What is it like working in public power? What inspired you to work in this sector?
Working in the public power sector is truly unique, not like another experience. In no other industry does the mindset of a public power employee exist. We are beholden to our customer owners; all projects have the consideration of what is the safest, most reliable and cost-effective solution to meet their needs. I started my career in public power in Operations, and I have worked on hundreds of outages, ranging from a single squirrel taking down a transformer to a wind event taking out the transmission source causing a citywide outage. Restoration events are when public power employees shine their brightest. In no other sector does a group of organizations band together (through mutual aid) to help each other out in a time of need. Public power is truly about neighbors helping neighbors in every sense.
When I was an electrical engineer in college, I did not have any plans for working in the power sector. I wanted to be a controls engineer working on automation in an industrial setting. In 2015, I had the opportunity to be an engineering intern at the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities (CBPU). My main project for the summer was to review the current location of the switching capacitor banks; make recommendations for relocation, changing the size, or altering settings for improved kVAr and voltage regulation support. This was my first exposure into power distribution, generation and utility operations. By the end of the internship, I knew that public power was the most optimal career choice.
Who in public power has inspired you? Is there another leader/mentor who inspires you? What type of leader do you aspire to be?
I have had a number of different mentors that have come from various different facets of the public power industry. These leaders have come from engineering, public finance, line superintendents and beyond. Each has challenged me in the workplace; I have grown as a professional because of it. These individuals put me in a position to succeed, as any good mentor should. This is the aspiration I have for those that I lead and mentor.
Furthermore, having been in public power for nearly a decade with Coldwater, I have been surprised at the number of individuals who have retired over the years with the amount of time they spent at their career. It has not been uncommon for them to have spent 30 to 40-plus years at one or two municipals or joint action agencies. That alone is a testament to how rewarding our profession is.
How do you approach your own professional development and career progression, and what sources do you lean on for that?
I approach my professional development by being open to taking on new roles and responsibilities. This could either be adjacently related to my core tasks, or entirely different. For example, starting in operations on the electric distribution system, I was given more oversight in other departments, including GIS and Generation. I rely on the experts — the existing staff — for what direction to take the teams. As long as additional value and expansion of services are offered to other internal departments and our customers, then we know we are headed toward the correct goals.
What accomplishments in your role in public power give you the most satisfaction or make you proud of your work?
The accomplishments that produce the most satisfaction — make me the proudest to work in public power — are the projects that have a direct impact on customers. This could be the construction of a new overhead distribution circuit that provides reliability to their home or place of business. It could also be a new system, rate, policy or procedure that improves the engagement they have with CBPU.
One of the most memorable projects would be our participation in the AMP Solar Phase II project, in which a 1.3-megawatt (MW) solar array was installed on a brownfield where an old foundry had been located. The site was a blight for the neighborhood; the solar field not only provides clean and affordable energy, but it also removed an eyesore from residents’ daily lives.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their career in public power or who is looking to progress in their career?
The best advice for a young professional starting their career in public power and wanting to advance would be to act as a student and be a sponge for the wealth of knowledge in the industry. The ability to always be learning is paramount. This would be from those in different departments at your organization, your customers, peers in the industry, experts at a joint action agency, vendors, consultants for professional services, etc.
The electric industry as a whole is currently undergoing a transformation with innovations and changes occurring more rapidly than ever before. Utilities must be able to adapt while also maintaining the core tenants of the public power goals and objectives. Being able to accomplish this will be noticed by your leadership, peers in public power, and, most importantly, your customer base.