November 2009 - MPUA Missouri Public Utility Alliance

NOVEMBER, 2009
Missouri Association of
Municipal Utilities
Missouri Joint Municipal
Electric Utility Commission
Municipal Gas Commission
of Missouri
CITY OF FULTON
AWARDED “SMART GRID”
STIMULUS FUNDS
Trisha Barnes
Executive Assistant
tbarnes@mpua.org
Inside this issue:
General Manager’s Memo
2
Member Relations News 4
Plain Talk 5
Legislative Report 7
Environmental Update 9
Regulatory Law News 14
Renewable Energy Efforts 15
APPA Washington Report 18
S elected from over 400 applicants, the City of Fulton’s municipal electric utility is one
of 100 recipients of Smart Grid Grant awards just announced by the Department of Energy.
Those projects, which include more than 30 projects sponsored by municipally-owned
utilities, will receive stimulus funding under the Smart Grid Investment Grant program.
Fulton is the only Missouri recipient of these monies – public or private.
The City of Fulton’s project will replace more than 5,000 current electric meters with a
smart meter network that includes a dynamic pricing program to reduce consumer energy
use. Fulton’s share of the grant awards is just over $1.5 million which was matched by the
city. The city also made an additional commitment of $1 million for gas and water meter
improvements. The project is expected to take 18 months to implement once the final
award is received.
. . . continued on page 10
MPUA Mutual Aid
Network
Highlighted at PSC
Workshop
Ewell Lawson
Government Relations & Member and Finance Services
elawson@mpua.org
O n October 19, 2009, Mike Conyers, MPUA’s Mutual Aid Coordinator and Director of
Lineworker Safety and Training, addressed a Public Service Commission Workshop on
storm restoration efforts and best practices in storm preparation and power restoration. The
Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also participated in sponsoring
the Workshop.
The workshop included storm-specific reports from the state’s investor-owned utilities,
which are regulated by the PSC, as well as the responses of locally-regulated municipals
and cooperatives. The agenda focused on lessons learned and included reports on storm
events over the last few years, response improvements during these storms, SEMA and
state agency needs, communication coordination by utilities, and best practices.
. . . Continued on page 8
. . . continued on page 6

GENERAL MANAGER’S
MEMO
Duncan Kincheloe
General Manager & CEO
dkincheloe@mpua.org
MAKE TIME FOR THE
DAY AFTER TOMORROW
W e had a fantastic, energizing MPUA Annual Conference
several weeks ago. The MPUA staff returned to the office
eager to move ahead with planning the details of exciting new
service arrangements the Boards had adopted in next year’s
The biggest differences we can make in cost and service
usually come from action we take long before customers are
even aware the issue exists.
budgets. We’re going to be able to make 2010 a great year for
high-impact member service. I hope every municipal utility
will give time and attention to getting the most from these
services for its operations, personnel and customers.
As in offices everywhere, the time and attention required to
plan next year’s work here has to compete with the demands of
our daily operational requirements and the ordinary surprises
each new week delivers. We all take that for granted wherever
we work. In looking at the past month’s calendar I was struck,
however, by the time also required to give adequate attention to
years beyond 2010 -- and to contingencies that may never really
occur at all, especially if we prepare for them. The biggest
differences we can make in cost and service usually come from
action we take long before customers are even aware the issue
exists. But confronting major issues that shape the future
doesn’t fit easily with concentrating on immediate daily
demands, especially when today’s inbox looks interesting as
well as insistent.
So during several days in October, even though we all had calls
to return and wanted to get on with developing our programs
for 2010, Phil Walsack and other senior staff instead felt it
necessary to meet with Director Mark Templeton and DNR
officials about the outlook on enforcement and potential EPA
activity during the next several years. Mike Conyers also
participated in Public Service Commission deliberations on
storm readiness/recovery and inter-utility planning that may not
bear fruit for many years. I participated in a Washington strategy
session on climate change legislation and a workshop and
meeting on electric transmission, FERC policy and other legal
issues. Other staff, as always, worked with members on new
contracts, facilities, or financing involving supplies or
construction that is three, five or ten years down the road.
None of this excused us from taking care of the immediate needs
of the month, and our 2010 programs will roll out on schedule,
but opportunities to shape or prepare for the longer term future
can’t be neglected just because no constituency appreciates them
immediately. I’m not making this point to crow or carp about the
MPUA staff workload. I think you already know they work hard
for you. I’m emphasizing the importance of attending to long
term needs because I want to underscore the value of your
participation in MPUA programs, especially those being
introduced next year. You’ll find that many of them represent
your best opportunities to manage
and prepare for challenges that hit
hard in communities that fail to act
wisely and early.
Taking advantage of MPUA
services may cost a day away from
your desk or worksite, or an
interruption of your local routine by
an MPUA team or representative.
And whether we’re talking about
technology, personnel training, financial or facility planning,
environmental compliance, reducing utility costs, improving
customer communications or other topics, the payoff may take
several years to become visible. It’s tempting to tell ourselves we
need to apply every bit of available time and attention to solving
the problems that every day serves up. But as we think about the
most serious of those problems, how many could have been
avoided or substantially alleviated by greater attention or
expertise applied several years ago
So as you hear announcement of programs and organizational
meetings in the weeks ahead, I hope you’ll remember that these
services represent some of your best opportunities to manage the
future and avoid potential headaches of the next decade. Early
confrontation of major issues interferes with our daily routines,
ordinary comfort zones, and usual daily surroundings, but we fool
ourselves whenever we think we’ve satisfied our responsibilities
merely by first-rate handling of whatever lands in today’s inbox.
The best opportunity – often the only real opportunity – to affect
the largest issues, risks and costs exists only in attacking them
long before they reach our desks and communities.
There will be an opportunity to affect the future by being in
Columbia for the Board meetings on December 10 th when we’ll
talk more about MPUA services being structured to help with
some of the storm clouds on the horizon. Hope to see you then!■
2

GUEST COLUMN
Missouri’s Underground
Damage Prevention
Program
By: Robert M. Clayton III
Chairman, MO Public Service Commission
T he Missouri Public Service Commission values the solid
working relationship we have enjoyed with Missouri’s locallyregulated
municipal utilities. Both municipals and investorowned
utilities face similar challenges whether responding to
devastating weather or addressing developing issues associated
with regional transmission organizations. Recently, municipal
utilities have graciously accepted our invitation to participate in
recent PSC workshops on climate change, storm restoration and
on planning efforts for the future.
The PSC is hoping to open a dialogue with stakeholders and ask
for assistance in addressing a state-wide concern. Congress
passed the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and
Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006, suggesting the need to improve
state-wide damage prevention programs. The Act prescribed
nine program elements that reflect processes and attributes
characteristic of comprehensive and effective damage
prevention. Investor-owned utilities annually suffer on average
from over 10,000 separate incidents of damage to their
infrastructure caused by third parties at significant cost. As
you are aware, any costs that go unreimbursed eventually are
passed on to the rate paying customer.
In light of this unnecessary damage, I directed our staff to
compile a legislative proposal to reevaluate how third-party line
cuts are addressed. The proposal was submitted to all interested
stakeholders. The PSC hopes to learn the extent of the problem,
if any, beyond the perspective of the PSC-regulated entity, and
attempt to find a solution, if necessary, to the significant impact
of third-party damage to infrastructure.
The proposal outlines the creation of an advisory group made
up of utilities, excavators and regulators that will evaluate
reported cuts in infrastructure around the state, regardless of
whether the entity is subject to regulation at the state or local
level. The advisory committee would make a recommendation
on how to proceed including a strong education component, but
also leaving an opportunity for ordering full reimbursement to
the utility as well as potential penalties for any repeat or
egregious wrongdoer.
Today, utilities must seek recourse through various courts or by
referral to the Attorney General with action in the circuit court.
Neither remedy provides a timely or cost-effective method of
dispute resolution. We are suggesting a possible joint
jurisdictional concept of allowing for the resolution of these
disputes before the Missouri Public Service Commission with
enforcement by either the PSC or by the AG. We have a
knowledgeable staff and the PSC is well versed in utility issues.
The proposal does not suggest jurisdiction over any locallyregulated
utility but rather offers a forum for all utilities to resolve
these disputes against third-parties.
On October 21 st , the PSC held a workshop inviting all
stakeholders including excavators (heavy contractors, utility
excavators, small contractors and individual homeowners),
locators, operators of underground facilities (pipelines, electric,
water, sewer, telecommunications, cable, municipally-owned,
investor-owned), the One-Call Center, emergency responders,
MoDOT, railroads, local governments, and the general public.
It is my hope that a comprehensive damage prevention program
that includes effective, fair, and timely enforcement of all the
provisions of the damage prevention statute can lower the risk of
excavation damage, which has effectively reduced incidents in
states such as Virginia and Georgia.
The PSC looks forward to working with you in finding solutions
to these issues in a collaborative and constructive effort. You can
access the entire record about the proposal on our website at
www.psc.mo.gov and click on Under ground Facility Damage
Prevention Project. My office is always open to you if you have
any questions or concerns.■
Joe F. Russell
Municipal Power Sales Representative
russeljf@oge.com
PO Box 321, M/C GB58
Oklahoma City, OK
73101
Phone: 405/553-2766
Fax: 405/553-2115
Complete SCADA Systems
Distributed and Conventional RTUs
Substation and Distribution Automation
System Integration and Engineering
Fiber Optic Installation and Testing
3

MEMBER RELATIONS
NEWS
Floyd Gilzow, Director
Member Relations & Public Affairs
fgilzow@mpua.org
Don’t Blink or You May Miss
$12.5 Million
DNR grant program on high speed schedule
A new DNR grant program focused on cities with populations of
less than 35,000 or counties of less than 200,000 isn’t even designed
yet, but the deadline for application is before Christmas 2009 and
money will be available in March 2010. The program is funded
through the Federal Stimulus appropriation.
While ―Energize Missouri Communities‖ is styled as an energy
program, it will have a significant focus on Water and Wastewater
according to William Haas, a DNR contractor with Shaw
Environmental. Haas, other Shaw Environmental staff, and DNR
Energy Center staff were holding a series of 6 workshops the middle
two weeks of October across the state to solicit input on the design of
the grant program.
It appears that the grants will be limited to one of five specific areas:
Water and Wastewater System Energy Efficiency
Landfill Gas to Energy Projects
Exterior and Interior Lighting Retrofit
Green Streets
Special Projects
Water and Wastewater projects could include upgrades to pumps and
installation of variable speed motors. Designers say they are also
considering covering engineering studies to determine the location of
water losses in municipal systems and system rehabilitation since
improving system integrity would reduce municipal electric power
consumption. After discussions with MPUA, designers said they
would also consider sewer integrity studies and rehabilitation since
inflow and infiltration have similar impacts on energy usage.
Because the program is still in design, a number of grant details
have not been finalized. No decision has been made on whether
a local match will be required and whether it would be in cash,
in-kind or some combination of both. According to Haas, a local
match is almost certain, but because of the financial challenges
many local governments are facing, it was not likely that a large
cash match would be required.
Grant funds cannot be used for projects which are currently
under construction, or have been completed. However a system
under design would be eligible, as would the expansion of a
current project in order to improve energy efficiency. For
instance, a municipal drinking water plant under construction
could receive a new grant to install more energy efficient pumps
that were not affordable during the initial design.
Applications will be competitively ranked on a variety of criteria
including the amount of energy saved, the cost effectiveness of
the project, the number of partnerships in the project, the volume
of green house gas reduced, the strength of project management,
persistence of the project after funding terminates, and
leveraging monies borrowed from MPUA’s finance program.
Leveraged money could also include grants from foundations
and local businesses or other state or federal grants. DNR will
be hosting another series of workshops later in November after
the program has been designed to assist in the application
process.
Under federal law, 60% of the $12.5 million is reserved for the
smaller cities and counties. The remaining 40% is available to
all Missouri cities and counties, including those areas that
received formula grants under the Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grant earlier this year. An estimated 1,500
cities and counties in Missouri are eligible to apply. Grant
designers anticipate that an average sized project will be about
$500,000.
MPUA staff will continue to monitor the work of the Energy
Center as this grant program is designed and will make materials
available as they are released. We are also available to answer
questions and assist in developing partnerships among
communities on specific projects. Contact MPUA at 573-445-
3279 if we can help answer any questions. Materials will be
made available on-line by the State at http://dnr.mo.gov/
transform/energizemissouri.htm.■
Landfill Gas to Energy grants could incentivize projects that include
collection, processing, and energy production systems where the city
either owns the landfill or receives the benefits of the energy coming
from the landfill.
Green Streets grants could be an effort to address planning and
energy efficiency issues in the downtown business districts of
Missouri communities with a goal of reducing the environmental
impact of these areas.
4

Plain Talk
Phil Walsack
Mgr. of Environmental Services
pwalsack@mpua.org
Just How Bad IS Our System
L ooking at Missouri’s newspapers and TV news reports over
the past two months you can see that public interest in sanitary
sewer systems has been aroused. Sewer rates in several
communities are on the rise. Reports of failing infrastructure are
making headlines. The publicity gives credence to the
importance of sewer infrastructure. It may also lead City
Councils to pepper their managers and consultants with questions
like ―How bad is our system‖ ―How much inflow and
infiltration (I/I) do we have‖ What are we doing to make our
collection system tighter and keep excess water out‖ [for a
refresher on I/I, see the Plain Talk article in the February ’09
Alliance Advantage]
Once these data sources have been researched and correlations
found, the municipality must establish sewer flow monitoring
points at various locations within the collection system.
Collection systems must be broken down into sewersheds or
basins.
Flow monitoring instrumentation must be placed in sanitary
sewer systems at locations appropriate to gather meaningful
data. There are many types of flow monitoring instruments
available and pricing varies accordingly. A tape measure,
notebook, and digital camera is surprisingly effective if you have
. . . Continued on page 17
Nationwide, I/I is a difficult problem to solve because there are
about 4.0 billion feet of sanitary sewer collection mains. If these
mains were laid end-to-end, you could build 290 parallel
pipelines from New York to California. Most of Missouri’s
sewer collection main inventory pre-dates World War II. These
pipes are now well beyond their expected service lives.
Many good managers know that ―You can’t manage, what you
don’t measure.‖ This is certainly true for wastewater collection
systems. The reduction I/I must be a disciplined, long-term
monitoring, maintenance, and rehabilitation program. Systemwide
I/I cannot be significantly reduced by a one year projectlevel
effort. Resolving I/I should begin with the question, ―How
much I/I do we have‖ Typically, a sanitary sewer evaluation
survey (SSES) is performed to assess the entire wastewater
system (i.e. both collection and treatment). A narrower focus can
be made using an I/I Reduction Plan. This Plan is designed to
determine the quantity of I/I; determine their sources; and
provide guidance to determine a cost-effective rehabilitation
program.
Quantifying I/I means making a whole-hearted effort to locate
and record a variety of information. These include: measured or
observed overflows (SSOs); measured manhole surcharges;
bypasses at the treatment facility; customer backup complaints;
and chronic maintenance problems (roots & grease). Data should
also be collected from maintenance records, maps, complaint
records, work orders, past studies, engineering reports, and
interviews with staff responsible for operation and maintenance.
A planned approach lays out the relationship between SSOs and
bypasses with capacity models, rainfall events, maintenance
activities, and reported backups.
5

. . . MPUA Mutual Aid Network at PSC continued from page 1
Conyers’ talk informed workshop participants on the success of
the municipal sector’s mutual aid network in structure, localized
readiness, and storm response. Conyers highlighted the
following about MPUA’s municipal mutual aid network:
before it is needed. There is no cost to the city for participation and
cities are rewarded in FEMA reimbursements for advance preparation.
To check your community’s readiness, call MPUA’s Cathy Gebert or
check out the Mutual Aid page on the MPUA website for more
information on ordinance, agreement, and policy requirements: http://
www.mpua.org/Mutual_Aid.php.■
‣ Program is geared for all relevant types of municipal
utilities – electric, gas and water
‣ Complies with all state and federal emergency funding
requirements
‣ Immediate response from participating Missouri
municipal utilities – backup support in place from
Midwest state associations
‣ Currently includes mutual aid agreements in 68
municipalities from all corners of the state
‣ Records compiled on utility-specific contacts and
system equipment and requirements for quick
emergency response
‣ MPUA program has been utilized nationally in
restoration efforts in Florida, Louisiana, Texas,
Arkansas, and Illinois
Information on the PSC Storm Restoration Workshop can be
found on the PSC website: www.psc.mo.gov.
Editor’s Note: Fall is the perfect time to check your city’s readiness for
storm preparedness. If you are not signed up in MPUA’s mutual aid
program, sign up now to avoid outage delays and FEMA/SEMA funding
holdups because your municipality is not signed up to receive assistance
6

The
LEGISLATIVE
Report
Dormant
Legislature Stirs
Ewell Lawson
Government Relations &
Member and Finance Services
elawson@mpua.org
E very year about this time,
trees turn color, birds are seen flying south, crowds roar on
college football Saturdays, warm days start and end with brisk,
cool temperatures, and legislative proposals spring up like
dandelions in spring.
Proposals…dandelions…spring…in the fall Yes, that’s right,
despite the fall season, the Missouri General Assembly, dormant
since May, is gearing up for the 2010 legislative session. ―Why
now,‖ you might wonder Isn’t the first day of the Legislative
Session more than two months away The answer to this lies in
the fact that the first action that any legislator can take for 2010
is to ―prefile‖ bills for the upcoming legislative session. The first
day to prefile bills is December 1, 2009. This means that
legislators, state leaders, and lobbyists, too, are floating ideas for
their upcoming agendas.
And, as always, we will be monitoring for the following issues:
■Energy efficiency legislation
■Landlord/tenant liability of utility collections
■Telecommunications legislation impacting municipal
internet services
■State Open Meeting laws
■Annexation and Territorial boundary laws
Finally, as the seasons change, remember that your legislator will
soon be heading to Jefferson City. If you see him/her in the
grocery, at the high school football game, or at the fall festival,
take time to go out of your way and say ―Hi, remember our
utilities are locally-controlled by our voters. If you have any
questions, please let me know!‖ Your comment along with
MPUA’s presence in the Capitol will go a long way in putting a
REAL FACE from THEIR HOMETOWN to the issues that are
important to locally-regulated municipal utilities. Your
participation matters!
Our next MAMU Legislative Committee meeting is scheduled for
December 8 at 1:30pm. It is a conference call and we will review
prefiled bills. So plan to listen in! Contact Ewell Lawson at
elawson@mpua.org to join the Legislative Committee or to
receive the call-in information when the agenda is set.■
In talking with state leaders, legislators, lobbyists, and other state
capitol types, it is pretty clear that the biggest issue the state
faces is a revenue deficit in the current fiscal year and how to
address the plummeting of state revenues attributed to the current
recession in the next fiscal year. The problem is of such a
magnitude that it will probably be the only real discussion
happening next session. However, that does not mean that
legislators and lobbyists don’t have ideas that they want to float.
The list below is the start of the ―trial balloons‖ that we are
following that could impact municipal utilities in the next
session:
Clean Water Permit Fee statutory renewal (discussion
includes increasing these fees to provide necessary funding
for DNR’s NPDES program or relinquishing this
responsibility to EPA);
PSC proposal to increase enforcement of the underground
facility damage prevention program, a.k.a. ―Missouri One
Call‖ or ―Dig Rite‖ (Note: Chairman Clayton’s “Guest
Column” on page 3);
Efforts to update the State Energy Plan;
Recent initiative petition filings on Eminent Domain laws;
and
Recent hearings of the Joint Committee on Missouri’s
Energy Future.
7

MO DNR Reorganization
By Floyd Gilzow
Director of Member Relations and Public Affairs
fgilzow@mpua.org
Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources Director, Mark
Templeton, recently told MPUA General Manager Duncan Kincheloe
and other MPUA staff that he will be moving the department’s
regional offices back under the control of the Department’s
Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as part of a
reorganization. On October 29, Director Templeton formally
announced the consolidation as well as a number of additional
changes in the DEQ at DNR. Dan Schuette, who had been the
director of DEQ is leaving that position and he will be replaced,
on an acting basis, by Leanne Tippett-Mosby. You will remember
that Leanne three months ago was named head of the Water
Protection Program.
Four years ago the five regional offices, plus the department’s
emergency response program and laboratory services were spun
off into a separate division because of complaints from the regulated
community. Some permittees believed that regional office
inspectors were too controlled by the people writing the state’s
environmental rules while others claimed that inspectors did not
consider other circumstances when evaluating test results. The
former Division of Field Services had been charged with running
the department’s compliance assistance outreach program which
worked with permitted facilities to identify potential problem
areas for correction before formal inspections took place. Compliance
assistance activities are not required by either state or
federal law.
ELECTRICAL TRAINING
NEWS
Mike Conyers
Director of Lineworker
Safety and Training
mconyers@mpua.org
Finals -
Just Around the Corner
I t’s time for final testing of the apprentices. December dates
have been scheduled at several different locations. If you do not
know when your test date is, please call Cathy at the office to find
out.
Starting in February of 2010, each apprentice will be required to
turn in an On the Job Training (OJT) timesheet, signed by their
supervisor, before they can take their section tests. The reason we
are doing this is to keep them up-to-date so they don’t have to
scramble at the end of the year to turn in timesheets. If you have
any questions call me or Cathy and we will be glad to explain it
further.
Cold weather is just around the corner and that means the ice and
snow aren’t far behind. Be sure your Mutual Aid Agreement is up
-to-date and in place before you need it…According to the 2010
Farmers’ Almanac, this winter will see more days of shivery conditions:
Predictions are for a winter during which temperatures
will average below normal for about three-quarters of the nation.
Bbrrrr!■
It was also announced that Rob Morrison (Water Pollution Control
Branch Chief) is leaving DNR for a senior-level position
with Barr Engineering Company in Jefferson City.
Phil Schroeder (Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section
Chief) is retiring from full-time employment at DNR this
month.
Other changes include Alice Geller who is leaving as Field Services
Director.■
Telephone Construction
Aerial or Buried
All types of Road Boring
Directional Boring
Telephone Pole Line
Bob Sellenriek, President
Mobile: 636-359-0058
Email address: bobs@sellcon.us
Sellenriek Construction,
Inc.
313 N. Gladstone Avenue
Phone: 636-488-3396 or 636-488-3151
Fax: 636-488-3374
8

ENVIRONMENTAL
UPDATE
Phil Walsack
Mgr. of Environmental Services
pwalsack@mpua.org
Training – A Plea to Utility Managers
I t is a manager’s job to work out the budget projections. In
tough economic times, they are prone to: trim; cut; slash;
revise; gut; revisit; augment revenues; or redo the
municipality’s budget. All of these politically charged verbs
suggest that the budget will have fewer dollars this year. Most
managers cut what they perceive as the easy things. I wish that
the training line item was NOT one of them. Unfortunately, all
too often the training budget is the first line item to be slashed.
In many cases, off-site training and conferences are seen by
many rate-payers as ―extras‖ and unnecessary.
Benefits of Training
Admittedly, great training is hard to find. MPUA worked very
hard again this year to bring the best trainers and presenters to
our municipal audience at September’s Annual Conference.
We strive to give our membership training that they feel ―is
worth the trip.‖ Seeing and listening to a CEO from a national
organization gives Missourians a sense of national direction.
We understand that even the best utility managers get buried in
the minutia of the day. It is hard to see the direction of
legislative and regulatory issues when the work load is
burdensome. Training let’s you put down the oar and see the
direction that the boat is heading. This will help you and your
utility from running aground.
At regulatory training sessions, it is important to shake hands
and introduce yourself and your staff with the individuals who
are in charge of your system’s compliance. I can tell you from
first-hand experience that I have introduced myself over the
phone with the following phase, ―Hi! This is Phil and we sat
together at that wastewater conference last month. Well, my
sedimentation basin at the water treatment plant just overflowed
into the creek with all the rain we had over the last two nights
and I just do not know who I am supposed to report this
to….‖ (My call of 1/2/1998 to the County Health Department).
200,000 people in Reno) struck up a conversation about the use of
sand traps on groundwater wells. You might have assumed that
the registered professional engineer from Reno would have been
leading the conversation. She was not. The handle-bar
mustached rural manager schooled the P.E. using a borrowed pen
and several napkins. He illustrated which sand trap
configurations worked best in different types of aquifer material.
He also told her ―why.‖ The Executive Director from the regional
AWWA Section, several high-ranking Federal and State
regulators, a handful of acclaimed engineers, and I had the
pleasure of watching these two water professionals learn from
each other during our dinner. The new groundwater wells in
Reno were designed, in part, based on that evening’s
conversation.
My belief is that well-trained and motivated staffers are the glue
that holds municipal governmental together. While this belief
may be generally held by all, the EPA is taking a different view.
They view well-trained staff as a mandatory element of
compliance. In a regionally significant Finding of Violation and
Order for Compliance EPA wrote, ―In violation of the 40 CFR
[Code of Federal Regulations]; Section 403.8(f)(3), the City failed
to have qualified personnel to carry out the authorities and
procedures required for implementation of the pretreatment
program.‖ In a Consent Order for Hampton Roads Sanitation
District (HRSD) in Virginia issued this month, EPA mandated
that HRSD complete a Management, Operations, and
Maintenance (MOM) Program within 120 days. One of the 11
Program elements is to ―identify and describe HRSD’s training
programs to ensure that all HRSD personnel are properly trained.‖
Apparently EPA believes that properly trained employees are
necessary to operate a utility.
Managers – Do not be tempted to gut the training budget just
because it sounds like an easy and politically-palatable solution to
your budgetary woes. Keeping trained employees will ensure that
your municipality is in compliance with regulations and is
working more effectively. If you have specific training desires,
call MPUA so we can assist your municipality get the training it
needs.■
Most outsiders think that ―networking‖ is a waste of time at a
conference. On a brutally cold and windy night in February
2002 (after a regulatory meeting), I was invited to a networking
dinner in Lamoille, Nevada. The Manager of Elko County
Public Waters and the Manager of Water Treatment and
Distribution for Truckee Meadows Water Authority (serving
9

. . .Fulton Awarded Grant continued from page 1
―We are excited about this opportunity for the City and for our
citizen-customers,‖ stated Darrell Dunlap, Superintendent of
Utilities at Fulton. ―Fulton’s city council gave approval at its
meeting this week to the City’s $2.5 million commitment to this
project.‖
Nationally, the $3.4 billion in grant awards are part of the
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and will be matched
by $4.7 billion in recipient funding for a total public-private
investment of more than $8 billion. The grants will go to
utilities, cities, private companies, manufacturers, grid operators
and other partners. Roughly $550 million of the grants are to go
to public power utilities.
These grant awards are the first part of President Obama’s
efforts to build a ―bigger, better, and smarter grid‖ and is part of
an initiative which plans to deploy smart meters in homes,
businesses and industry to promote efficiency. The investments
are to expand access to smart meters and customer systems and
are meant to give consumers the ability to save money and help
drive down peak demand, thus limiting the need for stand-by
power generation – typically the most expensive power
generation in a utility’s portfolio.■
CONGRATULATIONS!
We congratulate
Empire District Electric Co.
on its 100th Anniversary Year.
MPUA is proud to partner with
Empire District and others on
the Plum Point and Iatan 2
generating projects.
10

NEWS CLIPS
City of Houston First to Receive ARRA Funds
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, OCT. 14, 2009 -- The Missouri
Department of Natural Resources has awarded the city of Houston
in Texas County a $1,750,000 grant and a $1,750,000 loan through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In
addition, the department is also awarding the city a $500,000
Rural Sewer Grant through a water pollution control bond.
The department presented Houston city officials with the award
grants and loan today during a brief ceremony. "The department is
pleased to provide these funds to the city to help to improve the
quality of treated wastewater that is discharged to waters of the
state and to be protective of human health and the environment,"
said Bill Bryan, DNR Deputy Director. Houston is the first city in
Missouri to receive the Recovery Act funding for wastewater
improvements.
The city will use the grants and loan to construct wastewater
treatment facility improvements and perform rehabilitation of the
collection system. The wastewater system construction consists of
a new oxidation ditch, two 50' diameter clarifiers, sludge holding
tank, UV disinfection system, triplex pump station, bar screen, and
sludge truck. The rehabilitation includes the replacement of four
pump stations and repair of some sewer lines and manholes. The
project is estimated to cost $4 million and is expected to be
completed in November 2010.
City of Jackson Recognized With An
Innovation Award
The Missouri Municipal League, a voluntary, non-partisan association of 659
Missouri Municipalities, announced the winners of the 2009 Missouri Municipal
League Innovation Awards at its Annual Conference held October 4-7 at Tan-Tar-A, Osage
Beach, Mo.
The Innovation Award Program is intended to spotlight municipal programs that solve
community problems in an effective and creative manner.
The city of Jackson won for its Community Outreach Program. Jackson’s Community
Outreach Board was born on April 7, 2003, from an idea hatched by former Mayor Paul
Sander. The mission of the Community Outreach Board is to address health, youth and senior
issues, as well as to improve understanding and communication within the community at-large
through training, education, and involvement in community outreach initiatives and events.
(Thanks to the reader who submitted this news item!)
October 20, 2009
Jefferson City, MO-The Missouri Department
of Economic Development announced that
five Missouri communities have been selected
to participate in the 2009 DREAM program,
which stands for Downtown Revitalization
and Economic Assistance for Missouri.
Participating in the initiative - now in its
fourth year aiding downtown redevelopment -
are the towns of Brookfield, California, New
Haven, Rolla and Savannah.
Previously, Aurora, Boonville, Cape
Girardeau, Caruthersville, Chillicothe,
Clinton, Excelsior Springs, Farmington,
Fulton, Hannibal, Hermann, Kennett,
Kirksville, Lamar, Lebanon, Louisiana,
Macon, Maryville, Mexico, Neosho, Poplar
Bluff, Sikeston, St. Joseph, Sedalia, Strafford,
Trenton, Warrensburg, Washington, Webb
City and West Plains were named DREAM
communities.
Together, they have received more than $168
million in state financial assistance to rebuild,
revitalize, and rejuvenate their downtowns.
G O T
Share your news clips
about your utility with
our readers.
Send your news to:
Trisha Barnes at
tbarnes@mpua.org.
THANKS!
N E W S
11

Governor Unveils Columbia’s
Renewable Energy Project
(Jefferson City, MO) Governor Jay Nixon cut the ribbon on an
innovative, new renewable energy project in Jefferson City, Mo
at a ceremony on October 19, 2009.
This renewable energy project, developed through a partnership
between Columbia Water & Light, Republic Services, Ameresco
and the state of Missouri, was recently featured at the White
House in a meeting hosted by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner
and Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The project was highlighted
for its contribution to creating jobs while helping expand the
development of clean, renewable domestic energy.
―This project creates a clean, reliable and consistent source of
energy from a naturally occurring byproduct of our landfills,‖
Gov. Nixon said. ―I commend this innovative partnership for the
benefits it will bring our economy, environment and
communities.‖
Republic Services Inc. (NYSE:RSG) and Ameresco partnered to
develop the landfill gas-to-electricity project that uses a gas
byproduct from the Jefferson City Landfill. Landfill gas consists
of about 50 percent methane. It is a readily available, reliable
local alternative energy source that offsets the need for fossil
fuels. The gas can be converted and used in many ways: to
generate electricity, heat or steam; or as an alternative vehicle
fuel.
―This project is the ultimate in recycling,‖ said Kevin Walbridge,
senior vice president Midwest Region, Republic Services. ―We
are continually researching, developing and implementing
innovative technologies to help conserve natural resources.‖
Ameresco built, owns and operates the renewable energy project.
First, Ameresco constructed a 3-mile pipeline to carry the landfill
gas from the landfill to an engine facility located at the Jefferson
Participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony from left to right:
Fred Farrand, VP, Northeast Energy Systems; Darwin Hindman –
Mayor of Columbia; Jay Nixon – Governor of Missouri; George
Lombardi, Director - Department of Corrections; George Sakellaris,
CEO - Ameresco; Kevin Walbridge, Senior VP, Midwest Region -
Republic Services; Mike Schmitz, Interim Director - Columbia Water
and Light.
City Correctional Center (JCCC). The gas is used to generate 3.2
megawatts of electricity. The green power, which is purchased by
Columbia Water & Light, provides enough electricity to meet the
needs of nearly 2,000 Columbia Water & Light customers. It also
reduces green house gas emissions equivalent to planting 31,000
acres of trees and removing almost 28,000 vehicles each year from
Missouri roads.
―Projects like these create a domino effect through the economy
because they create jobs and require products and services.‖ said
Ameresco’s CEO George Sakellaris.
This gas-to-electricity project generates 3.2 megawatts of
electricity, providing enough electricity to Columbia Water &
Light to meet the needs of nearly 2,000 Columbia Water &
Light customers.
12
Additionally, Ameresco captures the waste heat generated from the
engines to provide steam and hot water for two state-owned
correctional centers. Landfill gas-to-energy projects are win-win
opportunities for all parties involved, whether they are the landfill
owner/operators, the local utility, the local government or the
surrounding community.
―For Columbia Water and Light and the city of Columbia, Mo.,
purchasing the power from this project helps us comply with the
city’s renewable portfolio standard by providing 2 percent of our
electric portfolio‖ said Darwin Hindman, mayor, Columbia, Mo.
―This project provides Columbia with a consistent, clean, green
source of energy.‖
The Jefferson City Landfill, which is owned and operated by
Allied Waste, opened in 1979 and is one of the main recipients of
refuse from residents and businesses in the area.■

Massive Machinery
Enroute
to Lively Grove
plates were laid to protect sewer lines, steel trusses were placed
on top of concrete culverts for support, and power lines were
raised to accommodate the steel monster.
Trisha Barnes
tbarnes@mpua.org
H ow many workers does it take to move a 443 ton turbine
generator component that measures 35 feet long, over 19 feet wide
and 17 ½ feet tall It takes a village!
The turbine generator part arrived by barge from the Kaskaskia
River and began its two day trek of 14 miles. The 18-axle
transport rig traveled about 1 mph - a much slower rate than
most human beings walk (2.5 mph).
Recently, the town of Lenzburg, Illinois prepared for assisting with
transporting the massive piece through their town to Prairie State
Energy Campus near Lively Grove, Illinois where the largest coalfired
plant in the U.S. is under construction. In preparation, steel
In the coming years, this little town of 500 will share in the
benefits when Prairie State begins generating electricity to
approximately 2.5 million families in at least nine states
including 41 MJMEUC cities. The target completion date for
Unit 1 is August 2011 and for Unit 2 is May 2012.
For more information about Prairie State, visit the website at
www.prairiestateenergycampus.com.■
Breakfast of Champions
Floyd Gilzow
Director of Member Relations and Public Affairs
L eadership guru Ken Blanchard says that ―Feedback is the
Breakfast of Champions‖ and this year’s MPUA Breakfast on the
first program day of the Missouri Municipal League’s Annual
Conference at Tan-Tar-A featured plenty of both.
Well over 200 of Missouri’s leading municipal officials gathered to
eat a hearty Missouri breakfast and share ideas and perceptions one
-on-one with MPUA CEO Duncan Kincheloe as well as Ewell
Lawson, Phil Walsack and Floyd Gilzow during the one hour
event.
Presentations were given during the meal in which participants
learned about the many existing services currently available to
Alliance members as well as the new services that will begin to be
offered in 2010. City Administrators, City Clerks, Council and
Board members were able to investigate how a partnership with the
professionals at the Alliance might be able to help them address the
growing challenges they are facing in their own communities.
13
Comments like Mayor Debbie Gahan of Perryville were heard
repeatedly from officials with non-member cities. She thanked
Duncan Kincheloe for the hospitality extended to her and the
members of her council at the breakfast as well as expressing her
delight at getting to know more about MPUA and its services.
This year’s event was underwritten with generous contributions
from Jacobs Engineering, JCI Industries, Smith & Company and
US Bank.■

REGULATORY LAW
NEWS
Doug Healy
MPUA General Counsel
dhealy@mpua.org
A t the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), MPUA Staff
have been participating in workshops regarding outage recoveries
and the role municipalities’ play. The rate case filed by AmerenUE
continues to advance, with the PSC recently dividing the case into
two separate rate making dockets. One docket is for the $401.5
million rate increase, and the second docket is for the $37.3 million
interim rate increase. It is expected that the interim rate request will
have evidence hearing shortly with a decision to follow by the end of
the year.
clearly gain from the new transmission continues, as does the
debate as to whether there should be a differential between
economic and reliability upgrades to the grade, or whether all
upgrades should receive equal footing for consideration.
Climate change and cyber security legislation was discussed
by Deborah Sliz from Morgan Meguire, who represents TAPS
on federal issues. While the Senate continues to struggle with
climate change legislation, legislation related to cyber security
is gaining traction. In particular, proposed legislation will
likely focus on ensuring reliable power supply to military
bases and major cities. Mrs. Sliz will continue to monitor
these issues on behalf of TAPS, and to ensure that municipal
entities are not unduly burdened by new requirements.■
Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL), KCPL-Greater Missouri
Operations (KCPL-GMO) and Empire are all three expected to file
rate cases by the end of the year, as those companies attempt to time
the filing of their rate cases with the commercial in service date of
Iatan 2. As proposed tariffs must be ruled upon within 11 months of
being filed at the PSC, it will be interesting to note the timing of
KCPL’s next rate case.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued two
interesting decisions that relate to reliability of the bulk power
system. The first decision was as to the North American Electric
Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) violation finding against the US
Corp of Engineers at Tulsa, Oklahoma. FERC ruled that under the
Federal Power Act, FERC has authority over other federal entities to
enforce reliability rules that FERC sets and that NERC enforces.
The second decision related to the budget of NERC. While not
normally the most interesting document to review, it is important to
note two items this year. The first was that the budget for NERC
was increased by over 15% from last year. This was done to allow
NERC the resources needed to monitor and regulate the energy
markets of the Regional Transmission Operators (RTO) and in the
Western Interconnect. The second item was that even though FERC
approved the budget, it found that it had not been increased enough
to allow the staffing to complete pending investigations and ensure
compliance with reliability rules. It appears that NERC will
continue to grow in size as the current FERC Commissioners
continue to push for its expansion.
Also at FERC, FERC approved the first penalty under the Energy
Policy Act of 2005. The fines under the Energy Policy Act are
greatly increased, as Florida Power & Light (FPL) discovered. FPL
settled their complaint case brought by NERC, and FERC approved
a $25 million settlement for their role in a 2008 blackout in Florida.
The Transmission Access Policy Study Group (TAPS) had their
semi-annual meeting this month, and a number of topics were
discussed. A topic that has been of continuing interest was the
balancing of siting authority between state and federal regulators.
The debate at both FERC and Congress on whether new
transmission costs should be spread widely or to just those who most
14

A Look at Some of
MJMEUC’s
Renewable Energy
Efforts
Nathan Sprague
Utility Engineer
nsprague@mpua.org
I f you head north on Interstate 29 and look carefully to the east,
just before crossing into Iowa, you can spot four large wind
turbines perched atop the hillside in Rock Port, Missouri. These
four turbines are a result of Missouri Joint Municipal Electric
Utility Commission’s (MJMEUC) collaboration with the City of
Rock Port, Wind Capital Group, and John Deere, to provide
wind-powered energy directly to the citizens of Rock Port and
the customers of 33 other municipal utilities participating in the
Missouri Public Energy Pool (MoPEP).
This project, called the Loess Hills Wind Farm, consists of four,
1.25 megawatt (MW) Suzlon wind turbines, providing a total
capacity of 5.0 MW to the City of Rock Port and the MoPEP
communities. It has been operational since April, 2008 and
provides electricity as the wind blows.
Northwest Missouri provides the state’s best potential for wind
power development. Along with Loess Hills in Rock Port,
various other wind projects have come to life in that area,
including two nearby sites supplying Associated Electric
Cooperative, which provide over 150 MW of generation
capacity.
The end of September marked 18-months operation for the
Rock Port project. Performance was slightly lower than
projected in earlier wind studies, but still providing significant
benefits to the city and rate payers. The wind farm produced
13,808 MWh in that period, resulting in a capacity factor of 21
percent. Some studies indicated that the site could provide up
to a 33 percent capacity factor. Even at the lower capacity
figure the project is beneficial, in part because of federal
production tax credits that subsidize the cost of power at $21
per MWh.
Rock Port’s total load for the 18-month period was 20,571
MWh, so the wind farm provided, equivalently, 67 percent of
Rock Port’s energy requirements. Because much of the power
production occurred when Rock Port’s demand was low, the
city was only able to use 48 percent of the wind production,
while the other 52 percent was used to benefit customers in the
33 other MoPEP cities taking power from MJMEUC.
As depicted in the graph below, the real-time daily
characteristics of the wind generation do not match the typical
load profile as neatly as would be ideal. In fact, they mirror
each other in the sense that when the wind generation is at its
highest, the city’s load is lowest, and when the load is highest,
the wind generation is at its lowest. The only time the two
match is between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM.
Although the daily characteristics of the wind generation do
not track local demand, this project does provide benefit to the
city, and the rest of the participating cities in MoPEP. The
financial viability of the project is enhanced because the wind
turbines are connected directly to Rock Port’s distribution
. . . continued on page 21
This graph shows the average hourly wind generation, in blue, and average hourly load, in red, for the first 18 months of operation.
15

. . . Plain Talk continued from page 5
no money, but lots of time. Simple instruments like a flow probe
measures water velocity and depth. They do not record data. It is
great for spot checking flows. Oftentimes, long- term flow
measurements can be made using simple water level
recorders. Water levels are recorded; the data is exported into a
spreadsheet; and the data can be analyzed using engineering
equations or tables that cross references water level to flow. The
advantage of water level recorders is that they are inexpensive
and multiple units can be purchased with a moderate investment
to monitor the water level (and thereby flow) throughout the
collection system.
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CONSULTING ENGINEERS
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DISTRIBUTOR OF TRUCK AND UTILITY
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DUMP BODIES AND HOIST
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LIFTMOORE CRANES
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HOME OFFICE
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EQUIPMENT, INC. SINCE 1946
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The flow monitoring market now has sophisticated flow meters
which can provide output, display, and record flow information
directly through cell phone connections back to the office. These
instruments even have outputs that can trigger wastewater
samplers. As you would expect these devices carry a bigger price
tag.
Here are some flow monitoring "rules-of-thumb" that can be
used to determine I/I:
One flow meter for every 30,000 – 50,000 feet of collection
main
The flow meter should be read at 15-minute intervals
Flow meter capable of measuring surcharges
One rain gauge for every 2-4 flow meters devices
Minimum monitoring period – 45 days with 60 days being
optimal
Measurement of between 6-8 separate rainfall events
Once the flow monitoring data has been collected, the basins can
be ranked in any number of ways. Rankings can be in I/I units
such as: gallons per day per foot of pipe; million gallons per day
per 1,000 feet of pipe; gallons per day per inch diameter mile of
pipe, million gallons per day per acre. By changing the raw flow
data into a measured unit rate, comparisons can be made between
different basins. Comparisons using the age and condition of
lines can be made in relation to flow, surcharges and frequency of
overflows.
Just a note about sump pumps. Basement sump pumps connected
to your wastewater collection system are a big deal. Typically,
eight-inch collection lines can move domestic sewer for about
200 houses. Add just eight basement sump pumps and the sewer
line can reach its capacity. A single sump pump can add about
7,000 gallons per day. This equals the average flow from 26
homes.
Flow metering provides an integral piece of the I/I puzzle. As we
saw at the MPUA conference during a break-out training session,
the new flow monitoring devices are amazing! Check out
MPUA’s website to view the presentations from Heartland
Controls (Flow Monitoring) and ADS Environmental (City of
Hayti collection system). If you have any questions regarding
sewer collection system flow metering and monitoring, do not
hesitate to call MPUA.■
17

By Robert Varela, Editor, Public Power Weekly
Three on One
I n September, all three branches of the federal government—
administrative, legislative and judicial—got into the act on climate
change.
In Congress, Senate Democrats unveiled a draft of their climate
change bill. The 821-page draft released by Environment and
Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and
Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass.,
largely tracks the cap-and-trade bill passed by the House, H.R.
2454.
One notable difference is the Senate draft has a tougher emissions
reduction target for 2020, 20% compared with 17% in the
House-passed bill. Another is that the Senate added what Boxer
characterized as a ―soft‖ collar on the prices of carbon emission
allowances. To control prices, the soft collar would rely on release
of allowances from a reserve fund—to be administered by
the Environmental Protection Agency—when auction allowance
prices hit specified trigger levels.
Look for plenty of changes to the 851-page draft bill as it wends
its way toward the Senate floor. The House bill went from a 630-
page draft to 1,400 pages at the end. It looks like the Senate may
have plenty of time to make changes, as most observers believe
the legislation won’t make it to the floor until 2010. 2011 isn’t
out of the realm of possibility since Congress doesn’t like to vote
on controversial legislation in an election year.
On the same day that the Senate unveiled its climate change bill,
the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed rule to
use its existing Clean Air Act authority to target facilities that
emit at least 25,000 tons of carbon (or other greenhouse gases) a
year. When constructed or significantly modified, such facilities
would have to obtain permits requiring the use of best available
control technologies and energy efficiency measures to minimize
their greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed ―tailoring‖ rule is actually intended to limit the
reach of anticipated requirements, EPA said. If the agency’s proposed
rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and
trucks is finalized and takes effect in the spring of 2010, Clean
Air Act permits would automatically be required for stationary
sources that emitting at least 250 tons of carbon equivalent per
year, EPA said. That would be politically untenable.
In addition, EPA is requesting public comment on its previous
interpretation of when certain pollutants, including carbon dioxide
18

and other greenhouse gases, would be covered under the permitting
provisions of the Clean Air Act. A different interpretation
could mean that large facilities would need to obtain permits
prior to the finalization of a rule regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
However, EPA's tailoring proposal "will not hold," Sen. Lisa
Murkowski, R-Alaska, asserted on the Senate floor Sept. 24. "It
has no legal basis, and it will swiftly be rejected by the courts.
The EPA cannot constitutionally legislate a major change in the
Clean Air Act," she said. "Ultimately, once this has all played
out, the agency's carbon dioxide regulations would remain in
effect, but the threshold would be triggered at a level 100 times
lower than the agency planned." Murkowski argued unsuccessfully
for an amendment to block for one year possible EPA limits
on stationary source emissions of greenhouse gases.
A federal appeals court has reinstated a "public nuisance" lawsuit
seeking to force five electric utilities to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from coal-fired power plants. In a Sept. 21 decision in
Connecticut, et al v. American Electric Power, et al, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that a lower court
erred in dismissing the complaints brought by eight states, New
York City and three land trusts. The court remanded the case to
the district court for further proceedings. The states want the
courts to order the utilities to first cap and then reduce their carbon
dioxide emissions by 3% annually for 10 years.■
Missouri Water Environment Association
presents
"Equipment Operations
& Maintenance Workshops"
December 9 in Moberly
December 10 in Farmington
For agenda and registration forms go to:
http://www.mwea.org/index.html
19

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Water Treatment Plant
Chief Operator
City of Marshall
Marshall Municipal Utilities (MMU) is currently seeking a Chief
Operator for its groundwater lime-softening treatment plant. The
successful candidate will supervise the day-to-day operation and
maintenance of the plant.
Requirements: High School graduate or equivalent; Valid Mo.
Class A drinking water treatment certificate and valid Mo. Class
F driver’s license; Residency within close proximity to Marshall
within 6 months.
Competitive wage and benefit package:
Interested applicants should submit a completed employment
application. Applications are available at Marshall Municipal
Utilities, 75 E. Morgan, Marshall, MO 65340, (660) 886-6966 or
by contacting the Employee Relations Manager at
meganrb@mmumo.net . Applications are also available in
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format on our website located at
www.mmumo.net . E.O.E.
Director of Public Works
City of Carthage
The City of Carthage, a Home Ruled city, is seeking qualified
applicants for the position of Director of Public Works. The
Director of Public Works shall have the responsibility to plan,
organize, direct, coordinate, maintain and evaluate the
operations of the Public Works office of the City including but
not limited to program effectiveness and demands for expanded
or new program offerings. Programs include: oversee and
superintend the grading of streets and the construction and repair
of all bridges, sidewalks and gutters ordered to be constructed,
repaired, graded or built building inspection, property
maintenance, permitting, subdivision development, code
compliance, comprehensive planning, Public Works projects,
land use planning, environmental standards, flood plain
administration, contract engineer administration, capital
improvements administration, solid waste contract
administration and Compost/Recycling landfill operations.
Contact City Administrator’s Office, 326 Grant Street, Carthage,
MO. 64836, Phone 417-237-7003 Applications or Resumes by
Fax (417-237-7005), mail (City Administrator Office, 326 Grant
Street, Carthage, MO. 64836) or e-mail
(cityhall@ecarthage.com). Salary: $48,644 D.O.E & Q.
20

. . .Renewable Energy Efforts continued from page 15
system, saving thousands of dollars in transmission charges.
Wind in Missouri is not as consistent, nor as powerful as wind in
Kansas or Oklahoma, but the benefits of the dollars saved in
transmission charges by connecting these generators directly to
the local distribution system may end up outweighing the
additional production from an isolated, distant site.
In addition to wind-powered generation, MJMEUC has also been
involved in the development of other renewable energy projects
throughout the state. Most recently, MJMEUC has been in
discussions with the City of Quincy, Illinois about a hydropower
project that the city is developing on the Mississippi River. This
project, located at three separate lock and dam sites along the
river, would have a total installed capacity of 37 MW. These
locks and dams have been on the river for decades, serving
navigational purposes, and are now being retrofitted for power
generation. With an expected capacity factor around 50 percent,
the characteristics of this hydropower generation are much more
in-line with seasonal power demands. During times of high water
flow, generation generally is stopped because there is little
difference in the height of the river above and below the locks.
During periods of low rainfall, generation is at its highest. This
means that during the spring and fall, when rainfall is highest and
demand is lowest, generation will be at its lowest. Conversely,
when rainfall is lowest during summer and winter, and demand is
highest, generation will also be at its highest.
In addition to the wind and hydro powered renewable generation
projects directly pursued or operated by MJMEUC, the City of
Lamar is close to completing its landfill gas project. The
electricity from this project will benefit the City of Lamar as well
as the other cities of the MoPEP pool. This project currently
consists of two 1.6 MW units, with a total installed capacity of
3.2 MW. It will serve as base load for the city and be directly
connected to their distribution system. As a member of
MJMEUC’s MoPEP pool, this project will lessen the needed base
load of all the 34-member pool.
Solomon Corporation
Steven Knowles
1-800-234-2867 ext 127
At Lamar, like several landfills, methane was already being
collected but was being flared off into the atmosphere. The gas
is now redirected into the two engines to be burned for electrical
generation. Where a landfill currently doesn’t already collect and
flare the methane from the site, designing and constructing a
collection system along with the costs of the engines may not
make a landfill gas-fired generation project economically feasible
at that location.■
21

Safety Manual For
An Electric Utility
14th Edition
The premier source for safety
compliance information is the APPA
Safety Manual. This updated version includes a user-friendly
format, revised to follow current OSHA and NESC
standards, as well as several new sections, including a Lock
Out/Tag Out Step-by-Step Switching Procedure.
MPUA Members—order now by filling out the form below
and faxing it to MPUA at 573-445-0680.
The cost is $12.50 per manual. Price does NOT include
shipping and handling.
You will be invoiced when we ship the manuals.
Order Deadline is November 15
Please order ________ Safety Manual(s)
(quantity)
for the City of
_________________________________________________
Attn: ____________________________
Phone: ___________________________
23

1808 I-70 Dr. SW
Columbia, MO 65203
Phone: 573/445-3279
Fax: 573/445-0680
www.mpua.org
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MPUA LEADERSHIP
November 26-27 MPUA Office Closed for Holiday
December 8
Legislative Committee Meeting
Jefferson City, MO
Chair MPUA, JOC:
Chair, MAMU:
Chair, MJMEUC:
Chair, MGCM:
Bob Williams, Carthage
Steve Svec, Chillicothe
Jim Roach, Jackson
December 9
Member Services Committee Meeting
10:00 a.m., MPUA
General Manager & CEO:
Duncan Kincheloe
dkincheloe@mpua.org
December 9
JOC/Executive Committees Meeting
1:00 p.m., MPUA
Assistant General Manager:
Eve Lissik
elissik@mpua.org
December 10
MJMEUC, MGCM, MAMU Boards
of Directors meeting—9:00 a.m.
Day’s Inn, Columbia, MO
December 24-25 MPUA Office Closed for Holiday
Chief Operating Officer,
MJMEUC:
Chief Financial Officer,
Dir. of Administration:
John Grotzinger
jgrotzinger@mpua.org
Mike Loethen
mloethen@mpua.org
January 1
MPUA Office Closed for Holiday
Director of Member Relations
and Public Affairs:
Floyd Gilzow
fgilzow@mpua.org
Current MPUA Finance
Interest Rates
Current Variable Rate – 0.35%
(~1.47% All-in Yield)
(Source: Wachovia MAMU’08A on 10/21/09)
Current Fixed Rates
(Source: U.S. Bank 10/21/09
Term (yrs)
5
10
20
Rate (All-in Yield)
1.73% (2.85%)
2.51% (3.63%)
3.18% (4.30%)
24
Get the financing you need for your capital
projects or refinancing.
Some major features and benefits of MPUA
financing:
Competitive Interest Rates
Lower Issuance & Administrative Costs
Lease-purchase financing for simplified public
approval
Complements federal & state government
programs
(USDA Rural Development, Community
Development Block Grant, & State Revolving
Fund programs)
Flexible term options at fixed or variable rates
No lengthy & costly bond issuance hurdles
Available funding for projects starting at
$100,000
Call Ewell Lawson at 573-445-3279
for financing from MPUA.