Welcoming Ken Carney to the KMEA Mid-States Team!

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We are excited to introduce Ken Carney as the newest member of the KMEA Mid-States family. Ken joined us on January 21, 2025, as a Field Services Foreman, bringing with him a lot of experience.

Ken’s journey began in Abilene, Kansas, where he was born and raised. At the age of 16, he moved to Ropesville, Texas, where he completed his high school education. It was in Ropesville that Ken and his brother embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure, starting a business building grain elevator parts.

Ken’s professional journey took him to Great Plains, where he dedicated 10 years of service, followed by a remarkable 25-year tenure at Solomon Corporation.

Ken currently resides in Solomon, Kansas, with his wife, Marianna. They have three daughters and are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren. Family is at the heart of Ken’s life, and he cherishes the time he spends with his loved ones. Ken and his daughters used to show horses.

In his free time, Ken loves to go fishing and enjoys the company of his grandchildren. His hobbies reflect his love for the outdoors and his commitment to family.

We are confident that Ken’s expertise, dedication, and passion will be invaluable to our team. Please join us in welcoming Ken Carney to KMEA Mid-States!

Katie Hodge Honored with 2024 Early Career Excellence Award by KACM

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Katie Hodge, the City Manager for Osage City was honored with the Kansas Association of City/County Management (KACM) 2024 Early Career Excellence Award.

Since its creation in 2013, the Early Career Excellence Award has honored emerging professionals who showcase excellence and the potential to make a substantial impact in their field. Katie’s commitment and successes in public service have marked her as a standout professional.

Katie is a KMGA Executive Committee member and serves on the KMGA Board of Directors.

Congratulations to Katie on this well-deserved recognition!

Complete the 2024 Annual City Questionnaire

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The 2024 Annual City Questionnaire is now available. Your participation is crucial as the data collected will help us calculate annual dues accurately.

Please take a moment to complete the questionnaire electronically by clicking the link provided in the flyer below.

The deadline for submission is February 24, 2025.

We greatly appreciate your time and effort in contributing to this important process.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication.

FERC Approves SPP’s Markets+ Tariff, Paving the Way for 2027 Launch

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The Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) proposed Markets+ service achieved a significant milestone on January 16 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of its tariff. Markets+, a regional day-ahead energy market developed in collaboration with over 30 western entities, is set to launch in 2027. This approval allows participants to proceed to phase two of development, which includes system development, testing, and parallel operations. The tariff filing, a result of extensive collaboration, reflects diverse stakeholder perspectives. Key entities like the Bonneville Power Administration and several Arizona utilities have committed to phase two, highlighting the market’s potential to enhance reliability and provide economic benefits across the Western Interconnection.

Click HERE to read more.

President Trump Appoints Mark Christie as FERC Chairman

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On January 20, President Trump appointed Mark Christie as Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Christie began his term as a FERC Commissioner on January 4, 2021, following his nomination by President Trump in July 2020 and subsequent confirmation by the U.S. Senate on November 30, 2020. Immediately before joining FERC, Christie was the Chairman of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), on which he served for nearly 17 years, having been elected three times by the Virginia legislature on bipartisan votes. During his service as a state regulator, he was elected president of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. (OPSI), representing 13 states and the District of Columbia in the PJM transmission and markets organization, and served on its governing board for over a decade. Additionally, Christie served as president of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissioners (MACRUC), a regional chapter of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

Click Here to read more.

City of Cheney Seeks Maintenance Superintendent

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Maintenance Superintendent
 
The City of Cheney is seeking a full-time individual to supervise our Maintenance department, which includes our Water, Sewer, Natural Gas, Street and Parks departments, as well as facility maintenance.
Pay Range: $61,360-$95,680/annual salary (Dependent upon experience and qualifications.
DUTIES PERFORMED: Supervise department staff and oversee all aspects of the Maintenance department, manage projects, perform an assortment of maintenance work, operate a variety of equipment in the construction, operation, repair, maintenance and replacement of the City’s water, natural gas, street, sewer, sidewalks, parks, Golf Course, City buildings and storm drainage facilities.
QUALIFICATIONS: Valid driver’s license with a good driving record. CDL preferred or willing to attend CDL class provided by City. Water/Wastewater certification or ability to become a certified operator. Obtain natural gas qualifying requirements.
EXCELLENT BENEFITS! Including Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance, KPERS and additional Retirement Plans, Wellness Program, Paid Sick/Vacation/Holiday Pay.
Turn applications into City Administrator Danielle Young
Contact:dyoung@cheneyks.org
131 N Main (316) 542-3622

Meet James Remley, Newest Addition to KMEA Team

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James Remley- Manager of Engineering

We are thrilled to introduce James Remley, the newest addition to the KMEA Mid-States team. 

James was born in Liberty, Missouri, and grew up just south of Concordia. He pursued his higher education at Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Prior to joining KMEA, James worked at Evergy for nine years. He was part of the Long Term Transmission Planning team for three years, and after that, he was part of the Transmission Operations Planning department for six years.

Outside of his professional life, James enjoys playing board games, reading, and fishing. He also loves to spend time with his family. His parents still reside south of Concordia, and James has two older sisters—one living in Bentonville, Arkansas, and the other in Zurich, Switzerland.

We are excited to have James on board and look forward to the fresh perspectives he will bring to KMEA Mid-States. Welcome, James!

DOE Makes Funds Available for Grid Projects

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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.”

The three funding opportunities are:

  • $8 million for the Renewable Integration Management with Innovative High-Voltage Direct Current Power Circuit Breakers (REIMAGINE BREAKERS)
  • $6.25 million for the Human-Centric Analytics for Resilient & Modernized Power sYstems (HARMONY)
  • $4.125 million for the Blue Sky Training Program

Click HERE to read more…

Winter Weather Challenges

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Winters in the Midwest can sometimes be rough due to rain, snow, wind, ice and whatever else comes along. Ice can many times be the worst. Accompanied by wind it presents several challenges. Safety is of the utmost importance, and it starts with protecting yourself. This includes falls, frostbite and several other potential dangers. This article is an oldy, but it gives you a good overview of some of the challenges for your system this winter. Work together and be safe.

Winter Weather Challenges for Substation and Transmission Components