Event Calendar

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Electric Industry Updates WEBINAR #1

Start Date: 2/10/2022 8:00 AM CST
End Date: 2/10/2022 11:00 AM CST

Venue Name: Webinar

Location:
WI  United States 

Organization Name: Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association

Contact:
Wendy Fassbind
Email: wendy@weca.coop
Phone: (608) 467-4589



NOTE: We are able to accomodate up to 200 connections (phone and web) per group session. If your attendees are working at home, they can connect separately. If you have the ability to physically distance yourselves in a community room at the co-op, then sign up the person(s) who you would like to get the webinar link.
 
We hope this set-up of 2 separate group webinar sessions allows you to gather different group(s) of staff in a safe and physically-distanced way in your community or board rooms.

Program: 8–11 a.m.

Electric Industry Updates
1 SB Credit per cooperative to attend any/all of the 2 separate sesions
he Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) will hold its Electric Industry Updates, February 10, 2022. This year, it will be easier than ever for your co-op to take advantage of our annual Electric Industry Updates education program. We’ll be offering two separate group sessions, with the same program held once in the morning and repeated in the afternoon. Co-ops may send their employees to either or both of the sessions, with the option of dividing staff members between the morning and afternoon sessions. That means more employees can conveniently participate, all for the same price. We hope you will decide to send all of your staff to one or both of the listed group sessions. This is a workshop you won’t want them to miss!
WECA Director of Government Relations Rob Richard will give participants a detailed look into state issues that the organization has tackled over the last year and will hope to complete before the 2021–22 legislative session comes to a close in Madison next Spring. Issues like broadband, electric vehicles, third-party ownership and financing, community solar, easement reform, and wild parsnip eradication are all measures being debated at the Capitol that can, and will, directly impact how cooperatives perform their daily responsibility of providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to their consumer-members. Richard will break down the pros and cons of each issue and provide strategic insight into why WECA is involved and why the issues matter.

WECA President and CEO Steve Freese will walk participants through the labyrinth that is Washington, D.C., and break down some of the most complicated, expansive, and expensive legislative proposals that we have seen affecting the energy industry in decades. Words like “infrastructure” and “reconciliation” have been used in daily headlines for months, but what does it all mean for the average American, and especially for electric cooperatives that provide power throughout the country? There is no doubt that we are in an era of incredible transition when it comes to energy creation, distribution, and end use. Freese will explain the latest on what’s coming out of D.C. and will give you deeper insight into what a clean energy future may possibly look like.

Want to be more engaged in WECA legislative/political activities? We will talk about the important role that the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) plays in engaging with and supporting political candidates that see electric cooperatives as valued partners within our rural communities. Get a better understanding of ACRE’s role in supporting state and federal candidates, why it’s important in achieving the goals for electric cooperatives, and how you can potentially be a part of the team that helps support those who support us.

Emerging Opportunities for Beneficial Electrification
Keith Dennis, President, Beneficial Electrification League


This portion of the program will focus on national beneficial electrification trends and what cooperatives around the country are doing to engage on beneficial electrification. With momentum accelerating the adoption of beneficial electrification, some states like Minnesota have revamped their energy efficiency programs to incentivize the transition to electric vehicles and electric water heaters that would otherwise use fossil fuels.  

Billions are being spent to transition electric utilities to “clean” energy sources, and as a climate strategy for many policy makers, it’s a key step in transforming our energy markets away from fossil fuels in favor of electricity from carbon-free sources. While beneficial electrification will increase demand for electricity, it’s also an opportunity for electric cooperatives to engage members on potential cost saving strategies and the associated environmental benefits.

Online Registration

Registration is Closed
Closed: 2/10/2022 11:00 AM

Display Roster

Add to my calendar

Map


Associate Membership

Associate membership in the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association provides a continuing opportunity for providers of goods, services, materials, and equipment to build and maintain networking contacts with Wisconsin's electric co-ops and others with interests and needs related to all aspects of the electric power industry.

Learn More  >