Entries by KMEA

The City of Russell is Hiring Electric Journeyman Lineman

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The City of Russell is seeking professional and community-oriented individuals for a full-time Certified Journeyman Lineman position. The City of Russell offers a very progressive benefit package. Benefits include vacation and sick leave, uniforms, family health insurance, family dental and vision plans, KPERS retirement program, and several other optional benefit programs.
This position includes the construction, repair, and maintenance of the City of Russell’s overhead and underground Electric Distribution and Transmission systems, which are vital to providing power to our community. Employees will be provided on-the-job training with opportunities for continuing education.

KMGA Celebrates Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day on March 18

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Kansas Municipal Gas Association Celebrates Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day on March 18

KMGA will observe the national Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day on March 18, 2023.  This is the eighth year in which Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day has been officially celebrated across the country. This day of recognition is a time when communities such as ours give recognition to the employees who provide one of their most valuable assets—their natural gas utility.

The official Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day is March 18 because that is the date of the New London, Texas school explosion in 1937 that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas and an increased emphasis on safety. Safety is a vital aspect to natural gas distribution and the employees of distribution companies endeavor to make natural gas delivery as safe as possible.

Baldwin City Approves New Substation

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Baldwin City council members recently agreed to move forward with plans for a new substation, to be located at 1st street and Hwy 56.  Mike Schmaderer with KMEA Mid-States presented the project to the council members at their March 21st meeting, where it was met with unanimous approval. KMEA Mid-States will provide engineering and construction of the substation project along with assistance in procuring a 20 MVA transformer.

KMEA Joint Pole Purchasing Program Survey

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KMEA would appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete this short survey to help determine the desire and need of the membership for joint pole purchasing.  As we all continue to struggle with supply chain issues this could be a way to help alleviate this for the membership.  A bonus could be any cost savings that would go along with a joint purchase program.  Please follow the link to complete the survey.  Thank you for your time.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $315 Million to Advance Reliable Clean Energy in Rural and Remote Communities

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DOE Announces Initial Funding for New $1 Billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Program to Improve Energy Systems in Areas with Less Than 10,000 People

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), today announced $300 million for projects that increase energy affordability and promote climate resilience and $15 million for a prize competition to help rural communities build the capacity needed for clean energy development and deployment. These two new funding opportunities are a critical component of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program, which aims to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people. Today’s announcements will help deliver local community-driven energy projects in rural and remote communities and reflect the President’s unwavering commitment to ensuring no community is left behind in the nation’s historic transition to a clean energy future. 

DOE touts grid expansion plans as operators raise concerns

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The Department of Energy calls its new draft report on transmission a vital step in confronting barriers to long-distance power lines, but not all U.S. grid operators are sold on the outlook.

DOE’s draft “National Transmission Needs Study,” released Friday, is the department’s initial view of where and how interstate power networks need to expand by the 2030s to carry three to four times the flow of wind and solar power on the grid today.