NMPP, Western awards spotlight energy services achievements
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At Nebraska Municipal Power Pool's annual meeting, NMPP Energy CEO Dick Duxbury (left) presents the Special Friends award to Western for outstanding technical service and support. UGP Representative Craig Knoell accepted the Special Friends award on Western's behalf. Rocky Mountain Representative (Photo courtesy of NMPP Energy)
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It could have been synchronicity or mutual admiration or the power industry's version of award season when Western and Nebraska Municipal Power Pool celebrated a long-standing and fruitful relationship with a sort of award exchange at NMPP's annual meeting.
On March 30, the power provider presented Western Energy Services with a "Special Friends" award for outstanding service and technical support. Upper Great Plains Representative Craig Knoell accepted the award on Western's behalf. Rocky Mountain Regional Energy Services Representative Peggy Plate also received one of the awards for individual service.
Later in the program, NMPP Energy Key Accounts Representative Jim Keeler and Utility Services Representative Bob Meade received Western's Competitive Edge award. The newly created regional award recognizes individuals, groups or organizations for specific energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts.
Not surprisingly, each agency spoke highly of the other. "Because NMPP Energy serves 185 Western customers, our partnership has allowed Western to reach more local utilities with energy services," said Plate. "Bob and Jim especially are champions at looking for energy efficiency opportunities."
"We came up with the award last year to thank Peggy for helping to develop all our different training opportunities," said Keeler, returning the compliment. "No matter what we asked her, she was willing to make it happen, and, as a result, the training has been a huge success. She really deserves this type of award."
Cosponsored seminars introduce utilities, key accounts to DOE resources
A shared commitment to solving problems and training local utilities to improve efficiency led to both awards. For example, Keeler found that many NMPP members had steam systems and needed to learn more to maximize their operations, so he contacted Plate about setting up a workshop. Plate used Western contacts and Department of Energy funding to put together a seminar that 40 NMPP members including many key accounts attended. "We beat the bushes to get the word out and got a lot of positive feedback for the effort," said Meade.
"Once we scheduled the workshop, it turned out that a lot of people had the same need," said Plate. "These collaborations help DOE, too. It has the resources and the tools, and they are looking for an audience. Western can deliver that."
A similar joint effort introduced one of those tools to more than 70 NMPP member utilities and key accounts last winter. Keeler helped to coordinate three training sessions for Motor Master software. Part of DOE's Industrial Technology Motor Challenge program, the software allows motor users to select the best motor for a specific application, and track maintenance, operation, and replacement details. Keeler's support of the Motor Challenge program and his promotion of public power to key accounts were among the accomplishments the Competitive Edge award recognized.
NMPP uses Western's tools to improve members' efficiency
The joint award honored both employees for their dedication to saving NMPP members energy dollars and power outages. Their positions grew directly out of Western's cost share arrangement with NMPP Energy in the 1980s to test the "circuit rider" concept for bringing technical support to local utilities and their consumers. That job keeps Keeler and Meade on the road six days a week, noted Plate. "Maybe we should give an award to their families, too," she added.
Meade, long known as a leader in infrared scanning services, has performed as many as 50 energy audits in one year, and recently completed 23 audits in three days for small commercial customers in Kimball, Neb. Characteristically, he shared the credit. "The Equipment Loan Program has been a big success story for both NMPP and Western," he said of the service developed during the circuit rider project. "It gave us the tools to solve problems on site for businesses and homeowners. The infrared camera particularly gives instant feedback, and lets us be proactive instead of reactive."
For example, he recalled an audit of a Ft. Morgan client that uncovered a service transformer so damaged that, "We didn't even close the door on it. It was an outage waiting to happen. They shut down the plant the next day and replaced it."
The Competitive Edge nomination praised Keeler and Meade for supporting Western services and using the Web site and Power Line to find energy efficiency solutions for their customers. Not coincidentally, those same resources, along with technical assistance on maintenance and development projects, helped earn Western the Special Friends award.
A little appreciation goes a long way to encourage people to keep doing their best, especially in a long-term partnership built on shared goals of service. So when Western and NMPP took the opportunity to recognize each other's achievements in energy services, everyone realized that customers were the real winners.