APPA: industry has important role in deciding how to calculate ATC
Transcription
APPA: industry has important role in deciding how to calculate ATC
A news summary for members of the American Public Power Association APPA: industry has important role in deciding how to calculate ATC The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should rely on the current industry efforts—working through the North American Electric Reliability Council—to develop mandatory standards for the calculation of available transfer capacity, APPA advised the commission. In Aug. 15 comments, APPA agreed with FERC that greater standardization in the calculation of ATC and available flowgate capacity “will enhance system performance and reduce obstacles to interstate transmission service.” The commission should support and rely on the industry efforts (through NERC) to continuously coordinate the calculation of transfer capability with adjacent systems that use the same meth- odology and with interconnected regions that may use different methodologies; and to ensure that these calculations are transparent to all users of the bulk power system, APPA said. The commission should in turn provide clear policy direction to NERC, the North American Energy Standards Board and the industry that prompt completion of the mandatory standards and corresponding business standards “is necessary and that certain practices, such as the withholding of ATC through undocumented and uncoordinated adjustments to capacity benefit margins and transmission reserve margins, will not continue under such new standards,” (continued on page 5) Wanapum village on display in Washington No. 33 August 22, 2005 Ontario will not refurbish two units at Pickering n-plant Ontario Power Generation has decided not to refurbish two nuclear reactors at its Pickering A plant, the company’s president and CEO, Jim Hankinson, said Aug. 12. Instead, the Canadian utility will devote its resources to maximizing the performance of its 10 existing nuclear units, he said. “For several months we have studied the economics of the Pickering A Units 2 and 3 return to service, including third-party reviews,” said Hankinson. “We don’t see a sound business case for returning Units 2 and 3 to service.” Units 4 and 1 are in better physical condition and are better candidates to bring back into service, he said. The decision not to bring back the two units, which were mothballed in 1997, “is financially prudent and reflects our objective of keeping our costs as low as possible,” Hankinson said. The decision does not mean the Ontario utility lacks confidence in nuclear power, he said. Ontario Power Generation “continues to believe strongly that nuclear power remains an important element of the province’s electricity generation mix,” he said. “Nuclear fuel costs are stable and nuclear reactors do not contribute to smog or global warming.” Inside Grant County Public Utility District in Washington is cosponsoring the recreation of an American Indian village as part of the 200 th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition. A reproduction of the Wanapum tule (bulrush) mat house village encountered by the explorers has been placed in Sacajawea State Park, in Pasco, Wash., where the Snake River meets the Columbia. Photo courtesy of Grant County PUD 2 3 Reliant to pay $460 million to settle California claims. Congressmen ask federal regulators to fill the void left by PUHCA’s repeal. 2 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 Reliant to pay $460M to settle claims over California energy crisis Reliant Energy has reached a settlement with FERC staff and other parties to resolve claims related to the Western energy crisis of 2000-2001, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph Kelliher said Aug. 15. Reliant has agreed to pay $460 million, which is in addition to approximately $65 million the Houston-based company has already paid in prior settlements, Kelliher said. Under terms of the agreement, parties will forego all claims relating to monetary damages for Reliant’s sale of electricity during January 2000 through June 2001. The settlement, expected to be filed in September, must still be approved by the commission. The other parties represented in the settlement include the attorneys general in California, Oregon and Washington, the California Electricity Oversight Board, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric. In addition to a $460 million cash payment, the agreement calls for Reliant to allow an independent audit of outages for 12 months following FERC approval of the agreement, and to continue its “must offer” obligations under provisions of a 2003 settlement for an additional two years. FERC “aims to speed resolution of the refund proceeding and other administrative matters still pending from the 20002001 energy crisis,” Kelliher said. Last week’s announcement follows last month’s announcement of a $1.5 billion settlement between the FERC staff, other parties and Enron Corp. The settlements “bring to nearly $6.3 billion the amount of settlements relating to the Western energy crisis that the commission has either accepted or helped realize,” Kelliher said. Ontario environmentalists sue OPG, U.S. utilities over pollution from coal-fired plants Three Canadian environmentalists have filed suit against Ontario Power Generation and about a dozen U.S. power companies, saying air pollution from coal-fired power plants has har med resident s of Ont ar io. The plaintiffs have asked an Ontario court to give their lawsuit class-action status, and they are demanding some $ 50 billion in damages. The lawsuit focuses on pollution from coal-burning power plants in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky, as well as Ontario, reported Dow Jones. A spokesman for Ont ar io Power Generation said the company “is in full compliance with the current air emissions regulations,” according to the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto. The suit alleges that coal-fired power plants caused “premature death, aggravation of existing cardiac and respiratory illnesses, loss of lung capacity and lung inflammation, coughing, wheezing and respiratory and eye irritation, weakened immune system and increased susceptibility to pulmonary and other infections.” The suit was f iled June 30 in the Superior Court of Ontario. The plaintiffs are Elizabeth May, director of the Sierra Club of Canada, Toronto public health consultant Kimberly Perrotta, and York University finance professor Christopher Robinson. Perrotta is a former air-quality coordinator for the city of Hamilton, Ontario, according to the Hamilton Spectator. The newspaper quoted McMaster University chemistry professor Brian McCarr y, chair of Clean A ir Hamilton, as saying that half the air pollution in southern Ontario blows (continued on page 3) Publisher Jeanne Wickline LaBella 202/467-2948 jlabella@APPAnet.org Editor Robert Varela 202/467-2947 rvarela@APPAnet.org Managing Editor Jeannine Anderson 202/467-2977 janderson@APPAnet.org Editorial Assistant Luke Kozikowski 202/467-2946 lkozikowski@APPAnet.org Circulation Kelvin Andrews 202/467-2982 kandrews@APPAnet.org Public Power Weekly (ISSN 0747-3613) is published weekly except the last week of the year by the American Public Power Association, 2301 M St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 200371484. Copyright © 2005, American Public Power Association. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Public Power Weekly, 2301 M St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-1484. Annual subscription rates: APPA member utilities, $60 (included in dues); nonmembers, $440. Extra subscriptions available to utility and associate members for $100. Phone: 202/467-2900 Fax: 202/467-2910 Public Power Weekly is posted each week at www.APPAnet.org. Printed on recyled paper with soy ink 3 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 Congressmen want federal and state regulators to fill the void left by repeal of holding company law To help offset the repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should issue a generic rule addressing the threat of holding companies using utility assets to subsidize other ventures, two senior House Democrats said. In an Aug. 8 letter to federal regulators, Reps. John Dingell, D-Mich., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., said that, despite assertions that PUHCA was outdated, “it is clear from recent and ongoing accounting, corporate, insurance and mutual fund scandals, that human nature has not changed one iota.” The Securities and Exchange Commission’s misadventures with enforcement of PUHCA “carry important lessons for FERC, and raise questions about the adequacy of the tools in … the 2005 [Energy Policy] Act to adequately protect consumers against the kind of abuses that gave rise to the passage of PUHCA in the first instance,” Dingell and Markey said. “Given the history of this industry, we have reservations about the adequacy of these tools to prevent a repeat of the past or even more creative misadventures.” Ontario lawsuit seeks $50B from Canadian and American utilities (continued from page 2) into Canada from the United States. About 40% of the U.S.-generated pollution comes from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio Valley, he said. McCarry said Ontario Power Generation’s Nanticoke plant is responsible for about 20% of locally generated emissions. The following corporations have subsidiaries named in the complaint, according to Dow Jones: Ontario Power, DTE Energy, American Electric Power, FirstEnergy Corp., Reliant Energy, Public Service Enterprise Group, Exelon Corp., Allegheny Energy, Cinergy Corp., DPL Inc., Constellation Energy, PPL Corp. and Pepco Holdings Inc. Now that PUHCA is gone, Dingell (above) and Markey worry about “a repeat of the past or even more creative misadventures.” The SEC “has a special responsibility to ensure that, in its administration of the federal securities laws, it pays special attention to the prospect of utility holding company malfeasance,” Dingell and Markey said. That’s because the agency has argued for years that PUHCA could be repealed safely because of the SEC’s full disclosure program and modern accounting practices, they noted. The commission therefore should “greatly increase the frequency of its review of all utility holding company filings,” they said. Dingell and Markey strongly recom- mended that state utility commissions look at the need to strengthen their regulation of utilities “in order to protect against the risks that may now be possible with PUHCA’s repeal.” They urged state regulators to pay particular attention to “the prospect for utility consumers to be placed at risk as the result of failed utility diversification efforts.” State regulators also “should be wary of complex utility holding company structures and of affiliated party transactions within such structures,” Dingell and Markey said. The two Democrats also released a Government Accountability Office report that faulted the SEC’s enforcement of PUHCA. The SEC’s approvals of mergers of distant utilities “effectively end enforcement of the act and encourage the formation of vast holding companies that the act was designed to prevent from recurring,” the GAO report said. The SEC has not conducted a thorough review of holding companies that have received exemptions from PUHCA, the GAO found, even after the commission belatedly denied Enron’s questionable applications for exemption. New report blames Aug. 14, 2003 blackout on deregulation; says Energy Policy Act is not enough Deregulation was the cause of the Aug. 14, 2003 blackout in the United States and Canada, says a report by Power Engineers Supporting Truth. “The laws of physics were ignored, replaced by a blind conviction that the laws of economics could provide all things — including a reliable system,” the report says. PEST is a group of engineers formed by John A. Casazza in September 2003. Casazza is former director of the Georgia Systems Operation Co. Other members of the organization include George Loehr, former executive director of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council, and Frank Delea, formerly of Consolidated Edison of New York. The report argues that a shift away from focus on electric reliability to short-term profits allowed entities like Enron to flourish and led to poor decision-making. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 does little to ensure further reliability, and the risk of a blackout is no lower today, the report says. But Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said enactment of the Energ y Policy Act forces utilities to comply with reliability standards not in place before the blackout. “The energy bill signed by President Bush will greatly assist our efforts by increasing investment in infrastructure, improving power generation and requiring a high standard of reliability,” Bodman said on Aug. 14, the two-year anniversary of the blackout. 4 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 Massachusetts agency retires debt from peaking unit Members of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. are celebrating a milestone in the joint action agency’s history: the retiring of all debt to finance construction of its Stony Brook Peaking Unit power plant in Ludlow, Mass. At a recent meeting of MMWEC’s membership, Chairman H. Bradford White ceremoniously “retired” one of the bonds issued by MMWEC 25 years ago to finance the peaking unit, a 170MW, oil-fired power plant that is a key component of the MMWEC power supply. The unit, which started operating in 1982, is solely owned and operated by MMWEC. “This is an important event in the history of MMWEC,” White said. “It shows that the Massachusetts public power financing program is working, and that joint action among the state’s municipal utilities produces positive results.” MM W EC issued $ 85.2 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds in 1980 to finance construction of the peaking unit, which provides power to 22 Mas- MMWEC Chairman H. Bradford White, left, and Treasurer Ronald C. DeCurzio “retire” one of the bonds issued in 1980 to finance construction of the joint action agency’s Stony Brook Peaking Unit. The ceremony marks the first-ever retirement of all debt associated with one of MMWEC’s operating power supply projects. Photo courtesy of MMWEC sachusetts municipal utilities that have contracted with MMWEC to pay the unit’s costs, including debt service. Since July 1, when the debt officially was retired, the utilities have been free and APPA meeting will gather input on OSHA changes APPA will hold a meeting next month in Indianapolis to gather input from public power utilities on changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing on its standards covering electricity. The meeting will take place Sunday, Sept. 18 from 12- 5:30 p.m., before the start of the planning meeting for the APPA Engineering and Operations Conference. Its goal is to develop a unified set of comments from the public power segment of the electricity industry. In June, OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for 29 CFR Parts 1910 and 1926 that covers Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment. It has been 34 years since OSHA addressed many of the rules under these sections of the Code of Federal Regulations. Changes are being proposed to update the standards on: enclosed spaces, flame-resistant clothing, working near energized parts, host employers and contractors provisions, training, electrical protective equipment, grounding for employee protection, work on underground and overhead installations, and work in substations. Interested persons unable to attend the Indianapolis meeting are invited to let APPA know about any issues they think should be addressed. Comments or questions should be directed to James Strange, APPA engineering services specialist, at jstrange@appanet.org or 202/467-2989. Comments are due to OSHA on Oct. 13. The agency is to take the first formal testimony on the rulemaking Dec. 6. More information on the September meeting and the OSHA rulemaking is posted on APPA’s Web site at www.appanet.org. clear of debt service payments for the unit, which were averaging about $5 million per year To commemorate the event, MMWEC burned and shredded specimens of the original 1980 “peaker bonds” and placed the remains in tin cans that are being distributed to the MMWEC members, power supply project participants and others who have contributed to the organization’s success. Debt associated with two other power supply projects – the Stony Brook Intermediate Unit and Wyman Unit No. 4 – will be retired in 2008, MMWEC said. Braintree, Mass., helps sister utility after microburst Three linemen from the Braintree Electric Light Department in Massachusetts traveled to the public power community of Hingham, Mass., on Aug. 15 to help workers there recover from what meteorologists are now calling a microburst, a rare surge of 60- to 70mile-per-hour winds. According to storm reports, the microburst occurred during a three-hour storm on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 14, which dropped more than five inches of rain throughout Massachusetts’ South Shore and, at one point, left all of Hingham’s 10,000 customers without power. The Braintree employees—Working Line Foreman Bruce Williams and Linemen Dan Uhlman and Chris Thoener—assisted Hingham linemen until Aug. 16 with a variety of restoration efforts. Working independently from the Hingham crews, the BELD linemen re-energized high-voltage lines, picked up downed wires from streets strewn with debris and repaired individual house services. Due to their close proximity, the Braintree and Hingham utilities have a history of assisting each other after storms of this magnitude. 5 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 New studies confirm warming of Earth’s atmosphere Three new studies, published by Science magazine in its online edition, Science Express, have cast doubt on a 15-year-old study that found that the lowest level of the Earth’s atmosphere was not warming and might even be cooling. That 1990 study has been cited by global warming skeptics to show that the Earth might not be growing warmer. The 1990 study, by John R. Christy and Roy W. Spencer of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, had analyzed satellite and weather balloon data, and concluded that the troposphere was warming at the rate of 0.09 degrees Centigrade per decade—much more slowly than had been predicted by computer models, the Energy Daily reported. One of the new studies, conducted by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, found errors in the Christy and Spencer analysis. When the errors are corrected, the data show the troposphere warming at a rate of 0.2 degrees Centigrade (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade, about twice as fast as had been estimated by the 1990 study, the Energy Daily said. “For the first time, the new climate observations and computer models provide a consistent picture of recent warming of the Earth’s tropical atmosphere (the troposphere),” Lawrence Livermore announced Aug. 11. A second study, by Carl A. Mears and Frank J. Wentz of Remote Sensing Systems in Santa Rosa, Calif., examined satellite data collected since 1979 and found that satellites had drifted in orbit, changing the timing of the temperature measurements. The satellites were reporting some nighttime temperatures as daytime temperatures, which led to a false cooling trend, the researchers said. Christy said the error found by Mears and Wentz was very small. “Our view hasn’t changed,” he said. But Benjamin Santer, lead author of the Livermore study, said the analysis of satellite and weather balloon data in the new studies “strongly suggests that there is no longer any fundamental discrepancy between modeled and APPA: rely on industry to refine ATC formula (continued from page 1) APPA said. A proper balance must be struck between standardization across the entire North American grid and the right of each transmission provider/asset owner to establish the physical limits for operation of its own equipment and to serve its native load and long-term firm transmission customers as reliably and economically as possible, APPA said. “That balance in all likelihood cannot be established except through the technical debates that will take place during the NERC standards development process.” APPA cautioned that the idea that “each region ought to have a single agreedupon methodology begs the question as to what that methodology should be and what variations should be permitted to accommodate regional differences.” APPA said it “is less sanguine that an industry consensus in support of a reliability standard regarding the calculation of [capacity benefit margin] and [transmission reserve margins] can be reached.” The commission needs to clarify the regulatory treatment of capacity benefit margin, APPA said. Heightened scrutiny of transmission reserve margin adjustments to ATC also is appropriate, the association said. Capacity benefit margin should be reserved and paid for by the beneficiaries, not by third party transmission customers with no access to it, APPA said. It should be made available “under inclusive, nondiscriminatory multi-party generation reserve sharing agreements.” In calculating CBM, uncommitted generation on the transmission provider’s own system should be considered, APPA said. observed temperature trends in the tropical atmosphere.” The new data helps “remove a major stumbling block in our understanding of the nature and causes of climate change,” he said. “ W hen people come up w it h extraordinary claims—like the troposphere is cooling—then you demand ext r aord inar y proof,” Santer told LiveScience.com. “What’s happening now is that people around the world are subjecting these data sets to the scrutiny they need.” “Things being debated now are details about the models,” said Steven Sherwood, an atmospheric physicist at Yale and the lead author of the third Science Express study examining satellite and weather balloon data. “Nobody is debating any more that significant climate changes are coming.” ‘For the first time, the new climate observations and computer models provide a consistent picture,’ said Lawrence Livermore National Lab. 1947 What’s This Number? First year that APPA published industry statistics for its members. You Can Count on APPA 6 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 Employment Executive director of electric utility— The Marquette Board of Light and Power, a municipal electric utility with 104-MW generating capacity, an extensive distribution system and over 15,000 urban and rural customers, requires an experienced individual preferably with an E.E. or M.E. degree and some postgraduate level education in business or finance. Candidate should be a registered professional engineer or possess the capability to obtain such accreditation. Successful applicant will be responsible for directing all business, production and operational areas of the utility and will report to an elected board of directors. Qualifications should include at least 10 years of progressively more responsible electric utility experience, four or more years of which must have been at a fully responsible senior management level, including administration, engineering, production and operations. Applicant should be familiar with FERC, MPSC, DNR, EPA, DEQ, MISO-Day Two and other regulatory and/or operating areas pertinent to the electric utility industry. This requires a superb public service-minded individual with excellent communication skills, strong leadership ability, and exceptional personal character. Located in the attractive city of Marquette, a four-seasons community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the area has much to offer in the way of excellent schools, including Northern Michigan University, a regional medical center, churches, available housing and year-round recreational opportunities in one of America’s most livable cities. We offer an excellent benefit program including vehicle allowance. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applicants should be aware that the screening/interviewing process will be subject to the requirements of Michigan’s Open Meetings Act. Please reply, including salary history and salary requirements, to: Director of Personnel/Employee Relations, Board of Light and Power, 2200 Wright St., Marquette, MI 49855. Grant County Public Utility District positions—Grant County Public Utility District in Ephrata, Wash., has the following openings: Electrical engineer I to IV —Salary: $1,550 to $3,077 bi-weekly, DOE. Provides engineering support for the hydroelectric generation facilities. Transmission and substation engineer II to IV —$1,846 to $3,077 bi-weekly, DOE. Provides engineering support for hydroelectric generation and fish rearing facilities. Positions open until filled. For detailed descriptions and to obtain an application, please visit our Web site at www.gcpud.org. Send to Grant County PUD, P.O. Box 878, 30 C St. S.W., Ephrata, WA 98823. Excellent compensation and benefits package. EOE. Superintendent of utilities—The city of Fulton, Mo. (population 13,000), is accepting applications for a superintendent of utilities. This position directs, plans, supervises and coordinates all work of the electric distribution and generation, gas, water and sewer departments in a manner that is consistent with city policies and standards. This will include supervision of approximately 45 employees with an annual budget of over $20 million. A bachelor’s degree is preferred. Significant elec- trical experience is a mandatory requirement; experience with other utilities with a municipal emphasis is desired. The successful candidate must possess strong leadership characteristics and be able to communicate effectively. Salary is open DOQ. Position open until filled. Send resume, including references, to: Director of Administration, City of Fulton, P. O. Box 130, Fulton, MO 65251. EOE. Superintendent of electric transmission and distribution—Peru Utilities is seeking qualified applications for the position of superintendent of electric transmission and distribution. Position is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the electric division’s transmission, distribution and fiber-optic facilities. Ideal candidate would have a four-year technical degree and 10 years of experience in the operation and maintenance of electrical transmission and distribution systems, five of which should have been in a supervisory capacity. Candidates should feel comfortable working in a management environment that promotes employee empowerment and responsibility. Peru Utilities is a progressive, nationally recognized, multiple-service utility organization serving 11,000 electric customers, 6,000 water customers and 6,000 wastewater customers in North-Central Indiana. Salary range: $48,000- $75,000, plus a competitive benefits package. Persons interested in this opportunity should submit their resumes to Peru Utilities, 335 E. Canal St., P.O. Box 67, Peru, IN 46970. ATTN: Brenda Hobbs, Administrative Assistant. A complete job description is available on the Peru Utilities Web site at www.peruutilities.com. Deadline for submission is Sept. 30, 2005. Power systems scheduler—Salary: $2,609.60 - $3,340.00, bi-weekly. Interpret and administer purchase power agreements to meet the district’s and other utility entities’ energy needs and contractual requirements, perform system load forecasting and economic analysis, coordinate and perform electric generation and water control, and power purchase/sales to meet system load demands. This position may involve shift, weekend and holiday work including the possibility of eight- or 12-hour rotating and/or relief shifts. Experience: two years experience in bulk power scheduling and planning, transaction accounting and/ or power marketing or other related experience.Applications are available prior at www. mid.org or at the MID Human Resources Department, 1231 11th St., Modesto, CA 95354, 209/526-7341. Senior generation engineer and generation engineer—City of Farmington, N.M., salary: $58,397-$79,996 (senior generation engineer); salary: $ 54,414 - $ 64,478 (generation engineer). Performs engineering duties related to power plant operation, improvements and maintenance. Coordinates generation unit testing and results engineering to ensure plant performance. Provides technical assistance to operation and maintenance staffing operating, maintaining and diagnosing various plant subsystems, including controls, emissions monitoring, turbines, generators and related auxiliary systems. Ensures compliance with existing federal, state and local laws regarding environmental and safety issues. Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or instrument and control engineering required. Five years experience in power plant engineering with thorough knowledge of steam combustion turbine and hydroelectric generating plants and equipment required. The senior generation engineer position requires seven years experience and requires registration as a professional engineer in the state of New Mexico or with another state that reciprocates with the state of New Mexico. This is a regular, full-time position. Position closes Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005. For an application, contact the city of Farmington, Human Resources, 800 Municipal Drive, Farmington, NM 87401, 505/599-1132, e-mail personnel@fmtn.org or visit our Web site at www.farmington.nm.us. Equal opportunity employer, M/F. Senior engineer (air quality) — Position requires strong applied knowledge and experience with state and federal air regulations and with hands-on regulatory expertise including permitting, emission calculations, record keeping, reporting and auditing for compliance with the Clean Air Act. Responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations in the operation of power generation and transmission facilities and in planning, directing and coordinating projects, and interpreting environmental laws and rules as they apply to the system. Requires bachelor’s degree in engineering, preferably in the environment field or related discipline. Eight years of related progressive experience with environmental compliance in electric utility operations. Knowledge and/or experience in power generation and transmission construction, operation, and maintenance. Willingness to travel. Competitive salary and benefits package, including relocation assistance. Submit resume and salary history to Tri State Generation and Transmission Association., Inc., P.O. Box 33695, HR ECJ29, Westminster, CO 80233, or submit online at www.tristategt.org, then click on Careers. Equal opportunity employermale/female/minority/disabled. Lineworker—Westfield Gas and Electric is accepting applications for a lineworker. This individual is responsible for the installation, removal, maintenance, repair and documentation of the systems and devices comprising the department’s electric distribution system. Minimum entrance requirements include but are not limited to: qualified lineworker under MGL c.149 s 129c, formal training under an approved apprentice line program, Massachusetts class A or B commercial driver’s license. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, working knowledge of the safe practices and procedures utilized maintaining energized circuits of 23,000 volts and below, ability to work flexible hours and respond to emergency events after business hours. An attractive wage and benefits package is associated with this position. Qualified candidates are requested to send a resume by Sept. 1, 2005 with cover letter to: Westfield Gas and Electric, Attn: Operations Department., P.O. Box 990, Westfield, MA 01086-0990. Power systems scheduler—Salary: $2,609.60 - $3,340.00, bi-weekly. Interpret and administer purchase power agreements to meet the district’s and other utility entities energy needs and contractual requirements, perform system load forecasting and economic analysis, coordinate and perform electric generation and water control, and power purchase/sales to meet system load demands. This position may involve shift, weekend and holiday work including the possibility of eight- or 12-hour rotating and/or relief shifts. Experience: two years experience in bulk power scheduling and planning, transaction accounting and/or 7 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 Employment power marketing or other related experience. Applications are available at www.mid.org or at the MID Human Resources Department, 1231 11th St., Modesto, CA 95354, 209/5267341. Project development manager—Florida Municipal Power Agency is currently recruiting for a project development manager. This position performs functions to organize, manage and control the overall coordination of multifaceted electric power generation projects. It also provides technical guidance and staff supervision to the project development department staff, outside consulting engineers and outside legal counsel to monitor project progress and conformance with established plans and specifications. It manages the resolution of engineering design and construction problems, determines program objectives and budget requirements. For a complete job description and to apply please visit our Web site at w w w.fmpa.com. EOE. Manager of energ y control—AMP-Ohio, a service provider and wholesale electric power supplier for 108 municipal electric systems, is seeking a manager of energy control. The position reports to the vice president of energy operations and is responsible for the overall efficient operations of assigned portions of AMP-Ohio’s energy control center. This position supervises 11 positions and is responsible for generation, dispatch, load forecasting, MISO/PJM hourly analysis and utilization and member hourly load following. A four-year engineering- or business-related degree and five or more years of experience are required. Must have knowledge of the electric utility industry. Must demonstrate the use of independent judgment with little supervision. A hands-on working knowledge of interconnection and interchange agreements, transmission arrangements, the FERC regulatory processes, MISO and PJM operations and current aspects of the competitive electric utility environment is required. Must demonstrate excellent supervisory and communication skills. Please send resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to Jenny Ghent, HR Generalist, AMP-Ohio, 2600 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219, or e-mail jghent@ampohio.org, jobs @ amp - ohio.org by Aug. 26, 2005. No phone calls please. EOE. Electrical line superintendent—Wisconsin Rapids Water Works and Lighting Commission is seeking an individual to oversee the installation, operation and maintenance of the electric line system. Responsibilities include coordinating the operations, maintenance and personnel of the electric line system. Experience in inventory management, work order processing, supervision, project planning and safety education necessary. Certification as a journey electric lineworker and 10 years of progressively responsible lineworker experience is required. This position reports to the general manager. Must reside within the school district of Wisconsin Rapids within six months of hire and maintain residency as a condition of employment. Employment is subject to a comprehensive background investigation including past drug and alcohol testing records. The base salary range for this How to place an ad position is $60,000 to $67,500, depending on qualifications, with an excellent benefit package. A completed application and a resume, including references and a cover letter, are required. A job description and an application form are available at Water Works and Lighting Commission, 221 16th St. S., Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494, phone: 715/422-9020, or at our Web site: www.wrwwlc.com. Application deadline is Sept. 16, 2005. Other FTTP Triple Play Software Solutions—For utilities offering Cable TV and Internet services or Triple-Play with FTTP. ETI provides software for customer care, billing, community access and local ad insertion. ETI provisions television, telephone and highspeed access with all major manufacturers. Call Sabrina Porter at 800/332-1078, ext. 301, or e-mail sporter@ etisoftware.com. Commu nit y broadba nd customer ca re a n d b i l l i n g s o l u t i o n — C on ne c t C C B™ f rom Pr ima l S olut ions, Inc. is t he lead i ng c u stomer c a re a nd bi l l i ng solut ion for municipalities, utilities and plannedcommunity developers who are working to bring the benef its of broadband to their communities. Complete and cost-effective, Connect CCB supports eff icient subscrip tion management, service deployment and bi l l i ng oper at ion s for telephone, c able T V and high- speed Internet ser v ices de livered over broadband infr a st r uctures. Call Sam Gilson at 949/260 -1500 or e-mail sales@primal.com. In Memoriam James W. Perry, who was chairman of the Grand River Dam Authority in Vinita, Okla., in 2002 and again last year, died on Aug. 9. In May 1999, the Oklahoma State Senate approved Perry’s nomination to the GRDA board of directors. From that time, until his death, he served as the representative of the dam authority’s rural electric cooperative customers. During Perry’s leadership in 2002, GRDA completed an upgrade of its six hydroelectric generating units at Pensacola Dam. When Perry led the dam authority again, in 2004, GRDA began several new initiatives, including the creation of the authority’s Ecosystems Management and Homeland Security departments. It costs 70 cents per word to place a classified ad in Public Power Weekly. There is a minimum charge of $35. Rates are net of commission. The deadline for classified ads in Public Power Weekly is every Monday, one week prior to the date of publication. Display ads also are available. Ads to be published in Public Power Weekly may be e-mailed to jobs@appanet.org or submitted via APPA’s Web site: w w w. APPAnet.org/applications/classifieds. Ads posted on the Web cost $50 per week and must be submitted through the Web site. For more information, call Luke Kozikowski at 202/467-2946 or e-mail LKozikowski@ appanet.org. People Benny Ethridge is the new director of electric services for the city of Ames, Iowa. Most recently, Ethridge was general manager of the Deer Park Cogeneration Facility near Houston, Texas. He replaces Merlin Hove, who retired after 38 years with the city. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has named five people to the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners: Mary D. Nichols, a former Clinton administration appointee and current director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment; David Nahai, a member of the Regional Water Quality Control Board; William Burke, chair of the South Coast Air Quality Management District; Nick Patsaouras, president of electrical engineering company Patsaouras and Associates; and Edith Ramirez, a partner with the law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges. The Electric Power Board of Nashville, Tenn., has elected Justin P. Wilson as chairman and William Blaufuss as vice chairman. Wilson is an attorney with Waller, Landsen, Dortch and Davis. Blaufuss is a retired managing partner of KPMG Nashville. Michael Bacich was recently promoted to business relations manager for Riverside Public Utilities in California. He previously served as a business coordinator in the development department and as the principal account manager for the utility. 8 Public Power Weekly August 22, 2005 APPA Customer Connections Conference set for Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City, Mo., is the site for this year’s Customer Connections Conference, which will be held Oct. 22-26 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. It will feature a variety of speakers and sessions on customer services, key accounts, public communications, marketing, and energy services. Kansas Municipal Utilities and Missouri Public Utility Alliance are cohosting the event. Opening day speakers include E. Leon Daggett, general manager, Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities, and Barry Moline, executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association. A general session on Oct. 25 will feature a panel of Kansas City business customers discussing their service needs and expectations, as well as how they collaborate with their local utility to attain mutual goals. Seventeen concurrent sessions will feature timely topics, and eight smaller forums will allow participants to take part in discussions on a wide range of issues. The conference registration fee for APPA members is $545. Pre-conference seminars vary in price. Single or double rooms at the hotel are $145 a night. Room reservations should be made directly with the Hyatt Regency Crown Center by calling 800/233-1234 or 816/421-1234. The program and registration forms are available on APPA’s Web site at www. appanet.org or by calling 202/4672900. American Public Power Association 2301 M St. N.W., Washington, DC 20037-1484 Address Service Requested NEWSPAPER USPS 028-120 Kansas City, Mo., is the site of this year’s APPA Customer Connections Conference, to be held Oct. 22-26. Opening day speakers include Kansas City Board of Public Utilities General Manager E. Leon Daggett and FMEA Executive Director Barry Moline. APPA to offer three pre-conference seminars APPA will offer three pre-conference seminars prior to the 2005 Customer Connections Conference. “Developing Your Key Account Representative” is an 11-hour seminar for key accounts professionals who want to improve customer relationship skills. The two-day seminar will be held Oct. 22-23. On Oct. 23, the full-day seminar “Business Energy Audits: Helping Your Customers Save Money” will prepare participants to become trusted advisers to their business customers by helping them manage their energy use and costs. And the half-day seminar, “Using Your Utility Bill to Communicate Effectively with Your Customers” will show how to use a utility bill to communicate with customers on a variety of topics. The conference will also provide an opportunity for public power executives to work toward their key accounts certificate. The written examination for certification will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Periodicals POSTAGE PAID Washington, DC and additional mailing offices