Awareness Campaign

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About 49 million people in 49 states and five territories across the U.S. are public power customers. However, our research has shown that the majority of those 49 million people don’t even realize their utility is community-owned. We need to make them aware of this fact and explain why this matters. And we can do this more effectively if we speak with one voice. At our members’ request, the American Public Power Association developed a national campaign to raise awareness of public power.

The campaign is built on the theme “Community Powered” and is designed for Association members (public power utilities, joint action agencies, and state associations) to implement in your communities from October to December 2018.

We hope you will participate in the campaign and engage your communities. Let’s tell the public power story together.  https://www.publicpower.org/awareness-campaign

Winter Gas Prices Responding to Low Storage Levels

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Weekly storage injection volumes reported this summer have been below the 5 year average.  Current storage level is at 2,435 Bcf, about 25% below the five-year average.  Storage levels are projected to be below 3,300 Bcf at the end of the injection season on October 31st.  According to data from the EIA, this would be the lowest storage level going into the withdraw season in 15 years.   

The NYMEX winter strip (Dec-Feb) is finally reacting to the growing storage inventory deficit.  The posted average price for the winter strip on August 22nd was $3.13 per MMBtu.  This is an increase of 16.5 cents from the average posted price on August 1st of $2.96/MMBtu.  EIA expects natural gas spot prices to average $2.98/MMBtu for the remaining months in 2018 and $3.10/MMBtu in 2019.

Eudora begins Pole Testing

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Merl Page Receives National Award “Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award”

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New Orleans, La., June 19, 2018 —Merl Page, city manager for the City of Wamego, Kansas, received the Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award
at the American Public Power Association’s national conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. This award recognizes managers of small utilities serving fewer than 2,500 meters. These managers have a very small staff and must assume multiple roles. The seven hats they must wear are: planning and design, administration, public relations, field supervision, accounting, human resources, and community leadership. Since 1996 Merl has led planning and design of the electric, water, and wastewater systems as well as many community improvement projects. He is a hands-on manager and keeps a close eye on all city programs. Merl communicates regularly with local citizens and customers on a personal basis, plays an active role in publishing the Wamego city newsletter, and works to make the city’s website useful. He works with
department heads, the city clerk, and the city treasurer on the city budget each year.
He is treasurer for the Wamego Hospital Board and an ambassador for the Wamego
Chamber of Commerce.

Merl APPA Award Video

 

Southern Star Pipeline Explosion

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Southern Star had an explosion earlier this morning on their pipeline.  Scott Robertson, Hesston’s Utility Superintendent, said he was 2.5 miles from the explosion and it shook his truck.

http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Crews-respond-to-possible-pipeline-fire-near-Hesston–485657431.html

Needless to say, KMGA is getting supply cut due to this event.

 

 

Coal and Nuke Bailout?

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It appears that the government is preparing a plan to bailout coal and nuclear power plants at risk of closure. I won’t bore you with the details (you can read them by clicking on the link) but it is somewhat scary thinking about what could happen to the wholesale power markets if this happens. The organized markets and low gas prices have afforded most americans with very affordable electricity for the last several years. If the government moves forward with this bailout it will undoubtedly affect the energy markets and most likely in a negative way. This creates uncertainty that will not sit well with large scale commercial and industrial customers. I’ll be hanging on with all of you to see what happens.

Bailout

KMGA Continues State-Wide Operator Qualification (OQ) Efforts

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KMGA continues with the effort of creating a state-wide Operator Qualification (OQ) program that can be adopted by all 53 municipals across Kansas who own their natural gas distribution system.  Every operator of a natural gas system is required by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to have an OQ program.  The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) audits the OQ programs annually.

KMGA, along with representatives from the Flint Hills Group, have organized 10+ meetings for the municipals to attend.  The majority of the 53 Kansas municipals have been represented at these meetings and have contributed in creating a state-wide OQ Program.

During the months of April and May, the KCC hosted five workshops around the state of Kansas.  KMGA attended each of these workshops and visited with the cities on “Pooling of Municipal Operator Qualifications”.

Through these efforts city personnel recognize the benefits of municipals working together to achieve the goal of a state-wide OQ program, as well as training together.  One of the city superintendents attending the meetings made the comment, “This is the best thing in 20 years that has happened for operators of natural gas systems”.  We will continue to host OQ meetings through the remainder of 2018.