MEUW - Live Lines

During a September 10 visit to Chippewa Valley Technical College, Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman met with Randy Larson’s 3rd-year apprenticeship class and observed them as they demonstrated their skills in field testing transformers. The 28 apprentices were from MEUW Member utilities and rural electric cooperatives throughout the state.

“Wisconsin’s apprenticeship program was the first in the nation, and we can remain a leader by expanding it to include more training opportunities for critical utility jobs that will help us gain our energy independence,” Secretary Gassman said.

“We need more skilled workers in the utility sector, especially as boomers begin to retire,” Secretary Gassman said. “Nearly one in three of our utility workers is age 50 or older. Additional job opportunities are being created as we focus more on winning our energy independence with wind, solar and other alternative energy sources. Apprenticeship training can open the door to many rewarding careers.”

The latest projections from DWD’s Office of Economic Advisors put the average annual openings for electrical power line installers and repairers at 100 with 80 of them replacements due primarily to retirements.

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Sturgeon Bay to Host 2009 Rodeo
MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo Continues to Grow

Under a splendid Stoughton September sky, the 3rd Annual MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo drew teams, families and fans from around the state to compete for the title of “Grand Champion.” Located on the grounds of Stoughton’s Mandt Community Park, the competition featured eight teams from eight different MEUW Member utilities competing in five events.

Dennis Bednarski from Oconomowoc Utilities and Chair of the MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo Committee said the event takes many people and organizations to make it a success. “The event really comes together when so many people help with organizing, getting sponsors to help fund the day’s activities. It really wouldn’t happen without the Committee, MEUW, the vendors, volunteers and judges,” Bednarski said.

Teams from Shawano, Sturgeon Bay, Stoughton, Hartford, Oconomowoc, Kaukauna (two teams), and a combo team from Sun Prairie and Wisconsin Rapids took their turn at five events – elbow installation, arrester changeout, pole top rescue, downed line repair, and obstacle course. Each team would receive a score for each event based on successful completion of the task including all safety measures required for that task. The events were also timed, but the total time was only used in the case of ties between teams in a particular event.

Congratulations to Josh Rohan and Tony Stobbe from Kaukauna who took home the top overall team spot, with host utility Stoughton coming in second place and Oconomowoc in third. Full results of each event and a short photo show of the rodeo can be found on the MEUW home page: www.meuw.org.

Set your calendars for September 11-12, when the 4th Annual MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo heads to beautiful Door County and the City of Sturgeon Bay.

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Thanks to Our Sponsors!

MEUW and the Rodeo Committee would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 3rd Annual MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo a great success. We look forward to working with you next year!

Bell Lumber & Pole Co.
Burndy Electrical
Concast Inc.
Crescent Electric Supply
Dunkirk Water Power Co.
Electrotech
Forster Electrical Engineering
General Cable
Hanson Pest Management
Hartford Utilities
IBEW Local 2150
Inkworks, Inc.
Kaukauna Utilities
Krause Power Engineering
Laser Technology, Inc.
MEUW
Menasha Utilities
Midwest Elec. Resources Co.
Midwest Tree & Excavating
Mike’s Plaza Liquor
Muscoda Utilities
RESCO
Speed Systems Inc.
Stoughton Lumber
Stoughton Utilities
Strand Associates
Sturgeon Bay Utilities
WI Utility Suppliers Assn.
WESCO
Wisconsin Public Power Inc.

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All Ten Districts Will Host a Meeting This Year
2008 MEUW District Dinner Meetings Planned for September-November

We have once again scheduled MEUW District Dinner Meetings in the Fall. With so much going on for the association and in the electric industry, these meetings will be beneficial to all who attend. Please plan to have a representative or two from your utility and community attend.

While these are District Meetings, we encourage MEUW representatives to attend whichever dinner meeting is most convenient (whether it is in your district or not).

The cost for the dinner will be approximately $20 - $30 per person, depending upon location and menu. We will bill your utility for the guests from your community who attend. To allow us to give an accurate head count to the restaurant, please R.S.V.P. to MEUW Receptionist Shari Baumann (608/837-2263 or sbaumann@meuw.org) at least a week before the meeting you plan to attend.

The meetings will start at 6 p.m. with a cash bar, dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and there will be a presentation after dinner (either by MEUW Executive Director Dave Benforado or by MEUW Associate Director Scott Meske), followed by an informal discussion. Most meetings should be done by 8 p.m.

The meetings will include updates on legislative and regulatory matters, major electric infrastructure projects in Wisconsin, and the current state of MEUW. We hope to see as many of you as can make it at this year’s MEUW District Dinner Meetings.

2008 MEUW District Dinner Meetings:

District 1 - Thursday, October 30
Turtleback Golf Club, Rice Lake

District 2 - Thursday, October 9
Castle Hill Supper Club, Merrillan

District 3 - Thursday, November 6
Anello’s Supper Club, Shawano

District 4 - Thursday, October 30
Machut’s Supper Club, Two Rivers

District 5 - Tuesday, September 30
Old Towne Inn, Westby

District 6 - Wednesday, October 8
Green Acres Restaurant, Sauk City

District 7 - Wednesday, November 5
Rock River Country Club, Waupun

District 8 - Wednesday, October 29
Red’s Supper Club, Cuba City

District 9 - Wednesday, October 22
Halverson’s, Stoughton

District 10 - Wednesday, October 29
Olympia Resort, Oconomowoc

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Regional Leadership Teams to Strategize Response to Global Challenge
Lieutenant Governor Lawton and UW-Stevens Point to Convene Historic Climate Change Summit

Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton announced last month that, as part of her Green Economy Agenda, she will call on municipal leaders across the state to assemble regional teams that will gather in Stevens Point this December to create a framework for regional and local response to global climate change.

Lieutenant Governor Lawton will host the summit along with the Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, partnering with the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities, the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.

“In Wisconsin, we don’t wait for change, we author change,” said Lawton. “This summit is designed to give local leaders the tools they need to address energy independence and climate change together. With this unprecedented gathering, we will develop a powerful statewide solutions network.” Lawton noted that she expects to see an eco-vision for Wisconsin emerge from the day’s proceedings.

Attendees will hear from nationally recognized experts, including Terry Tamminen, former senior advisor on environmental issues to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and author of Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction, as well as Doug Scott, Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and former mayor of Rockford. They will also be invited to tour green buildings and sustainable businesses in the Stevens Point area.

For more information and registration materials, please go to: http://www.WiClimateChangeSummit.com

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MEUW Member Utilities Must Perform Arc-Flash Assessments by January 1, 2009

“Arc-flash” is recognized by OSHA and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce as a potential cause of serious injury and death among electrical workers. Effective January 1, 2009, MEUW Member utilities must “ensure that an assessment is performed to determine potential exposure to an electric arc for employees who work on or near energized parts or equipment”.

Arc flash hazard assessments are fairly complex studies involving the calculation of fault current levels, the anticipated clearing times of overcurrent protective devices (such as fuses, reclosers or breaker/relay combinations) and assumptions about the distance from the fault to the affected worker. For many MEUW Members, it may be prudent to use an engineering firm that specializes in electrical hazard assessments to complete this task. The resulting engineering analysis and PPE selections will provide good third party documentation in the event of a DCOMM investigation or a liability lawsuit.

Your utility should have received a memo on September 12 from MEUW, with an attached memo from Dave Krause, PE, Krause Power Engineering, summarizing this new requirement. For another copy of the memo, please contact MEUW Receptionist Shari Baumann (sbaumann@meuw.org or 608-837-2263).

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September 8-10, 2008
MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School Held in Stoughton Following Lineman’s Rodeo

An even dozen municipal electric lineworkers took advantage of the opportunity to attend the 2008 MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School, held on September 8-10, 2008 at Mandt Park in Stoughton, the site of the 3rd Annual MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo.

Congratulations to the following individuals who earned their certificates this year: Brad Shea, Bangor; Ken Truckey, Elkhorn; Curt Kreilkamp, Hartford; Michael Thimm, Hartford; Shane Donegon, Hustisford; Cade Schreiber, Hustisford; Scott Gald, Richland Center; Gerald Klatt, Richland Center; Jeff Ploeger, River Falls; Brian Scheel, Stoughton; Craig Wood, Stoughton; Dave Zweep, Stoughton.

And many thanks to MEUW Safety Director John Boogren for providing the training.

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