ERMUSR HANDOUT #1 06-12-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Legislative Report. Government Relations staff published the 2011 MMUA Legislative Report, an account of the legis- lation that staff followed throughout the legislative session and the resulting changes in state law. Amicus Brief. Government Relations staff supported the ef- fort to provide information for an "amicus brief" involving an appeal of an eminent domain decision concerning a ser- vice territory dispute between the City of Moorhead and Red River Valley Cooperative Power Association. Video Project. In 2011, Government Relations staff spent a considerable amount of time helping to produce a video showcasing the contributions of local municipal utilities to their individual communities. This effort included selecting and researching topics, coordinating interviews, making recommendations and reviewing video footage. Engineering and Policy Analysis Job Title. One change that occurred in 2011 is that Bob Jag - usch's job title was changed from Director of Energy Services to Director of Engineering and Policy Analysis. The change was made to more accurately reflect the scope of Bob's du- ties, and was not intended to indicate a reduced emphasis on Conservation Improvement Program issues. Bob remains fully engaged in that area and continues to work with mem- bers who need assistance. RICE — Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines. 2011 started off at a full sprint with our efforts on the Reciprocat- ing Internal Combustion Engine (RICE) rule. MMUA present- MMUA's Bob Jagusch discussed an Issue with Leo Steidel, CEO of Energy Platforms, in an informal meeting at the 8 - 2011 Year in Review The impact of federal rules on these typical municipal gen- eration units occupied much MMUA staff time in 2011. ed comments at a hearing at EPA Air Quality Headquarters in January, followed by submission of extensive technical com- ments to the EPA in early February. The RICE rule has been an ongoing evolution all year. The expected (promised) date of publication of the Final Rule has changed as each date has been missed by the EPA. In June, MMUA worked with APPA on a short timeline (3 days) technical solution to an EPA roadblock dealing with distribution system voltage con- trol issues. In October, a letter from the EPA to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association opened up new ques- tions as to the direction the EPA was heading with the rule in regard to small emergency engines and peak shaving. In December, the EPA settled a law suit with EnerNoc that m� provide some relief on the number of hours available f emergency run times. We are keeping close to this issue and hopefully will have a final answer in 2012. Congressional Relations. MMUA also met with Senators Klobuchar and Franken throughout the year. In January, the meeting with Sen. Klobuchar was focused on develop- ing partnerships with the University of Minnesota on En- ergy Research and Development. In March, we were invited to meet with Sen. Franken, who is a member of the Sen- ate Energy Committee, to discuss and provide input into a proposed bill to develop a Clean Energy Standard. No bill has been forthcoming as yet, but we are staying vigilant. In October MMUA met again with Sen. Franken, this time dis- cussing how to move energy conservation forward as a job development strategy. He was excited to learn about the ef- forts the municipal utilities have undertaken. Griffin Project. The Griffin Project, an energy conserva- tion project that brings together the efforts of MMUA, the State Chamber of Commerce Energy Smart division, and the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) at the University of Minnesota has had a successful year. The efforts in E4 resulted in over $30,000 in rebates to local businesses. Hibbing, we had to turn some businesses away (due to the large size of the facility, i.e. hospital and college campus) and the volume of applicants for energy audits was much