From the Desk of Richard Putnicki, Executive Director, RMEL

DON'T MISS IMPORTANT OPERATIONS AND ENGINEERING STRATEGY SHARING AT RMEL'S 2018 SPRING CONFERENCE

The Spring Management, Engineering and Operations Conference is less than 3 weeks away, May 20-22 in Keystone, CO. We are really excited about the program of quality, relevant topics that RMEL members have put together. You won't want to miss this event, and now is a great time to make sure your company is represented. See the lists of electric utilities and services and supplier companies registered so far. Take advantage of the diverse industry representation by attending our Spring event!

One of the best qualities of RMEL is the diversity of electric utility types that participate. Many of the challenges shared by investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, municipalities, public power districts, generation and transmission associations, government-owned utilities, independent power producers and services and supplier companies are similar, and everyone benefits from hearing different approaches to solutions. We continually emphasize the registration lists and reference presentation materials to help find answers to current issues and increase your professional resource network. The knowledge base of services, supplier and associate members is also a fantastic resource.

For those of you that haven't registered and are thinking about the Spring Conference: take another look at the agenda. The program really speaks for itself. Don't miss this opportunity to use RMEL's Spring Conference to build your network. The Spring Conference program of 25+ sessions is designed from the very start by RMEL members collectively discussing the biggest engineering and operations questions and struggles they are facing at all levels of their utility. The best ideas make the cut, and from there members find the people who have the answers.

Kirk Lippold will set the tone of the conference as the 2018 Spring Conference Keynote Speaker. He was in command of the USS Cole when it was targeted by a deadly al Qaeda terrorist attack in 2000, 11 months before 9/11. His team training prior to the attack and unflappable leadership after galvanized his crew to action, resulting in lives and the ship being saved.

Day 2's General Session is the popular Electric Utility Executive Leadership Panel. Leaders from several utilities will share their strategies for moving forward with today's biggest industry challenges during this panel, while sharing insight on emerging issues and future planning. The panel will feature: Alice Jackson, President, Xcel Energy - Colorado; Bruce Rew, VP, Operations, Southwest Power Pool; Dawn Roth Lindell, Acting Executive VP & Chief Operating Officer, Western Area Power Administration; and Mindy Tagler, Sr. VP & CFO, Holy Cross Energy. Tom Kent, VP & COO, Nebraska Public Power District, & 2018 President, RMEL, will moderate the panel. You won't want to miss this important discussion.

I hope to see you in Keystone May 20-22!

UPCOMING JUNE EVENTS

Take a look at the educational offerings our committees have prepared for you in June.  We will be taking two important regional symposiums to Austin and Omaha.  We also have a leadership workshop focusing on teamwork on the schedule, and close out the month with our annual scholarship fundraiser, the RMEL Foundation Golf Tournament.

Transmission Resiliency, Response and Restoration Symposium
June 6-7, 2018 - Austin, Texas

This symposium will explore different aspects of preparing for and responding to natural disasters from the perspectives of resiliency (examples: California wildfires, southeast hurricanes, Nebraska tornadoes and ice storms), response (examples: U.S. Virgin Islands lessons learned, Hurricane Harvey air response and staging, mutual assistance programs) and restoration (example: transformer relocation during restoration efforts).

Effective Teams and Myers Briggs Workshop
June 13-14, 2018 - Lone Tree, Colorado

Utilizing the work of Patrick Lencioni's "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team", you will learn about and experience specific tools and approaches to building high-functioning teams. The session on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator will provide you insights to your own style and its impact on your leadership. By the end of the session, you will have an action plan for moving from teamwork pain to organizational gain in your own workgroup. 

Steam Generation Cycling Symposium
June 14, 2018 - Omaha, Nebraska

The RMEL Steam Generation Cycling Symposium will provide an interactive forum for presentations and discussion surrounding the operational environment and the resulting impacts of increased cyclic operation of coal generation facilities. The increased penetration of intermittent and low fuel cost generation in today's integrated energy marketplace has influenced the demand for flexible generation from coal generators with increased cycling conditions including low load operation, starts/stops, and ramping. This one-day symposium will cover information pertaining to energy market conditions, and the associated impacts on plant condition and maintenance, operation and solutions to these challenges. 

RMEL Foundation Golf Tournament
June 27, 2018 - Littleton, Colorado

The 2018 Golf Tournament benefits the RMEL Foundation Scholarship Program. Contact our office to find out all the ways you support the future of our industry, not to mention enjoy a wonderful round of golf with your industry colleagues at the beautiful scenic Arrowhead Golf Course. Call us to get registered! The foursomes are going fast!

The RMEL Foundation provides scholarships to deserving and qualified university/college students focused on engineering or curriculum related to the electric energy industry with the intent of encouraging students to pursue a career in the electric energy industry. The Foundation also provides scholarships to those pursuing an electric industry position certificate or associate degree at a college (community college, two-year college or a four-year university). 

Thank you for your continued engagement in RMEL programs and support of the RMEL Foundation. I am excited to continue working together toward RMEL's mission: RMEL, through its diverse membership, educational events, and programs, facilitates the discovery of solutions and strategies for vital issues facing the electric utility industry.

See you soon!