RMEL eNews
RMEL Report
  

From RMEL Executive Director Rick Putnicki

2023 REFLECTIONS

It’s hard to believe the end of another year is upon us so quickly!

As we know, the electric energy industry is no stranger to the march of time with rapid change – a key theme at many of our events, as well as our industry life’s, have endured in the past few years. I can only imagine that will continue to be a prevalent topic that will no doubt feature prominently in 2024. Amidst the fast-paced transformation, I continue to remain impressed with our industry’s resilience and adaptability to face challenges head on with a sense of excitement, confidence and camaraderie.

As we turn the page to 2024, I extend my sincere gratitude to each member for your dedication, insights and contributions throughout the year. Our success as an industry, as well as our association, is a testament to the collective efforts of this remarkable community. Special thanks to the RMEL Board of Directors, Education Committees and numerous members that have opened their doors to hosting RMEL events, as well for their tireless commitment to enhancing the association and bringing membership together to learn and grow both professionally and personally. We are looking forward to collaborating even more in the next year to bring education and networking right to you and your colleagues!

With that, let's close out 2023 with reflection of our achievements and approach the New Year with optimism, determination, and a shared commitment to excellence. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

RMEL INITIATIVES UPDATE

RMEL Rebranding Initiative

Exciting times! The RMEL Rebranding Initiative is approaching its conclusion, and we are excited to share more in 2024. We have opportunities for the association to change its brand without losing the values of what we have built around…providing education and networking for the electric energy industry. We have selected a name and logo, and we are now in the process of legal review and working with our contractor to develop a launch plan to roll out with our membership. Stay tuned for updates in the new year! 

RMEL Dues Restructuring Initiative

We are now in the thick of dues renewal, and as you make plans for your 2024 budget, please note the new dues structure for 2024. As we all have experienced the soaring inflation rates and rising cost of services in the hospitality industry, we have found ourselves needing to reevaluate our dues structure, which we can proudly state has not changed since 1995 (our last dues increase). The adjustment will reflect a way that best aligns with our changing industry and will include new package options that will make planning and budgetary processes easier for all members. Please contact our office if you have any questions or need assistance in the process.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS!

2024 RMEL Spring Conference and 2024 RMEL Fall Convention dates and locations have been announced!

The 2024 RMEL Spring Conference will be held Monday, May 20th – Wednesday, May 22nd at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center in Denver, CO. Stay tuned for registration information, keynote speakers, event pricing, hotel block, sponsorship opportunities and more in the coming months!  

The 2024 RMEL Fall Convention will be held Monday, September 16th – Wednesday, September 18th at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Cedar Creek, TX (Austin). To assist in planning this event, RMEL is hosting a PLANNING SESSION for the 2024 Fall Convention next week on Thursday, December 7th, 2023, in Denver, CO. Registration is complimentary, and members are invited to share ideas and brainstorm topics. Learn more and register for the Planning Session now!

Events Scheduled for Early 2024

As RMEL kicks off 2024, we are pleased to have several events to look forward to:

February 2024 Safety Roundtable (Wednesday, February 28th in Westminster, CO): RMEL Safety Roundtables offer a unique forum for peer-to-peer sharing of experiences, critical issues and expertise. The roundtable is a discussion group, open only to RMEL members. Discussion is based on topics brought by attendees. Typically, one or two presentations are given, followed by attendee discussion and sharing. The roundtable is a good opportunity to share experiences, troubleshoot problems and network with peers in a smaller informal setting. The featured topic for the February Safety Roundtable will be announced soon!

2024 Safety Conference (April 2nd – 4th in Tempe, AZ): Safety is paramount in the power industry. It holds no boundaries, no rank. It is not a sometime thing. Safety must be at the forefront in everything we do. Everyone is responsible for safety. When it comes to safety, everyone’s a leader. Presentations will dive into the challenges we face today and safety best practices. Interactive roundtable discussions mixed into the program provide the opportunity to learn from each other.

We are regularly adding programs to our calendar of events, so please be sure to visit the RMEL Events and Education Calendar webpage for the most up-to-date list of offerings, and reference the below Upcoming Event List in this newsletter to learn more and register. Our education committees, made up of RMEL members, strives to organize timely, important and thoughtful educational and networking events, and we are looking forward to a full year of these opportunities curated by our members, for our members. We hope to see you soon at an upcoming event! 

REMINDER! THE 2024 RMEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN

During the end-of-year breaks is a great time for students to work on scholarship applications, and we encourage you to spread the word and share within your respective organizations and professional network. The deadline for students to apply is Friday, February 9th, 2024. Access the scholarship application to learn more! Please let us know if you have college/trade school/university contacts who would like to receive the scholarship information. Thank you for the corporate and individual cash donations! The RMEL Foundation Auction raised over $32,000. Learn more about 2023 Named Scholarship Sponsor opportunities for your company.

RMEL AS YOUR RESOURCE

As always, please consider RMEL a resource to you and your organization. Please share those development opportunities with your peers, workgroups and your professional network! Also, do not hesitate to reach out to us with topics or workshops you would deem beneficial to our industry. 

In closing, I have been fortunate the past 12-plus years to be a part of such a great association represented by a carrying and committed group of industry professionals. Thank you for your continued support, and I wish you and your family a blessed holiday season!

 
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Education and Upcoming Events

PLANNING SESSION: 2024 FALL CONVENTION - December 7th, 2023 (Denver, CO)

FEBRUARY SAFETY ROUNDTABLE - February 28th, 2024 (Westminster, CO)

2024 SAFETY CONFERENCE - April 2nd-4th, 2024 (Tempe, AZ)

2024 RMEL SPRING CONFERENCE - May 20th-22nd, 2024 (Denver, CO)

2024 RMEL FALL CONVENTION - September 16th-18th, 2024 (Austin, TX)

   
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RMEL Member Information
Join RMEL's Groups on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
RMEL's trusted network is now accessible on Facebook, LinkedIn and X (formerly 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.
 
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DOE Proposes Easing Environmental Reviews for Certain Storage, Solar, Transmission Projects
  
Those types of projects — given their limited effect on the environment — would be eligible for “categorical exclusions” under the proposal published in the Federal Register. Under the proposal, eligible projects would not require an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
ERCOT Drops Plans to Add 3 GW for Winter Reliability After ‘Zombie’ Power Plants Fail to Bid
  
Despite the canceled request for proposals, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market “is not projecting energy emergency conditions this winter season,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in a statement. The procurement was intended to be “an extra layer of precaution,” he said.
Fossil Fuel Makes Up 1% Of Colorado Generation in 2040 Under Least-Cost Approach: State Study
  
More than three-quarters of electricity comes from in-state wind and solar in 2040 in the least-cost scenario; 16% comes from out-of-state imports of near zero-emissions electricity; and 10% from energy efficiency, with the rest coming from other sources, Ascend Analytics, a consulting firm, said in its draft study. The scenario retains 8,215 MW of gas-fired generation to meet capacity needs.
Lower CO2 Emissions are Partially Due to Shifts in Power Generation Sources
The U.S. Energy Information Association forecast the U.S. energy sector to emit about 4,790 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2023, a 3% decrease from 2022. Much of this decline results from lower electricity generation from coal-fired power plants due to higher generation from renewable sources such as solar power. We expect this trend to continue into 2024, with CO2 emissions declining 1% relative to 2023.
New Google Geothermal Electricity Project Could be a Milestone for Clean Energy
  
The International Energy Agency has long projected geothermal could be a serious solution to climate change. It said in a 2011 roadmap document that geothermal could reach some 3.5% of global electricity generation annually by 2050, avoiding almost 800 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
American Carbon Emissions Fall Again - But to What End?
Two recent studies show that, by the end of 2023, United States carbon emissions will decrease, despite an expansion in the overall economy of about 2.5 percent. That is, according to the United States Energy Information Administration, US energy-related emissions are set to fall 3 percent this year, driven mostly by lower coal consumption. However, this anticipated decrease will likely not be sufficient for the United States to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris climate accord.
NARUC Launches Initiative to Enhance Gas-Electric Sector Coordination, Boost Grid Reliability
  
The Gas-Electric Alignment for Reliability initiative, known as GEAR, will bring together a group of state regulators and stakeholders “to develop solutions to better align the gas and electric industries to maintain and improve the reliability of both energy systems on which our nation depends for power,” NARUC announced. 
   
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Tri-State Member Cooperatives Celebrate Halfway Point of Construction for Escalante Solar
  
As Escalante Solar reaches its halfway point for the installation of approximately 500,000 solar panel modules at the former Escalante Station near Grants, N.M., member electric cooperatives of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association joined representatives from Origis Energy and Tri-State, along with state and local leaders, to commemorate the construction milestone with a panel-signing ceremony at the plant.
United Power Signs Power Purchase Agreement with Whetstone Power
United Power, Inc. and Whetstone Power, announce a new partnership for the construction of a battery energy storage system. The battery energy storage system will be located in United Power’s service territory, giving the cooperative the ability to balance load and further integrate renewable resources into its operations. 
Texan by Nature Honors CPS Energy for Excellence in Conservation
  
Texan by Nature has named CPS Energy as a 2023 Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) honoree for the utility’s commitment to elevating conservation as a business practice. “CPS Energy is committed to reducing our carbon footprint and transitioning to cleaner energy for climate resiliency while maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers,” said CPS Energy President & CEO Rudy D. Garza.
SRP Ranks Highest Among National and Western Utilities for Business Customer Satisfaction
For the second year in a row, Salt River Project (SRP) ranked highest in business customer satisfaction among all large electricity providers in the nation according to a recent study issued by J.D. Power. SRP also ranked first among large electricity providers in the West Region for the third consecutive year. 
LES Recognized as a Smart Energy Provider
  
Lincoln Electric System has earned a Smart Energy Provider designation from the American Public Power Association for the third time since the designation was created in 2019. Being a Smart Energy Provider, a title lasting two years, demonstrates a public power utility’s success in four key disciplines: smarter energy program structure, energy efficiency and distributed energy programs, environmental and sustainability initiatives, and customer-owned experience. 
PEC Reaches 400,000-Meter Milestone
Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the nation’s largest electric co-op, marked a milestone of sustained growth, placing its 400,000th meter at the Buda Fire Department’s Station 1, located at 209 FM 2770 in Buda. For more than 85 years, PEC has provided safe, reliable, and low-cost power to its members in the Texas Hill Country.
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Using Cosmetic Ingredient for Battery Protection
Xanthan gum, derived from plants like cabbage and known for its carbohydrate content, serves as a natural protective barrier in cosmetics. In a recent development, this remarkable substance has been harnessed to create a protective shield for battery electrodes, rather than for the skin.
Nuclear Expansion Failure Shows Simulations Require Change
The widespread adoption of nuclear power was predicted by computer simulations more than four decades ago but the continued reliance on fossil fuels for energy shows these simulations need improvement, a new study has shown.
AI for Perovskite Solar Cells: Key to Better Manufacturing
Tandem solar cells based on perovskite semiconductors convert sunlight to electricity more efficiently than conventional silicon solar cells. In order to make this technology ready for the market, further improvements with regard to stability and manufacturing processes are required. Researchers have succeeded in finding a way to predict the quality of the perovskite layers and consequently that of the resulting solar cells: Assisted by machine learning and new methods in artificial intelligence (AI), it is possible assess their quality from variations in light emission already in the manufacturing process.