Public Power Underground

Paul Dockery, Jason Fordney, Abigail Sawyer, and Dan Catchpole field listener submitted questions from all types of energy enthusiasts. Plus, we have a Bluey Inspired intermission game with the Honorable Katie Mapes, Matt Schroettnig, and Jon Hart.

03:12 - Dan Campbell wonders about the DER value proposition for Public Power

13:24 - Dr. Kyri Baker pitches an airline idea for electric utilities

27:13 - Travis Kavulla has a contracting question

34:46 - Mary Wienke wants to know how we think about new technology development

• Ben Serrurier’s work on A Fair Green Deal for the Last Coal Plant in Mississippi
• Family Guy’s recurring bit with the Kool Aid Man

44:51 - Robert Cromwell asks a bunch of questions about transmission

• MISO board approves $10.3B transmission plan to support 53 GW of renewables, coverage by Utility Dive

57:04 - Intermission Game - energy industry Bluey Scholars on character parallels

1:20:40 - TL;DR segment called “Just a Text”

• Mike Bloomberg from Groundwork Data
• Bryce Johanneck of Quanta Technology
• Therese Hampton proposes a conundrum
• Bill Drummond poses a question
•  Simon Mahan wants to talk about squirrels
• Mary Wienke with a testimonial

1:31:04 - New Merch: “Objectively Enthusiastic”

We hope you enjoyed the Fourth Season. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us! Share the link to merch on shopify. And podcast links on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Subscribe on here so you don’t miss Season 5 or any bonus content in between.

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Bear Prairie, the General Manager of Idaho Falls Power, is the last interview in our Electric Utility Recruiting series! In this 8th and final episode Bear reminds Humaira, Brian, and Paul that public power is a movement, and encourages all of us to spread the message throughout or communities.

Idaho Falls Power is a municipal electric utility that has served the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho since 1900. The utility owns and operates five hydropower plants that deliver about one-third of the city’s electricity needs. In addition to the electric utility they offer high-speed, affordable, internet capability for homes and businesses.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. We hope you found value in our video series and got some insights into messages that can work to recruit new professionals to the electric utility workforce.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Crystal Ball is bringing the power of good ideas to Public Power Underground with her appearance in our Electric Utility Recruiting series. The entertaining conversation with Crystal Ball, Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery includes Crystal’s recruiting pitch that “Electric utilities are sexy again.” Public Power Underground is an origin story for the Humaira Falkenberg → Crystal Ball friendship and the duo talk about the way community brought them together.

PNUCC is a not-for-profit trade association of consumer-owned and investor-owned electric utilities and other power industry partners that share a common interest in the efficacy and reliability of the Northwest Power system. This forum facilitates a unique function in the Northwest where complex and divisive industry issues are brought to the table and discussed in an environment where members put aside competitive differences to chart a mutually beneficial course forward.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Marc Farmer, Clatskanie PUD’s General Manager, joins Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series. Marc also gives a great pitch for joining Clatskanie PUD.

Clatskanie PUD is an Oregon electric utility serving the communities and surrounding areas of Clatskanie, Rainier, and Westport. With Marc’s support, Clatskanie PUD’s Power Department started Public Power Underground while finding ways to cope with remote work during the pandemic. Marc’s enthusiasm and support for the program continues.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Sarah Edmonds, the Western Power Pool’s President and Chief Executive Officer, join Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series. Before kicking off the interview she encouraged us to broaden our approach to include all electric utilities in our target audience. We capture some of that conversation as well.

The NWPP Corporation, doing business as the Western Power Pool, is based in Portland, Oregon. Having evolved from its informal origins of three engineers on loan from member utilities in 1941 to the existing staff today, the WPP strives to help its customer organizations achieve maximum benefits of coordinated operations.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Kurt Miller, Dan Catchpole, KC Mehaffey, and Paul Dockery get together for a regularly formatted episode to talk about electric utility and electric-utility-adjacent news from a Power Department’s perspective. The crew covers the Murray-Inslee draft report, Australia’s electric market getting suspended, natural gas price slump after a fire, transfer of management of a fish hatchery to the Nez Perce Tribe, and Falconry at the Dalles Dam.

19:10 - A draft report developed for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray to examine the impacts of breaching the four lower snake river dams

• Coverage by KC Mehaffey in Clearing Up on the report and reactions to the report
• A study commissioned by NWRP and prepared by Energy GPS Consulting LLC on the full power cost replacement analysis for the lower Snake River dams

33:12 - Australian Energy Market Operator suspended their national electric market

• Coverage by the Guardian
• Discussion and analysis on The Conversation
• The Professor Jacob Mays Interview
• The Professor Frank Wolak Interview

43:53 - Freeport’s Liquified Natural Gas had an unplanned outaged, and it impacted national natural gas markets

• Grubert, E., & Hastings-Simon, S. (2022). Designing the mid-transition: A review of medium-term challenges for coordinated decarbonization in the United States. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, e768. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.768

48:25 - Transfer of management of the Dwarshak National Fish Hatchery to the Nez Perce Tribe, also known as the Nimiipuu

• Coverage by The Spokesman

56:51 - The ancient art of falconry used to help reduce salmon predation

1:03:49 - TL;DR segment known as “Energy West …. Lite”

• Water, Weather Conditions Ripe for Boost in Sales for BPA
• PGE Considers Accelerating Renewables Acquisitions
• Idaho Regulators Approve Faster Bridger Depreciation for Idaho Power
• CPUC Approves Resource-Adequacy Plans
• CAISO DMM Suggests Clarifications to Extended Day-Ahead Market Proposal
• NRU Hires Matt Schroettnig
• Clatskanie PUD Case Study on Wildfire Risk Assessment
• Energy News Roundup

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Rhees and Scott Coe joined Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series.

Scott Corwin is the Executive Director of NWPPA.

Scott Simms is the Executive Director of Public Power Council.

Scott Rhees is the General Manager and CEO for Franklin Public Utility District.

Scott Coe received a lifetime achievement award at the 2022 NWPPA Annual Meeting.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Sarah Giomi recruits college students for Energy Northwest’s Public Power Internship program. Thankfully, she agreed to join Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series.

Energy Northwest is a joint operating agency formed by the Washington state legislature in 1957, representing the convergence of small and big public power. Their consortium of 27 public utility districts and municipalities across Washington takes advantage of economies of scale and shared services that help utilities run their operations more efficiently and at lower cost, to the benefit of more than 1.5 million customers. The agency further improves quality of life throughout the Northwest through the generation of clean, reliable electricity from nuclear, wind, hydro and solar projects.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Professor Frank Wolak, the Holbrook Working Professor of Commodity Price Studies in the Department of Economics at Stanford University who also works as the Director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, joins Paul Dockery for the third installation of our Electric Market Enthusiasm series. 

04:13 - my lede for Professor Wolak’s working paper

Wolak, Frank A. "Long-term resource adequacy in wholesale electricity markets with significant intermittent renewables." Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy 3.1 (2022): 155-220.

10:22 - the Reliability Externality and it’s relation to the Missing Money problem

16:48 - suspending exports in scarcity events

20:27 - Standardized Fixed Price Forward Contract market auctions

34:50 - the Energy Market Game

48:28 - The Future of Electricity Retailing and How We Get There

52:43 - developing market depth on the demand side

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!

Mark Johnson, the General Manager of Flathead Electric Cooperative, joins Humaira Falkenberg, Brian Fawcett, and Paul Dockery on Public Power Underground to participate in our Electric Utility Recruiting video series.

Flathead Electric Cooperative serves over 56,000 members in and around the area of Kalispell and Libby, Montana. It has grown from 82 miles of line serving 117 farm homes in December of 1938 to what is now the second largest electric utility in Montana.

Electric Utility Recruiting video series

Attracting a new workforce into electric utility professions is going to be one of the key challenges of the next 20 years, and electric utility enthusiasts need to build up recruiting skills to meet the challenge. So Public Power Underground took the opportunity, while it was recording on location at the opening reception for NWPPA’s Annual Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to pull aside executives from across the region and quiz them on their best recruiting pitches to attract new folks to electric utility professions.

We were honored to be joined by John Hairston, Mark Johnson, Sarah Giomi, Scott Corwin, Scott Simms, Scott Coe, Scott Rhees, Sarah Edmonds, Marc Farmer, Crystal Ball, and Bear Prairie. The interviews will be released individually over the coming weeks as special, bonus episodes.

You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!

Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it’s work to watch!