Author Archive for: KMEA

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity released three Notices of Funding Opportunity totaling nearly $18.4 million for programs to support research and development of electricity grid technologies.

The programs will reduce the cost of high-voltage direct current circuit breakers, improve risk assessment and communication for grid operators, and ensure communities are ready to respond to unanticipated energy storage system failures, it said.

“Upgrading critical systems and controls will extend the life of existing grid components, increase the grid’s ability to receive, transmit, and deliver electricity, and improve communications to help predict and prevent failures,” it said.

“Moreover, quantifying and clearly communicating risk and uncertainties to decision-makers and human operators enables more accurate and effective prediction, prevention, and mitigation of cascading failures in the grid. In addition, ensuring communities are prepared to safely manage and monitor energy storage systems is critical to successfully deploying storage technologies.”

Reduce your energy usage and save money on your heating bills by following the tips below:
Seal it up. Check for leaks around windows, doors, and other openings to the outside. Seal these leaks with caulk and keep the warmth in.
Cover it up. Cover bare floors with carpet.
Furnace Checkup. Have your furnace and heating system inspected annually to check for leaks or other problems.
Insulate. Wrap old water heaters with proper insulating jackets, and set the temperature to 120°F (or lower). Insulate your plumbing.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of Gerry Bieker from KMEA. Gerry has been an integral part of our team since August 31, 2016, when he joined as the Manager of Member Services. His dedication has significantly contributed to KMEA’s growth over the years.

Gerry’s journey with KMEA has been marked by numerous achievements. His passion for public power manifested itself in the KMEA’s lineman program, which he was instrumental in developing. On November 1, 2021, he was promoted to Managing Director of Electric Operations.

Prior to joining KMEA, Gerry worked in the municipal public sector for an impressive 36 years. His extensive experience and deep understanding of public utilities have been invaluable assets to our organization.

As Gerry prepares to retire, we reflect on his vital contributions and the positive impact he has had on our organization. His last day with KMEA will be December 23, 2024. While we will miss his friendship, calming presence, and sense of humor, we are excited for Gerry as he embarks on this new chapter of his life. He is ready to spend more quality time with his family, especially his new grandson Fynn, and enjoy time at the lake.

Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states ended the natural gas injection season with 3,922 billion cubic feet, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Dec. 2.

EIA released estimates based on data from its Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on November 7.

U.S. inventories are starting winter 2024–25 with the most natural gas since 2016. Inventories are currently 6% above the five-year (2019–23) average, despite less-than-average injections into storage throughout the entire injection season, which runs April 1 through October 31.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to provide guidance to eligible entities (electric grid operators, electricity storage operators, electricity generators, transmission owners or operators, distribution provider and fuel suppliers or other entities determined by the DOE) for preparation of subgrant applications to be submitted to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) in response to Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Under this Program, the Department of Energy (DOE) provides grants to States to improve the resilience of their electric grid against disruptive events.  A disruptive event, as defined by the Program, is “an event in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster.”