Blog Archives

DMACC Raises Money For Water/Wastewater Scholarships

1/12/2015

by Des Moines Area Community College

The third annual Shrimp and Bingo Scholarship Fundraiser raised a record $21,346.23 for the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Foundation to fund DMACC Water Environmental Technology (WET) program scholarships for students. Over the past three years, nearly $57,000 has been raised in this annual fundraiser.

Capitol Links Returns Friday

1/12/2015

The Iowa Legislature has launched it's 2015 session, and that means the return of IAMU's Capitol Links. The first edition of Capitol Links, complied by IAMU Legislative and Regulatory Counsel Julie Smith, will be emailed to members on Friday morning. Subsequent issues will be sent each Friday until the end of the session.

If you would like to be added to the Capitol Links list, just email Curtis Dean at [email protected].

TV Retransmission Consent Fees Hit Hard

1/12/2015

Iowa’s municipal cable providers – and their customers – will be paying much more for “free TV” in 2015 after the latest round of retransmission consent negotiations.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires TV stations and cable providers to negotiate new agreements every three years. Prior to the early 2000’s, TV stations usually allowed cable companies to carry their signals for little or no charge. But as TV stations have seen their advertising revenues shrink and demands from their affiliated network for a share of any fees, retransmission consent costs for cable companies have skyrocketed. That has forced cable companies, including Iowa’s 19 municipal cable companies, to make some difficult decisions.

EPA to Issue Greenhouse Gas Rules for Power Plants in Mid-Summer

1/12/2015

by the American Public Power Association

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a revised schedule for issuing final greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rules power plants under Sections 111(b) and 111(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The EPA now projects a “mid-simmer 2015” timeframe for simultaneously issuing final rules for new, existing, and modified/reconstructed plants. This new timeframe is several weeks past the original June 1, 2015 deadline for a final rule for existing plants, and it is several months past the January 8, 2015 statutory deadline for issuing a final rule for new plants. This will affect the ensuing deadlines for state plans, compliance, etc.

EPA also plans to propose a federal GHG reduction plan in summer 2015 for existing power plants, which states can use as a guideline when crafting their own rules — and that EPA would implement if a state refused to submit its own plan to the agency.

An EPA factsheet concerning the rulemaking timeline can be found here.

President Obama To Visit Cedar Falls Utilities

1/12/2015

Cedar Falls' status as Iowa's only "Gigabit City" has attracted the attention of the White House. President Barack Obama will be visiting Cedar Falls Utilities on Wednesday, January 14th to talk about his broadband policy and recognize CFU's efforts to improve broadband. It's a great honor for CFU and for all Iowa muncipals. You'll find plenty of stories online about the visit...links to a few of them are below.

Cedar Falls Utilities Considers Community Solar Garden

1/9/2015

If all goes according to plan, Cedar Falls residents will have an opportunity to invest in solar power, courtesy of a community solar garden planned by Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU). For more, read the article in the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier.

New OSHA Reporting Requirements for 2015

1/7/2015

Beginning January 1, 2015, there was a change to what covered employers are required to report to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employers will now be required to report all work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding about the incident.

Arboriculture Conference and Trade Show

1/6/2015

The Midwestern Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture will be holding its 69th annual conference and trade show in Council Bluffs on January 28-30. The Conference and Trade Show will feature experts in the field and laboratory. The presentations will cover subjects that pertain to utilities and urban and commercial forestry. The trade show will include exhibitors from all aspects of the tree care and management field.

Registration is open for this event and is open to both members and non-members. The event will be held at the Mid American Center. CLICK HERE for more information on the event and learn how to register.

APPA 2015 Public Utility Governance Webinar Series

1/5/2015

Starting Feb. 12, 2015, APPA will offer a series of monthly webinars designed to educate elected and appointed public power board and city council members on the responsibilities and processes of public utility governance and policy setting.

Happy New Year Public Power!

1/5/2015

by Jim Wolfe, IAMU Electric Services Coordinator

I can’t believe that 2015 is here already. The New Year always brings a lot of ideas and resolutions to the table. Your utility doesn’t have to worry about losing weight, exercising more, or learning a new skill, but there are resolutions relevant to the utility business. One resolution that might be on your utilities list is to be more visible.

OSHA 300 Log Posting Dates

1/5/2015

IAMU members should note that the annual deadline for posting the OSHA 300A injury summary is February 1, 2015. All incidents of work-related injuries and illnesses must also be logged within seven days (Form 300) and detailed injury and illness reports for each entry (Form 301) must also be completed.

2013 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Posted on DNR Website

1/5/2015

by Iowa Department of Natural Resources

According to the DNR’s legislatively mandated “2013 Iowa Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report,” Iowa greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) decreased for the second year in a row, decreasing 0.51 percent from 2012 levels and decreasing 6.78 percent from their peak in 2007.

APGA Spotlight-End of the Year Activities at FERC

1/5/2015

With the adjournment of the 113th Congress, there were several actions of importance related to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of interest to public natural gas systems. In this edition of the APGA Spotlight, the American Public Gas Association examines the major developments of 2014.