News of the week

MMUA now accepting topic proposals for the 2024 Summer Conference

MMUA is excited to announce the 2024 MMUA Summer Conference in Fargo/Moorhead! Please save the date for Monday, August 19–Wednesday, August 21.

The theme of this year's conference is "Stronger Together." We will focus on topics involving communication, collaboration, and strengthening the municipal model. Members are encouraged to submit proposals for speakers and topics that fit within this framework. We also welcome proposals addressing advancements in utility technology and methods, distributed energy resources, energy storage options, customer service excellence, renewable energy credits, carbon free energy transition issues and answers, excellence in utility governance, and more. Our audience includes utility personnel, council and commission members, city officials, and industry suppliers.

To submit a proposal, please fill out this form. The form will be open until April 1, and multiple submissions are permissible. Registration for the conference will open in May, but the hotel block is already open. Make your reservation through this link. We look forward to seeing you in Fargo/Moorhead!

MN Dept. of Commerce opens EV Rebate Program

Today, the Minnesota Department of Commerce (MNDOC) opened the Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program for applications. The program provides rebates to Minnesota residents for EV purchases on or after May 25, 2023. There is no income requirement for the rebate, and applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

MMUA strongly recommends that members share this information with their communities, as the state has limited funds for the rebate program. More information, including the link to the application and a toolkit for social media posts, is available here.

MMUA announces changes to scholarship program

MMUA will roll out an updated scholarship program in 2025. At its January 31 meeting, the Board of Directors approved a recommendation from staff to evolve the focus of the Association’s longstanding financial awards to focus on workforce development. The Board envisions an updated program that will encourage participation in the utility workforce, be more accessible to interested applicants, and reduce the resources required of member utilities to participate. For these reasons, the program will be on hiatus for 2024.

The Board’s decision is aligned with MMUA’s current strategic plan. In 2024, MMUA intends to collaborate with members and allied organizations to develop and begin carrying out a workforce development strategy for crucial utility positions. Already MMUA has been seeking grant money to assist with these efforts, and the Association is in the process of forming a workforce development task force to examine and recommend specific activities that might further this strategic intent.

The new, as yet unnamed scholarship package will replace the Tom Bovitz Memorial Scholarship Program. Founded in the early 1990s, the existing scholarships were intended as a public relations tool to increase the awareness of public power and create goodwill in member cities. With the advent of the internet, social media, and other tools, interest in the program has waned in recent years.

“Rethinking our scholarship program is the next right step for supporting MMUA members and people who envision a career in utilities. We hope to create a program that will encourage workers to enter the crucial professional roles required by our municipal members,” says MMUA CEO Karleen Kos. The new program will also seek to make administration and participation by member utilities easier.

MMUA members interested in serving on a time-limited committee to develop the new scholarship program are encouraged to contact Christian Glanville.

US natural gas consumption hits record high amid arctic weather

On January 16, 2024, the U.S. experienced a record-high natural gas consumption of 141.5 billion cubic feet, surpassing the previous record set on December 23, 2022. The extreme demand was driven by well-below-normal temperatures resulting from a mass of arctic air covering most of the continental United States.

The surge led to increased usage of natural gas for residential and commercial space heating, as well as electricity generation. Residential and commercial natural gas consumption constituted nearly 49 percent of the overall consumption during the period. The surge in demand prompted record withdrawals from underground storage, totaling 326 billion cubic feet for the week of January 13 to January 19, offsetting reduced U.S. natural gas production affected by freeze-offs and cold-related issues.

To read more, click here.

US Dept. of Energy seeks applications for workforce development program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently accepting Host Institution applications for the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship (CEIF). This program aims to increase access to clean energy career opportunities across the country and accelerate the national transition to resilient and affordable clean energy for all Americans. Hometown utilities are encouraged to apply to be a CEIF Host.

Host Institution applications are due on March 5th. The application for Fellows will open at the end of March, after Host Institutions have been selected. Fellows will receive a stipend funded by DOE throughout the duration of their one- to two-year fellowship, so hosts can focus on making their project and fellowship experience a success. You can learn more on the CEIF webpage under "Start Your Application".  

Funding opportunities

Implementation grants for stormwater resilience

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced a new $35 million grant program to prepare Minnesota’s aging stormwater infrastructure for climate change. Cities and local governments can apply for funding to upgrade their stormwater systems with climate-smart improvements that will protect drinking water and prevent flooding.

Examples of projects eligible for funding through this program include stormwater retention ponds, improvements to streets to support rainwater drainage, increasing the capacity of stormwater pipes, planting rain gardens, and others. The MPCA will host an informational meeting on the grant program on Monday, February 12. Applications are due by April 11.

To learn more, click here.

Looking ahead

Stepping Into Leadership

Beginning April 24

Hybrid course

Registration deadline: April 2

Registration is open for the new cohort of our popular leadership enrichment program, Stepping Into Leadership.

Stepping Into Leadership is designed for those who are new to a supervisory role as well as for current supervisors and leaders who wish to improve their leadership skills. Participants will have 56 hours of instruction delivered through a mix of in-person and virtual settings over a 14-month period.

The program is led by Dana Haagenson of M State and Steve Wischmann of Horizon Performance Solutions, LLC. Dana develops and delivers customized leadership sessions for organizations across various industries. Steve has extensive background in providing organizational and workforce development strategies. He is an expert in policy analysis and public management.

The course beginning April 24 will cover a myriad of developmental topics, such as building a personal leadership style, exploring effective communication, managing conflict, fortifying organizational leadership, and much more.

Click here for complete information.

As always, thank you for your association with MMUA and your commitment to delivering excellent service through locally owned utility assets in your community. Have a great week!

Christian Glanville

Marketing and Member Relations Manager

Direct: 763.746.0727 / Cell: 612.655.0598

Fax: 763.551.0459

cglanville@mmua.org | www.mmua.org

To download a copy of this email, click here.

Hometown services. Hometown strengths. Hometown solutions.