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From the Desk of Executive Director Richard Putnicki

Commonwealth delivers a wider range of services than ever before…
Commonwealth Associates, Inc.
Fire Hardening, Drone Services, Tower Modeling, Owners Engineering, T-Line Design, Substation Design, Protection & Controls, Commissioning, Compliance, Project Development, Safety & Site Security, Planning Studies, Land & Right-of-Way, Power Flow Studies, Environmental & Permitting 
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Burns & McDonnell
      
Power Contracting, LLC
   
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RMEL's trusted network is now accessible on FacebookLinkedIn and Twitter. These are forums intended for RMEL members only. Working side-by-side in a cooperative manner, RMEL members band together for the common goal of bettering the industry and improving service for utility customers. For more than 100 years, these key principles have proven successful, and more importantly, are tried and true methods for building strong business relationships.

RMEL Champions is a prestigious group of RMEL supporters with access to useful and beneficial promotional opportunities. Get more details, and see a list of 2020 RMEL Champions!

Graduate-Level Education in Power Systems Engineering – Entirely Online
EPCE
EPCE and Worcester Polytechnic Institute have partnered to help prepare graduates for careers in engineering management and to also further the education of experienced engineers. Our power systems engineering program combines essential topics in power systems engineering with technology-focused business courses. Graduate-level certificates and degrees are offered.
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Increasing digitization in the power sector is creating reams of data as utilities add finer sensors and new communications technology on top of existing controls, according to industry consultants, executives and vendors.
The blackouts rolling across California this month are the first of their kind for that state since 2001, when a drought that severely reduced production from hydroelectric plants in the Pacific Northwest was one of several factors that triggered the Western electricity crisis.
The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technology Office and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a federal hydropower generation memorandum of understanding at Hoover Dam.
Last week, South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) unveiled seven hydrogen fuel cell systems that will be used as the primary power source for a field hospital in Pretoria, South Africa as part of the government’s response to COVID-19.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) selected one additional project to receive approximately $1.5 million in federal funding for cost-shared research and development under the second closing of funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002001.000001, Crosscutting Research for Coal-Fueled Power Plants.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) extended through January 29, 2021, two pandemic emergency-related waivers that were to expire September 1, in an effort to provide continued safety and flexibility for the public and the companies the Commission regulates.
Between January and early July 2020, approximately 5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of new pipeline capacity entered service in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Natural Gas Pipeline Project Tracker.
Despite a global pandemic and other challenges, Manitoba Hydro commissioned a 502-tower transmission line in June 2020.
   
Wanzek Construction, Inc
      
IEC Rocky Mountain
   
Member Announcements
Construction began this week on the Pflugerville Solar Project, a utility-scale solar project with 144 megawatts of capacity, approved by the Austin City Council in 2018.
CPS Energy, the largest municipally owned, fully-integrated electric and gas utility in the United States, is taking a significant step to diversify its generation portfolio and meet the energy demands of one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
El Paso Electric (EPE) announced the EP Electric Marketplace, the first-ever online store with popular energy efficiency items with an instant rebate taken off at time of purchase.
Paragould Light Water and Cable will partner with Evergy to provide solar power to the Paragould, Ark., community. Evergy was selected through an RFP process that was conducted by GDS Associates to build a new solar array that will generate 1.44 megawatts of energy.
Lincoln Electric System has received a grant of $120,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for its “Electric Vehicle Public Engagement and Rebate Program.” 
The sun is shining on the City of Norfolk as it will be the latest Nebraska municipality to become part of Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) SunWise Community Solar program.
Omaha Public Power District is working hard to ensure continued delivery of affordable, reliable and environmentally sensitive energy services for its customers in the short-term and long into the future.
The Department of Energy Vehicle Technology Office announced funding earlier this month for 55 projects to advance vehicle technologies, including PacifiCorp’s WestSmart EV@Scale, which will receive a $6.6 million award as one of the largest funded projects.
Platte River Power Authority will soon resume deliberations with its board of directors and take more public input concerning its 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is taking another step to cost-effectively transition its resources portfolio to 100 percent emissions-free by soliciting proposals to manage or reduce customer electric demands.
Salt River Project (SRP) is pleased to announce its participation as one of 18 anchor sponsors in the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI), jointly led by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). 
The continuing progress to implement its transformative Responsible Energy Plan, along with reports on strong operational and financial performance for 2019 and the election of officers, highlighted Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association's 68th Annual Meeting, virtually held in Westminster, Colo.
Western Area Power Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation joined forces between Aug. 14 and 19 to generate and transmit roughly 5,400 megawatt-hours in response to California’s energy emergency. 
Xcel Energy, a national leader in the clean energy transition, announced today its vision to drive toward powering 1.5 million electric vehicles in its service areas by 2030.