General Information Archives - Page 58 of 62

Honoring our Veterans

November 10, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

To those of you who served in the U.S. Armed Forces who may be reading this, we want to take this opportunity to recognize, honor, and thank you for your service to our country.

As we approach Veterans Day this Wednesday, and drive through our communities taking notice of the prevalent American flags, the symbol of our freedom; everyone will have an opportunity to reflect on the brave men and women who served our country. Whether it’s someone in your family, a coworker or a neighbor, hopefully each of us will find men and women we can thank for their courage and sacrifice, which provided the freedom we enjoy today. We salute our veterans across the state of Kansas and across our free nation.

Wes Keely Recognized for 40 Years of Service

November 2, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

Wes Keely, Gas Systems operator for the City of Winfield, recently received an award for 40 years of dedicated public service from the League of Kansas Municipalities at an awards luncheon.

Wes’ career in public service is an interesting one to be sure, beginning in Winfield as a policeman in 1975 and then a fireman in 1979 where he spent the next five years. In 1984, Wes started working in the Winfield Gas Distribution Department. Wes continued to progress in the department and was promoted to his current title of gas system operator specialist in 1992.

Wes’ daughter Ray Ann and wife Debbie were on hand to celebrate this momentous occasion with him. Please join us in congratulating Wes on receiving this distinguished award and for his many years of public service. Congratulations Wes!

Mike Muirhead Appointed Vice President of KMEA Executive Committee

October 30, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

Mike Muirhead, Public Utilities Director for Garden City, was appointed KMEA Executive Committee Vice President at the September 24^th Executive Committee meeting. Mike has led Garden City through many improvements since he accepted his position in January of 2010. He was also quick to bring his leadership to KMEA, when he was appointed to the KMEA Executive Committee in 2011 where he continues to serve today, now as Vice President. In addition to his recent officer appointment, Mike is also Chairman of the KMEA Power Supply Committee.

Among his accomplishments in Garden City, Mike was instrumental in the termination of a long standing (high priced) contract with the local electric coop, joining KMEA, and the installation of three 9 MW SGT- 400 Siemens gas turbines. Mike’s career has always been with a Public Power Utility. Mike was the City Administrator in Gillette, Wyoming prior to coming to Garden City.

KMEA Welcomes Kiowa

October 30, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

The City of Kiowa is the newest member city of KMEA as well as the EMP3 group. Kiowa was first accepted as a member of the EMP3 group at the September 4^th EMP3 meeting and then became an official member of KMEA on October 9^th.

Kiowa has a population of 1,026 and is located in Barber County, Kansas in the south-central part of the state, about 90 miles southwest of Wichita. Please join us in congratulating and welcoming the City of Kiowa to KMEA and the EMP3 group.

KMGA Annual Conference Breakout Session

October 23, 2015/in General Information/by Dixie Riedel

In conjunction with the November 5^th KMEA Annual Conference and Board of Directors meetings, KMGA staff will host a breakout session for KMGA cities. The purpose of this session is to discuss the management of your city’s natural gas distribution system. Topics to be addressed include: reviewing KMGA invoices, calculating rates for end-use customers, tracking and reporting data, and management fees. If there are other topics pertaining to your natural gas distribution system that would be of interest to you, please contact Dixie Riedel at Riedel@kmea.com or 913-660-0230. The KMGA breakout session will be held from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 5^th at the DoubleTree by Hilton located at 2098 S. Airport Road in Wichita, Kansas.

Osawatomie to Upgrade their Electric Utility

October 16, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

The future looks bright for Osawatomie’s electric utility with the city council’s recent approval to issue $6.8 million in electric utility revenue bonds. The bonds will be used to finance upgrades to the energy generation and distribution system.

The upgrades will really strengthen Osawatomie’s electric utility. The improvements include the purchase of seven two-megawatt diesel-engine generators, construction of a substation as well as a shop building, and repairing and overhauling generators. These improvements will increase Osawatomie’s generation capabilities, generate surplus energy and is expected to bring in additional revenue to the tune of $100,000 to $200,000. It’s always good to see cities like Osawatomie investing in their electric utility.

KMEA Conference around the corner – Register Today!

October 14, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

The KMEA November 5 -6, 2015 Annual Conference is just around the corner. It’s not too late to register! We are kicking off the conference with the KMGA and KMEA Board of Directors meetings, which start on Thursday, November 5th at 10:00 a.m. Registration will run from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

We are excited to bring you some great speakers presenting topics you won’t want to miss. Additionally, our keynote speaker this year is decorated combat pilot, Lt. Colonel Kevin Sweeney, the only pilot to successfully land a plane after two of the four engines were completely ripped off the plane while on a combat mission in Desert Storm. This event was recognized as the finest piece of airmanship in the entire Gulf War.

There is still time to register, however, to meet hotel deadlines and finalize conference materials, please be sure to register no later than Friday, October 23^rd. You can register by going to the Events tab on the kmea.com website or simply click here to go directly to the conference site, which includes the registration form, conference program and more. We hope to see as many of you as possible, as this year’s conference promises to be a great event.

Joint EMP Meeting

October 9, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

Every month KMEA participates in the Energy Management Project Group meetings for EMP 1, EMP 2, and EMP 3, however, last week KMEA hosted a Joint EMP meeting, bringing all three EMPs together in Kansas City. The joint meeting was well attended and included a full agenda.

KMEA kicked off the meeting with market report presentations, followed by a congestion and transmission hedging activity presentation. KMEA went on to share the status of several projects that are in progress for the EMPs. The meeting also included a KMEA website demonstration of the recently launched Sharfile system, which provides a virtual file cabinet to all KMEA member cities.

The joint meeting concluded with status updates from EMP 1 Chairman, Bob Mills, EMP 2 Chairman, Jeff Scott, and EMP 3 Chairman, Matt Rehder. The Joint EMP meeting offered a great opportunity to provide topical demonstrations and presentations and allowed for information exchange between the EMPs. We would like to thank everyone who took time out to attend the joint meeting, particularly those who drove a great distance to attend.

Coffeyville Groundbreaking Ceremony

October 8, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

Wednesday was a momentous day for Coffeyville Municipal Light and Power (CMP&L) as local leaders, utility officials and dignitaries held a groundbreaking ceremony for Generation Facility No.2. Construction will officially begin October 12^th and the new plant, located in the Coffeyville Industrial Park, is expected to be in operation by January 1, 2017.

The construction of the $58, 000,000 plant is the result of a power purchase and sale agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority. The contract led to an agreement to purchase and install 3 – 18.7 MW Wärtsilä generating units, which adds an additional 56 MW of generating capacity. Burns & McDonnell is the engineering firm for the project.

One of the significant benefits of the plant is the quick start capability of the new generators. Should Coffeyville experience a power loss, the new generators could be up and running, and restoring power to the city within 10 minutes. This is an exciting step forward for CMP&L, which has grown into one of the largest municipally owned utilities in Kansas, servicing over 60 square miles and over 6,300 customers. Construction of Generation Facility No.2, just adds to the rich legacy of CMP&L, which has been providing power since 1901.

Public Power Week October 4 – 10

September 28, 2015/in General Information/by KMEA

Public Power Week is just around the corner, celebrated the first full week in October every year. This year Public Power week is October 4 -10, 2015. This is an opportunity for public power utilities to remind their communities of the value and distinct advantages that public power offers. Public power has a rich history in the United States. Locally owned public power utilities have been around for over 100 years and the number of utilities has grown rapidly. Today, 49 States (all but Hawaii) have a public power system and comprise a collection of more than 2000 community-owned electric utilities, serving over 45 million people.

First and foremost, we at KMEA want to thank you, our member cities, for all the hard work you do day in and day out to further the cause of public power and joint action for the betterment of your communities. On the KMEA website “Events “ tab, Click here you will find Public Power Week APPA links that provide great templates and other resources that you may find useful. Among the resources you will find are sample letters, which also provide great talking points to express your appreciation to your public utilities team. Everyone should share in the recognition and appreciation. Once more, all should feel proud to be a part of such and honorable profession. Thank you for all do!