Reliability
The House Energy & Commerce Committee on Dec. 3 held a markup, during which two bills of interest to public power were considered.

Finley Engineering Company, Inc. is thrilled to announce its 70th year in business on April 16, 2023. The company, established by Fred Finley in 1953, has been providing professional engineering and consulting services to the broadband and energy indus tries for seven decades. Lamar, Missouri, remains the headquarters of Finley Engineering.

Over the years, Finley has grown to be a leading multi-disciplined organization providing professional engineering and consulting services to various industries including telecommunications, broadband, wireless, electric power transmission and distribution, gas pipeline, cable television, fiber optics, and related industries. Finley consists of a team of experienced professionals who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in serving public, private, and governmental organizations. The company's staff is committed to providing high-quality engineering, consulting and project management services to its clients and has a track record of excellence that spans seven decades.

Finley has several permanent offices across the United States, which allows the company to provide services to clients across the country efficiently. The company's goal is to continue to grow and provide excellent services to its clients while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.
As the company celebrates its 70th year in business, Finley is grateful for the support of its clients, employees, and partners. Finley looks forward to the future with excitement, and its management team is committed to maintaining the company's legacy of excellence and professionalism for many years to come. Visit us at FinleyUSA.com for more information.

The MPUA Resource Services Corporation has been awarded a $1.1 million American Rescue Plan Act workforce training grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Public Utility Alliance said on Jan. 25.
Chattanooga, Tenn., public power utility EPB has launched the nation’s first community-wide 25 gigabits per second internet service to be available to all residential and commercial customers over a 100% fiber optic network with symmetrical upload and download speeds, it said on Aug. 24.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration on June 26 announced how it has allocated $42.45 billion of funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to deploy high-speed Internet service to everyone in America.
Distributed Energy Resources
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Utah State Director Michele Weaver on March 26 announced USDA is investing $76.5 million to expand the Red Mesa Tapaha Solar Farm in Utah.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Energy Transition Institute (ETI) has been awarded a grant of more than $100,000 from the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program to launch Project Groundwork, a research initiative that will explore electric distribution solutions to enhance grid resilience.
Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co. (MMWEC) has won Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Development (DEED) grants totaling $148,248 from the American Public Power Association, one to help the joint action agency optimize its carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction strategies and the other to study the potential benefits of co-deploying undergrounding electric cables with optical fiber.
Workforce
​​​​​​​The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Connected Communities initiative is funding up to $2 million for six pilot projects that provide STEM education and workforce development training, increase connectedness, lower energy costs, deliver environmental benefits and increase community resiliency.
How the governing board’s role is evolving along with the industry, and how that is creating new challenges in governance.