We are excited to share with you more details on our upcoming annual conference in Wichita, Kansas, on October 23rd and 24th at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview. This event is a fantastic opportunity for networking, learning, and sharing best practices with fellow members.
Important Dates:
Conference Dates: October 23-24
Registration Deadline: September 20th
On August 26th, effective at 12:30 p.m., the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 (EEA 1) due to the forecast of high peak loads caused by high temperatures, an increase in resource outages, and low output from wind and other variable energy resources (also known as a low VER forecast) leading into the peak hours for the day. An EEA 1 declaration does not require the public to conserve energy and does not indicate that SPP will be directing controlled service outages. Instead, an EEA 1 is an indication that while SPP has enough generation available to meet demand and fulfill its reserve obligations, conditions exist that could put reserves at risk if they worsen.
Once notified, the KMEA 24-hour Operations group relayed the grid condition to all KMEA cities via email and additionally began contacting by phone all cities with non-registered generation to make them aware of the possibilities of dispatches. All of our registered generation was either online or dispatched for future hours of the day.
On August 14th, the city of Morrill successfully transitioned to its new substation. For the past few years, Morrill had been operating on an old substation purchased from Evergy. Due to the age and disrepair of the facility, Evergy had planned to replace it.
After thoroughly evaluating the costs associated with Evergy replacing the old substation, the city decided to invest in purchasing the old substation and constructing a new one. This decision was driven by the potential rise in wholesale distribution service charges if Evergy proceeded with the replacement.
KMEA/Mid-States provided comprehensive engineering and construction services for the new substation. This included a full steel structure, a new transformer, regulators, reclosers, and all other necessary equipment to ensure a safe and reliable substation for Morrill.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — At their August 5-6 meetings, Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Regional State Committee and Board of Directors approved increases to the planning reserve margins (PRM) member utilities are required to maintain in support of regional grid reliability. PRM represents the amount of back-up power utilities must have to guard against unplanned conditions or events on the regional power grid.
SPP’s action will further help the region prepare for extreme weather events and other circumstances that lead to higher-than-usual demand for electricity. Such episodes have become increasingly common in recent years, such as with Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and Winter Storm Elliott in 2022.
SPP’s Regional State Committee and board approved minimum requirements of a 36% winter-season PRM and a 16% summer-season PRM, effective beginning summer 2026 and winter 2026/27. This means that load responsible entities in SPP’s region must have access to enough generating capacity to serve their peak consumption with at least 36% margin during the winter season and at least 16% margin during the summer.
Lindsborg, Kansas, a city of about 3,800, is seeking qualified enthusiastic applicants to fill the position of full-time Public Works Director for our growing and diverse community.
Public Works professionals with project management, supervisory experience, and organizational skills are encouraged to apply. Leadership and presentation skills, as well as the ability to work well with diverse organizations within the community are required. The primary job responsibilities include oversight of the activities of the Streets, Water, Electric, and Wastewater Departments, as well as budget preparation and management. This position serves as a member of the city management team to ensure overall effective integration of public works activities with other city functions.
We are excited to announce that David Nurse will be the keynote speaker at the KMEA Annual Conference on October 23 and 24. Registrations for members will open on August 26, so mark your calendars!
David Nurse has been transforming the way hundreds of NBA stars play on the court for most of his career. His innovative methods have been dubbed as training “athletes of the future” due to his unique ability to teach players how to tap into different mindsets and become unstoppable.
The Kansas Department of Commerce is seeking applications from eligible Joint Apprenticeship Training Councils (including Labor Unions), state educational institutions (as defined by K.S.A 76-711), businesses, non-profits or workforce boards for projects that will attract and retain employees and build the state workforce through registered apprenticeship. Applications should clearly demonstrate linkage between the project, industry demand, apprentice training and apprentice recruitment.
An organization may submit one application. The total program budget is up to $500,000. The minimum award is $75,000 and up to $200,000. Applicants are required to provide a 1:1 match for every grant dollar requested. Matching dollars can include FTE costs.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Tuesday, some of the steep U.S. tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports, including electric vehicles and their batteries, computer chips and medical products will be delayed by at least two weeks.
USTR said in May those tariffs would take effect on Aug. 1 but the office said it is still reviewing 1,100 comments received and now expects to issue a final determination in August. The office added the new tariffs will take effect approximately two weeks after the final determination is released.
DEED grants encourage and promote energy innovation and support the development and demonstration of new, innovative technologies and techniques, and the creation of useful products and tools for the betterment of public power utilities and their customers. Grants often support pilot projects, new technology demonstrations, early commercialization projects, and the development of best practices.
The first KMGA regional meeting of 2024 was held on July 31st in Lyons, providing a valuable opportunity for KMGA staff to connect with member cities in a small group setting. Representatives from Ellinwood, Garden City, Lyons, Partridge, Sylvia, and Sterling attended the meeting. Key topics on the agenda included an overview of the Kansas Municipal Gas Agency (KMGA), legal update, and projections for gas supply prices for the upcoming winter.
