NCPA

Yesterday, NCPA General Manager Randy Howard presented testimony at the California Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy oversight hearing on the impact of wildfire costs on energy affordability.   As a panelist for the discussion on wildfire mitigation investments, Randy provided insights on the rising cost of wildfire risk mitigation work and called for policy reforms, such as limiting electric utility liability and expediting permitting for critical vegetation management. He stated, “California POUs have active wildfire mitigation plans and continue to grow their budgets for wildfire mitigation activities as they encounter numerous hurdles and delays when undertaking wildfire mitigation, grid hardening, and wildfire recovery actions to protect their electric grid and the communities they serve.”   Randy serves as co-chair of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) Wildfire Working Group.

Want to have an internship that will provide real-world experience and work on exciting projects in the power industry? Join NCPA, the City of Redding, or the City of Palo Alto this summer! To learn more about these positions & apply online, please visit: www.ncpa.com/careers/ #Internship #PublicPower #PoweringTheFuture

Hey Hornets! 🐝 We'll be at California State University-Sacramento this Friday for the Engineering & Computer Science Career Fair. Stop by our booth to learn more about NCPA and the careers/summer internships we offer! ☀️

We are  pleased to announce the promotion of Stephen Angel to Combustion Turbine (CT) Specialist – Lead Person at NCPA's Lodi Energy Center, effective December 29, 2024. Since his arrival at NCPA in 2022 as a CT Specialist III, Stephen has progressed to a CT Specialist IV and has continued to support the Combustion Turbine sites by supporting the daily operation of the power plant sites, troubleshooting mechanical and electrical problems, performing high voltage switching and preventative maintenance.   As a Lead Operator, Stephen will assist the O&M Supervisors, provide operations support, and manage special projects. Stephen has over 15 years of experience in the power industry as an Operator and Lead. Stephen's experience and industry knowledge will be vital in his new role, ensuring the continued success of our plant operations.    #publicpower #poweringthefuture

The heart of Public Power is connection and service to our communities. This Thanksgiving, NCPA employees partnered with the Roseville Salvation Army Corps to bring much-needed food donations to a local food pantry. We are grateful to our dedicated colleagues and wonderful NCPA members for the impact they have all year – ensuring our local communities have reliable and affordable electricity and giving back in countless other ways.    Wishing you a safe, enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday!

Today, we honor the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces, including our colleagues at NCPA who have served in uniform. We appreciate their dedication to our country and are grateful for their continued commitment to public service through their work in public power. Photo: Army veteran and current NCPA employee, with 24 years of dedicated service at NCPA

NCPA General Manager Randy Howard spoke yesterday at the 2024 CAISO Stakeholder Symposium, representing publicly owned utilities on a panel regarding the Pathways Initiative and the evolution of western energy markets. Randy highlighted the potential benefits of regionalization of California's power grid, including enhanced reliability, efficiency, and affordability.   Randy serves on the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative Launch Committee tasked with developing the structure for a new organization to oversee an expansive suite of wholesale electricity markets in the west. 

Public power systems offer some of the most innovative and effective utility customer programs in California—our locally-owned utilities understand the needs and interests of their customers and can tailor programs to meet the unique needs and attributes of the communities they serve. NCPA collaborates closely with our members to advance local utility programs that protect our environment and promote affordability for consumers. Today, representatives from our member utilities toured the UC Davis Energy and Efficiency Institute’s Lighting Technology and Cooling Efficiency Research Centers to learn first-hand about newly-emerging technologies that can be deployed locally to promote energy efficiency, decarbonization, and grid resiliency in the communities we serve and across the state.

Public power utilities, like community libraries and schools, are owned by local communities and governed by city councils and other public boards that are accountable to the citizens they serve. These publicly owned utilities focus on providing residents and businesses with safe, reliable, and affordable electricity tailored to the needs and priorities of their community. As we wrap up #PublicPowerWeek2024, we’d like to thank our 16 Northern California NCPA Public Power members for their dedication and service to their communities!

NCPA General Manager Randy Howard spoke today at the National Hydropower Association Clean Currents Conference in Portland, Oregon. As facilitator for a workshop on wildfires, Randy led a discussion focused on mitigating risks, promoting safety, and adapting to changing climate conditions. As co-chair of the US Department of Energy’s Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) Wildfire Working Group, he helped shape a valuable conversation focused on the need for further state and federal policies to address today’s realities with regard to wildfire threats and impacts. Many thanks to NHA for continuing to highlight this critical issue area.