Texas House Committees on State Affairs and Energy Resources on Feb. 25-26 held a joint public hearing related to the outages.
Texas governor delivers speech on response to power outages
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 24 delivered a televised statewide address on the state’s response to the recent power outages.
Among other things, he said that ERCOT must be overhauled. He noted that five ERCOT board members have already resigned, including the Chair and Vice-Chair. “But more must be done,” he said.
“I am already working with the Legislature on reforms to add more power to the grid and to ensure that we never run out of power again. Also, the Office of the Attorney General has launched a formal investigation into ERCOT,” he said.
City of Denton files suit against ERCOT
On Feb. 25, the City of Denton, Texas, filed suit against ERCOT in the District Court of Denton County seeking to prevent the unconstitutional use of public funds. The City of Denton owns and operates Denton Municipal Electric (DME).
ERCOT is using a mechanism within its protocols known as “uplift,” the city noted in a news release.
“Due to the recent record-high wholesale energy prices, some ERCOT market participants have failed to pay ERCOT for power purchases. Ultimately, uplift may spread the costs of those ERCOT market participants to other market participants, including DME,” the city said.
The city “views the payment of the costs of other utilities as an unconstitutional gifting of public funds and unconstitutional lending of its credit,” it said.
Late Thursday, the district court granted a Temporary Restraining Order in favor of the City of Denton in this matter.
The City of Denton said it “will explore all legal options to protect the financial assets of the City of Denton and its ratepayers from improper use. As this is a pending legal matter, there is currently no additional information or comment.”
Texas cooperative files for bankruptcy
Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., Texas’ oldest and largest generation and transmission power cooperative, announced on March 1 that it filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Brazos Electric initiated this financial restructuring to maintain the stability and integrity of its entire electric cooperative system.
Brazos Electric provides wholesale power supply to its sixteen member-owner distribution cooperatives whose service territory extends across 68 Texas counties from the Texas Panhandle to Houston.
Brazos Electric said in a news release that before the severe cold weather that blanketed Texas with sub-freezing temperatures February 13-19, “it was in all respects a financially robust, stable company with a clear vision for its future and a strong ‘A’ to ‘A+’ credit rating.”
Brazos Electric said that as a result of the catastrophic failures due to the storm, it was presented with excessively high invoices by ERCOT for collateral and for purported cost of electric service, payment of which was required within days.
“As a cooperative whose costs are passed through to its members, and which are ultimately borne by Texas retail consumers served by its member cooperatives, Brazos Electric determined that it cannot and will not foist this catastrophic financial event on its members and those consumers,” it said.
Throughout the forthcoming financial restructuring process, Brazos Electric said it will remain committed to:
- Delivering affordable and reliable electric service to its member cooperatives and their retail members;
- Assisting its member cooperatives, their retail members and their communities impacted by the extreme cold weather event in the rebuilding effort; and
- Supporting the orderly, fair and expeditious treatment and satisfaction of its liabilities resulting from the extreme cold weather event
The filing also includes several “first day” customary operational motions Brazos Electric filed with the court in support of its financial restructuring including requests of authorizations to continue paying employee wages and benefits and certain critical vendors.
Brazos Electric will pay all obligations under normal terms of business for goods and services provided on the filing date of March 1, 2021 and thereafter.
Granholm comments on Texas situation in Q&As with Washington Post, NPR
Meanwhile, in a Q&A with the Washington Post, the newspaper noted that Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm recently tweeted that what happened in Texas, and what happened in California in the summer heat there, shows a need to upgrade the grid. “But was there anything that happened in Texas that was new to you, that made you think again about what kinds of changes are needed?,” Granholm was asked.
“A hand of friendship extended to Texas — to consider upgrading their connectivity to the national grid so that their neighbors can help them in times of crisis,” Granholm responded.
“Obviously, they have to winterize their energy system. I understand the desire to be independent. I get that that’s the ethos in Texas. But in emergencies, it would be good to know there’s backup,” she said.
The transmission grid that the ERCOT independent system operator administers is located solely within the state of Texas and is not synchronously interconnected to the rest of the United States. The transmission of electric energy occurring wholly within ERCOT is not subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction under sections 203, 205, or 206 of the Federal Power Act.
Similarly, in an interview with National Public Radio, Granholm said “I think the country would welcome Texas being at least connected to the national grid in some way, shape or form that allows for its neighbors to help.”
Granholm said that “We all plan for redundancies and backups in our lives and this might be just a backup that Texas might want to consider at this time.”
She also told NPR that “Texas needs to weatherize, winterize its energy systems.”
Legislation would reinstate the ability to issue tax-exempt advance refunding bonds
February 26, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
February 26, 2021
Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Debbie Stabenow. D-Mich., on Feb. 25 introduced legislation that would reinstate the ability to issue tax-exempt advance refunding bonds. The bill is supported by the American Public Power Association.
The Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure (LOCAL Infrastructure) Act of 2021 is cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., John Boozman, R-Arkansas, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
Advance refunding would allow state and local governments to refinance outstanding municipal bonds to more favorable borrowing rates or conditions before the end of the initial bond term on a tax-exempt basis. This process is very similar to how a homeowner may refinance the mortgage on their property to lock in a lower interest rate.
The federal tax-exempt debt could be refinanced only once, but local communities would be able to take advantage of the lower interest rates to generate additional savings on existing bonds. Local governments could reinvest these savings to fund infrastructure, education, health care, or other capital improvement projects.
Advance refunding has saved state and local governments billions of dollars over decades but has been unavailable to state and local governments since 2017.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the ability to issue advance refunding bonds and since that time, APPA has worked to put back in place advance refunding bonds.
A companion bill to the LOCAL Infrastructure Act of 2021 has not yet been introduced in the House.