Monthly Archives: September 2014

MultiSpeak®, a software standard used by utilities worldwide, has announced it is ready to test software applications for compliance with cybersecurity requirements. MultiSpeak is the first utility software standard to include cybersecurity as part of compliance testing. The program was developed and is maintained by a collaboration of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the 150-plus software vendors, consultants and utilities belonging [...]

Midwest Energy was honored at last week's Member Information Conference in St. Louis with a Service Excellence Award for working with NISC to introduce a new bill print earlier this year. “Our bills are a primary line of communication to our members, so the project goal was to improve the member experience by providing an enhanced layout with more options so they can better [...]

MSU researchers are working on a transparent luminescent solar concentrator that can be used on buildings, cell phones and other devices with clear surfaces. The solar harvesting system uses small organic modules developed by Prof. Richard Lunt to absorb specific wavelengths of sunlight. The infrared light is guided to the edge of the plastic, where it is converted to electricity by thin strips of [...]

“Looking out for you” recently took on more meaning with the option of prepaid metering now being offered to qualified Great Lakes Energy members. The program—researched and discussed for over a year, then piloted by a team of volunteer employees—opened to members June 30. It provides another option for those who may otherwise have their power disconnected for nonpayment. Provided their outstanding balance doesn’t exceed $800, [...]

American Transmission Company, the Upper Peninsula Power Company, and Wisconsin Public Service will host a “2014 U.P. Energy Summit” on Oct. 28. A variety of topics, of great importance to both the state and U.P., will be covered. Presentations and guest speakers include: Valerie Brader, legal counsel/senior policy advisor to Gov. Rick Snyder John Quackenbush, chairman, Michigan Public Service Commission Sally Talberg, commissioner, Michigan [...]

A record crowd of 178 delegates at HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s 77th annual meeting has voted unanimously to eliminate a customer outage service credit. The credit was established by the Michigan Public Service Commission in 2004 as part of an electric service reliability program aimed at the state’s two large investor-owned utilities. Through Public Act 167 of 2008, the Michigan Legislature recognized the right [...]

Ontonagon County REA has just launched Smarthub® - an online service that offers electric co-op members a faster, more efficient way to pay their bills and manage account information from either a computer or mobile device, including smartphones and tablets. With SmartHub, co-op members can also report an outage or service related matter, set recurring payments, activate paperless billing, check daily/monthly kilowatt-hour use, update [...]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Sept. 16 that it will extend the public comment period for its proposed Clean Power Plan by 45 days (from Oct. 16 to Dec. 1). Released in June, the Plan aims to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants. “These proposed regulations are some of the most complex and far-reaching ever written,” explains Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of [...]

Nearly 500,000 Michigan homes and businesses were without power over Labor Day weekend as severe storms swept through mostly the Lower Peninsula, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds up to 70 mph. Electric co-op members were affected largely in the service areas of Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G), Great Lakes Energy, HomeWorks Tri-County, Cherryland and Midwest. A few scattered outages were also [...]

Over 35 participants in the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) Safety partnership, including municipal utilities, attended a Chainsaw Safety Workshop on Sept. 3-4. Besides the hands-on cutting and felling of trees, participants learned chainsaw safety and maintenance, emergency first aid, and proper field dressings for injuries. The equipment workshop participants are required to wear is also good advice for anyone using a chainsaw - [...]