Conference Program

Thursday, May 14
DoubleTree Hotel Madison East

Breakfast will be available from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. 

7:30 a.m. MEUW Annual Business Meeting
Presentation by MEUW President and CEO Tim Heinrich
9:00 a.m. Update from American Public Power Association
Mike Peters, President and CEO of WPPI Energy and APPA Chair-Elect
10:00 a.m. Breakout Session A*
11:00 a.m. Breakout Session B*
11:45 a.m. Awards Luncheon
1:00 p.m. Update from ATC on State of Transmission Grid
Ellen Nowak, Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs — ATC
2:00 p.m. Innovations in Electric Systems: Successes from the Wisconsin Energy Institute
Mary Blanchard, Associate Director — Wisconsin Energy Institute
Dr. Michael Wagner, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering — University of Wisconsin-Madison
3:00 p.m. Cohort Discussions
4:00 p.m. Keynote Presentation by Wayne Larrivee, Voice of the Green Bay Packers
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Closing Reception

* Each Breakout Session topic will be presented twice:

Service Territory Expansion and Protection – Attorney Julia Potter from Boardman and Clark Law Firm will review the current state of service territory disputes and litigation, and provide insight to those who are, or may be in the future, experiencing them to help extend and protect municipal utility boundaries.

Relocating Utilities for State Highway Projects – Shane Smith, Statewide Utility Project Coordinator from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, will provide information and updates on the Utility Coordination Workshop and recently revised easement acquisition process.

Mutual Aid Lessons Learned and Process Review – During last year’s Annual Conference, severe weather throughout portions of the state prompted a mutual aid event to be called on the spot. MEUW Director of Safety and Operations Mike Czuprynko will provide an overview of the situation, lessons learned from the response, and a review of MEUW notification and support processes. 
Cohort Discussions are faciliated, participant-led, interactive roundtables to enable conference attendees to choose the topic that most interests them. There are three concurrent discussion groups:

The Affordability of Public Power – Statewide data shows that residential public power customers in Wisconsin continue to benefit from electric rates that compare favorably to those of other utilities. As energy costs capture headlines, what strategies can municipal utilities use to effectively explain their cost advantages and help customers, regulators, and lawmakers understand the true affordability of public power?
 
Cyber and Physical Security – Discussions will focus on MEUW’s new member-led Cyber and Physical Security Working Group, what they’re planning, and how they can best support member needs.
 
Lineworker Safety and Education – Sustaining high levels of member satisfaction with Job Training & Safety (JT&S) Program is a key priority for the MEUW Safety & Education Committee. Join the discussion to provide feedback about the strengths and weaknesses of the program and offer input to keep the training relevant, engaging, and valuable for lineworkers of all experience and skill levels. The new MEUW employees leading the JT&S instruction will participate and introduce themselves.
Keynote Presentation
Wayne Larrivee has been the play-by-play radio voice of the Green Bay Packers since 1999, working alongside partner Larry McCarren on the Packers Radio Network. An award-winning broadcaster, he has also worked for the Big Ten Network on its coverage of conference football and basketball games and the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Prior to Green Bay, Larrivee’s voice was synonymous with Chicago professional sports. He spent 17 years as the television play-by-play voice of the Chicago Bulls and over 10 years calling Chicago Bears games. He also spent time in a similar capacity for baseball’s Chicago Cubs.