Rochester Public Utilities | Blog

Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) Announces Appointment of Tim McCollough as General Manager

May 16, 2023– ROCHESTER, MINN. – The RPU Board has announced the appointment of Tim McCollough as the incoming General Manager for RPU.  Mark Kotschevar, who started with RPU in 1981 and has led RPU since May 1, 2014 and will retire with 42 years of service to the community.  McCollough is anticipated to start July 31, 2023.

McCollough most recently served as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative. Prior to serving Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, he was the Deputy Director of Light and Power Utilities for the City of Fort Collins. McCollough started his career at MidAmerican Energy Company, holding several roles before transitioning to City of Ames Electric where he served as a Power Plant Engineer, Electric Services Operations Superintendent, and Electric Distribution Manager. Tim has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.

“We were pleased to have many qualified candidates apply for the General Manager position, and Tim stood out in several ways. His impressive work history at multiple utilities will bring new insights and best practices to RPU. The utility industry is undergoing rapid change, and his emphasis on continuous improvement and partnering with others for success will allow RPU to continue to set the standard for service.  Finally, his empathetic leadership style with a focus on employee well-being and customer service is integral to our community values and the culture of a hometown utility. We look forward to Tim joining our team,” shares Melissa Johnson, President of the RPU Board.

Key focus areas of the role include:

McCollough highlights, “I am thrilled to join RPU as the next General Manager. I am deeply impressed by the vision and forward-thinking approach that RPU embodies. The opportunity to engage with the Board of Directors and the employee team during the recruitment process has solidified my belief that RPU and the community are comprised of exceptional individuals who are dedicated to serving the well-being of the community with the utmost professionalism and integrity. Together, we will navigate the evolving challenges in the utility industry and continue to provide the highest level of service to the community of Rochester. I look forward to bringing my family to join the community soon.”

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Posted: May 16, 2023 by Tony B | Comments Off on Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) Announces Appointment of Tim McCollough as General Manager

21st Annual Arbor Day Celebration to be held on April 28th

April 25, 2023- ROCHESTER, MN— Rochester Public Utilities (RPU), with partners Maier Tree & Lawn, Rochester Parks & Recreation, and Sargent’s Gardens will host the 21th Annual Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Three Links-Silver Lake Park, located at 840 7th St NE in Rochester.

The fun and free community event will feature a variety of activities, music, and displays that will include: A tree giveaway (while supplies last), a free lunch of hot dogs, corn on the cob, chips, cookies, and soda will be provided (while supplies last). Tree experts will also be on hand to answer questions on tree planting and care, along with many other vendor activities and information.

Children will be able to enjoy the apple toss game, tree cookie stacking, tree ring toss, tree medallion necklaces, and much more!

At noon, an awards ceremony will honor Rochester elementary school students who were selected as finalists of the 2023 Arbor Day poster contest, as well as this year’s overall winner, Sophie Liu, a 5th grader at Washington Elementary. Sophie will receive a $100 Target gift card, her winning poster will be featured in RPU’s 2024 calendar, and a tree will be planted in her honor at Washington Elementary School. This year’s poster contest theme was “Trees Clean the Air We Breathe!”

RPU line crews will also be partnering with Rochester Parks & Recreation on a tree planting for The Right Tree in the Right Place program on Friday, May 5. This is an annual event to plant the proper type of boulevard trees in different neighborhoods in Rochester.

Co-Sponsors of this year’s event include: ArborWise, Hy-Vee, Jim Whiting Nursery & Garden Center, Minnesota Energy Resources, Pepsi, Sekapp Orchard, and Seneca Foods.

In the event of rain, the celebration will be moved to Rochester Community & Technical College’s Field House. This announcement will be made on the RPU Facebook (Rochester Public Utilities) and Twitter (@rpualerts) accounts.

About Rochester Public Utilities

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 58,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 41,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include photovoltaic offerings, wind energy, energy and water efficient equipment, and electric vehicle charging.

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Posted: Apr 25, 2023 by Tony B | Comments Off on 21st Annual Arbor Day Celebration to be held on April 28th

RPU launching new thermostat program

March 20, 2023- ROCHESTER, MN— Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is launching a Bring Your Own Thermostat (BYOT) program to help reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand.

RPU’s voluntary demand response program is designed to reward customers for reducing their electricity use during periods of high demand, while helping the environment and reliability of the grid.

Program participation requires customers to agree to brief, limited Peak Savings Events, which adjust their thermostats during peak electric demand periods from May 1 through September 30. Peak demand periods for adjustments typically occur on hot or humid days, but Peak Savings Events may also be called under other circumstances to reduce strain on the grid. Peak Savings Events will not occur on weekends or holidays.

Customers who install qualified smart thermostats will receive a one-time $50 enrollment incentive, in the form of a bill credit, and those that stay enrolled throughout the summer season will receive a year-end $25 bill credit.

“Our new BYOT program is part of RPU’s continuing efforts to take advantage of newer technologies. Smart thermostats are part of a growing number of energy efficiency tools developed in recent years, that can be monitored and controlled remotely by users,” explained by Patty Hanson, Manager of Utility Programs and Services at RPU. “The thermostats have been shown to reduce customer energy bills, and in large numbers, they could significantly reduce electric grid load, especially during hot summer months when air conditioning use is high.”

For additional program information, visit www.rpu.org.

Electronic version of news release can be found here.

About Rochester Public Utilities

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 58,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 41,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include photovoltaic offerings, wind energy, energy and water efficient equipment, and electric vehicle charging.

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Posted: Mar 20, 2023 by Tony B | Comments Off on RPU launching new thermostat program

City of Rochester Launching Fifth Year of Energy Benchmarking

Media Contact

Megan Moeller, Communications & Engagement Coordinator

Direct: 507-328-2436 | E-mail: mmoeller@rochestermn.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Rochester Launching Fifth Year of Energy Benchmarking

March 7, 2023 – The Rochester Energy Benchmarking Program is inviting local businesses and building owners to track and manage their energy use through benchmarking. The program will teach participants how to benchmark their building and how to identify potential energy efficiency opportunities that may save money on utility bills over time. Project partners include Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) and Minnesota Energy Resources. Both organizations will assist benchmarking participants in collecting their utility data and offer special incentives and individualized assistance towards energy savings goals.

New program participants are invited to the following events:

2023 Benchmarking Program Kick-off: An introduction to the program and the benefits of participation for building owners, managers and operators of commercial buildings of any size.

Date: March 14, 2023

Time: Noon – 1:00 pm

Location: Virtual

Registration: via Eventbrite

Data Jam Technical Assistance Sessions: City teammates will help property owners set up their ENERGY STAR portfolio manager profile, submit data and learn how to use and interpret their results to track and improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

Dates: March 29 and March 31

Time: 20 minute one-on-one sessions are available each day for morning or afternoon sessions

Location: City Hall, Room 104 (201 4 Street SE)

Registration: via Signup Genius

More information is available on the City’s benchmarking webpage or by contacting the City of Rochester’s Sustainability Coordinator.

Background: The Energy Benchmarking Program kicked off in 2019 with 90 participating properties and grew to 143 properties in 2022. Energy data collected through the program creates an understanding of how energy use from our community contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Each year the program compiles a benchmarking report to highlight how many buildings participated, what the average EUI (energy use intensity) of the buildings is compared to national average, and what percentage of greenhouse emissions program participants are contributing. Benchmarking a building creates a baseline of energy use to track improvements in EUI and greenhouse gas emission reductions over time. The 2021 Benchmarking Report can be found here.

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Click here for a digital version of this news release.

Posted: Mar 07, 2023 by Tony B | Comments Off on City of Rochester Launching Fifth Year of Energy Benchmarking

Public Hearing Notice

Consideration of Standards for Demand-Response Practices and Electric Vehicle Charging Programs public hearing on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 beginning at 5:00 PM in the RPU Community Room.

https://www.rpu.org/about-rpu/purpa-standards.php

Posted: Jan 10, 2023 by Tony B | Comments Off on Public Hearing Notice