6.1.I ERMUSR 04-14-2020UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:FROM:
ERMU Commission Mike Tietz –Technical Services Superintendent
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
April 14, 2020 6.1i
SUBJECT:
Staff Update
ACTION REQUESTED:
None
DISCUSSION:
• In March, the locating department had a total of 182 locate tickets consisting of 3
emergency tickets, 159 normal tickets, 3 design tickets, 11updated tickets, 4
cancellations, and 2 locate meets. This is a 122% increase in volume of tickets from the
previous month. The locators have been alternating weeks while operating in safe mode
and practicing social distancing when interacting with others.
• Electrical Technicians continue with updating the power bill, substation checks, dealing
with customer meter and off-peak issues. Like the locators, the electrical techs have
been alternating weeks while operating in safe mode and practicing social distancing
when interacting with others. They have also been taking care of service order requests
and meter reading during this time.
• The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Air Emission Inventory Submittal was
successfully completed on March 30. We are required by the EPA to report our
emissions in order to maintain our air permit for the power plant generators. We did
not run the generators in March due to operating in safe mode. We also had a pair of
pigeons that took the governor’s order to stay home very serious as they had taken up
residence in the Power Plant. The opening was located and sealed back up and our
guests vacated the plant.
• Mapping department continues to update points and attributes for our systems assets
within the ESRI ArcView GIS system. Staff has been able to utilize a laptop to perform
these map updates from home during the shelter-in-place order.
• Great River Energy has experienced several interruptions during the past month. These
momentary transmission outages occurred on March 24 at 1:31 pm, March 29 at 2:18
am, and again on April 1 at 4:39 am. The cause or causes of these outages is
undetermined at this time.
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