6.1a ERMUSR 08-13-2019Elk River
Municipal Utilities
TO:
ERMU Commission
MEETING DATE:
August 13, 2019
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
FROM:
UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
(Adams, P.E. —General Manager
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
6.1a
The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) met on July
23, 2019 at Shakopee Public Utilities in Shakopee, Minnesota. Both Commissioner Al
Nadeau and I were in attendance.
The Board discussed the status of the renewable projects the Agency is pursuing.
Preliminary rate projections for the upcoming year were reviewed, which showed a
projected 1% rate increase from 2019 to 2020.
Participation in MMPA's residential Clean Energy Choice program increased over June,
with a market penetration that is now at 3.2%.
The Agency's annual dinner meeting with city officials followed the Board meeting at
the Chaska Event Center in Chaska, Minnesota. The report can also be found on MMPA's
website at htt s: www.mm a.or about financials -re orts .
Staff met with MMPA to discuss the possibility of an agency load management (LM)
initiative. If implemented, this would provide options for ERMU to migrate customers
still on the legacy Great River Energy (GRE) LM programs. There are Midcontinent
Independent System Operator (MISO) complications that may dis-incentivize ERMU
adopting an agency run LM program and push ERMU to consider an independent LM
program. Staff provided clear goals and expectation for an MMPA LM program if it were
to be adopted by ERMU. MMPA is meeting with all interested member utilities in early
August and will provide an update to the MMPA board as soon as their August board
meeting.
• 1 had my annual meeting with Steve Shurts, the CEO of East Central Energy Cooperative.
We discussed recent challenges with cooperative leadership/governance ethical
behavior that has been in the newspapers. We also talked about the past legislative
Page 1 of 2
111
session including the conservation improvement program (CIP) joint effort between the
cooperatives and municipals. And, we talked electric service territory activity.
• Similarly, I also recently had my annual meeting with Tim Sullivan, the CEO of Wight -
Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association. Tim and I talked CIP, legislative advocacy,
and electric service territory activity.
Page 2 of 2
112