WPPI Debuts 100+ mpg Plug-In Hybrid

Drivers tired of paying gas prices hovering over $3 per gallon are likely to be interested in a new vehicle making its way onto local roads.

Sporting a license plate reading “GAS SIPR” and wrapped in eye-catching graphics, Wisconsin Public Power Inc.’s new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is bound to attract attention. The car is a Prius that has been fitted with a larger battery that can be charged by plugging into a standard wall outlet.

WPPI’s plug-in hybrid will be able to travel up to 30 miles on electricity before using the Prius’ gas-electric hybrid operating system. The result: a vehicle that gets up to 100+ miles per gallon. A second WPPI PHEV will hit the road next month.

PHEV owners can expect up to an 85% reduction in gasoline use, resulting in significant cost savings and reducing the environmental impact of driving. The electric equivalent to a gallon of gas will cost 70-80 cents at prevailing electric rates. No additional power plants would be needed to support the use of PHEV technology, because charging occurs at night when consumption is lowest.

“In almost every conceivable power generation mix, PHEVs reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants,” said Tom Paque, WPPI’s Vice President of Marketing. “WPPI’s headquarters is powered 100% by green energy,” adds Paque, “so WPPI’s plug-in vehicle will be powered entirely by renewable energy when it runs in all-electric mode.”

“WPPI is committed to being a leader in helping to control energy costs for customers while aggressively pursuing conservation and energy efficiency,” says President and CEO Roy Thilly. “As part of that commitment, we’re working to put this innovative, proven technology on the road today.”

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Three-Digit Dialing Will Help Save Lives and Protect America's Underground Infrastructure
Diggers Hotline Launches 811

Diggers Hotline has joined the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) in a national campaign to educate the American public about a new national safety resource that will help protect residents of Wisconsin from the injuries, expenses and penalties caused by the nearly 700,000 digging related accidents each year in America.

811 is a new FCC-designated national N-11 number created to help simplify contacting one-call centers across the country. This service will notify the appropriate utilities, who then send personnel to the requested site to mark the approximate location of underground lines.

Failure to call before digging threatens lives and underground utility infrastructure. By making it easy to have underground lines marked, this new resource will help protect homeowners and professional excavators.

Nationwide, risky assumptions about the location of underground utility lines, which are buried at various depths below the ground, lead to more than one unintentional hit per minute. Even simple digging jobs can damage utility lines and disrupt vital services to an entire neighborhood, harm those who dig, and result in expensive fines and repair costs. According to a CGA study, while 46% of Americans are active diggers who have done or plan to do a digging project at home, only 33% of them plan on calling before they dig, which means they are taking a huge risk each time they shovel.

In addition to the 811 number, Diggers Hotline will continue to have available its toll free 800-242-8511 number and the Email-a-Locate program. For professional excavators, Diggers Hotline also offers a Remote Entry program. For more information on Diggers Hotline, please check its web site: www.diggershotline.com. While 811 is efficient and easy for your customers to remember, it is not the fastest method, so utility personnel should continue to use the toll-free number, email or the remote entry program.

More information on 811 is available at http://www.Call811.com.

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Save the Date...

2nd Annual
MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo

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Top Ten Reasons to Attend the
2007 MEUW Annual Conference

10. Appleton is beautiful in June.

9. Economic development –what does that mean? (hint: It is one of the top issues facing communities today.)

8. I can’t wait to see what Packer tie President Frye is wearing.

7. Our utility spends big bucks training lineworkers. How much time and training money do we allocate for managers and commissioners?

6. Appleton is beautiful in June.

5. Finding quality lineworkers and utility employees is the number one challenge facing public power communities in the next 10 years—we better have a plan.

4. The utility industry is changing with the speed of light. We owe it to our customers to learn about the issues facing our utility.

3. It’s the only time I actually see the MEUW staff.

2. MISO, FERC, ratemaking, and RTOs aren’t on the agenda.

1. Those little weenies at the social hour are delicious.

Sign up today for the 2007 MEUW Annual Conference at the Radisson Paper Valley hotel in Appleton June 13-15. For more information and registration materials, go to http://www.meuw.org/2007_Annual_Conf_MEUW_Member Materials.pdf. Or if you have questions, call 608-837-2263 and talk to Dave, Scott or Linda.

Remember, Appleton is beautiful in June!

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Municipal Telecom Seminar Scheduled for June 13 in Appleton

The 5th Annual Municipal Telecom Seminar will be held on Wednesday, June 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. This year’s seminar will feature updates on video franchise legislation, broadband technologies and community broadband efforts. This year, the seminar is free with your MEUW Annual Conference registration. For those not attending the Annual Conference, the seminar is $25. If you wish to attend just the telecom seminar, send an email to Scott Meske (smeske@meuw.org) and request “Telecom Seminar materials” to receive a registration form. The registration deadline is June 6, 2007.

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Will Be Instructor at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
MEUW Safety Director Steve Hedden Resigns

MEUW Steve Hedden Safety Director Steve Hedden has accepted a position as an Electric Power Distribution Program Instructor with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC in Green Bay).

We will all miss Steve and his passion for advancing safety amongst MEUW Member employees. On the other hand, this is a natural progression in his career that will allow him to continue to coach and train electric employees to operate in a safe manner. Congratulations Steve!

What does this mean for the MEUW Safety Program? We have already launched a plan to hire a new MEUW Safety Director by the start of the 2007-8 training year this Fall. The deadline for applications is June 22 (see the ad on this page). Interviews will take place in early July, and we hope to have someone on board in August.

In terms of the remaining portions of the 2006-7 schedule, there will be no MEUW Safety Director “field visits” at MEUW Member utilities in eastern Wisconsin this summer. We have also cancelled Steve’s remaining Session G’s in western and southern Wisconsin.

Since MEUW Members in eastern Wisconsin will not be receiving an MEUW Safety Director “field visit” this summer, and since Session “G” has been cancelled for MEUW Members in western and southern Wisconsin, we will issue an $81.25 credit for each employee registered for all sessions of MEUW’s Safety & Job Training program. Your credit will be applied to the next invoice that MEUW sends to your utility.

Many thanks for your continued support of the MEUW Safety & Job Training program.

Safety Director

The Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (www.meuw.org), a state association of 81 electric utilities, is seeking an instructor for safety and training. This position is responsible to provide job and safety training for electrical line workers, and involves travel to various training locations throughout Wisconsin. Successful candidate will have five years of electric line work experience, and will have either graduated from a technical school in Electric Power Distribution, or have completed a state-certified apprenticeship program as a Journeyman Lineman. A thorough and complete knowledge of electrical distribution systems is a must. Training and computer experience is desirable. Send resume and salary history by June 22 to: David J. Benforado, Executive Director, MEUW, 725 Lois Drive, Sun Prairie, WI 53590; or by e-mail (dbenforado@meuw.org). Position open until filled.

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