Author: hannah

Monday, October 16, 2023

Contact: Hannah Duell, Communications Specialist, (231)- 932-4544, hduell@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP) earned a runner-up Impact Award with the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) in the “Other” category for steps it has taken to design and implement retirement and post-employment benefit offerings that not only align with employee needs, but also ensure that the funding of these benefits is sustainable. TCLP was one of eleven organizations recognized this year out of 1,030 municipalities in Michigan that participate with MERS.

TCLP has taken a multi-faceted approach to ensuring benefit sustainability and has seen success in its ability to recruit and retain employees with its benefit offerings that show a commitment to employee financial security in retirement.

The MERS Impact Awards were created to recognize municipalities that have displayed commitment to employee financial security as well as proven best practices in designing and implementing retirement and post-employment benefit programs.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

National event urging everyone to “Save Money. Cut Pollution. Create Jobs.”

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 

Contact: Hannah Duell, Communications Specialist, (231)- 932-4544, hduell@tclp.org  

Traverse City, MI — In recognition of National Energy Efficiency Day (#EEDay2023) on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) is joining regional and national organizations, businesses, utilities, universities, and individuals in promoting energy efficiency – the cheapest, quickest way to meet our energy needs, cut utility bills, and reduce pollution.  

Energy efficiency is also an economic engine, amassing a U.S. workforce of nearly 2.4 million by the beginning of this year. Ranging from professional services to manufacturing, installation, and construction, these good jobs are local and cannot be outsourced.  

“Being more energy efficient not only lowers utility bills, but it also reduces the need for more infrastructure and power plants. TCLP has many programs in place to help our businesses and homes achieve those savings,” said Jacob Hardy, Sustainability and Key Accounts Manager.   

TCLP offers its customers a variety of energy-efficient programs including:  

• Voluntary Green Pricing Program  
• On-Bill Financing  
• Time of Use Program  
• Energy Saver Program  
• Net Metering  

Reducing the energy used by manufacturers, homes, and businesses benefits everyone – especially energy bill-payers. The average household saves almost $500 yearly thanks to efficiency standards that apply to new appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, and water heaters, alone. 

To learn more about TCLP’s energy efficiency efforts, visit www.tclp.org/going-green/.  

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About #EEDay2023: On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, a growing network showcases the vital benefits of energy efficiency during the 5^th annual nationwide Energy Efficiency Day. Learn how we can all save money, cut pollution, create jobs, and more at www.energyefficiencyday.org 

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Contact: Hannah Duell, Communications Specialist, (231) 932-4544, hduell@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) invites you to join us in celebrating Public Power Week, October 1-7, 2023, along with more than 2,000 other community-powered, not-for-profit electric utilities that collectively provide electricity to 49 million Americans.

Through the Public Power Coloring Contest, we wish to engage students and the community in a way that will enhance interest and understanding of the role that efficient, safe, reliable, and affordable electricity plays in powering our community. The contest winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and may be featured in MMEA’s Currents magazine! Check it out at MIpublicpower.org.

The contest is open to participants in grades 1^st – 4^th as of the Fall of 2023. The Submission must be received by Friday, September 22, 2023. For more information and details on how to participate, visit TCLP’s events page at www.tclp.org/events/public-power-coloring-contest/.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Invenergy has announced the completion and commercial operation of the 200MW Calhoun Solar Energy Center in Calhoun County.

Traverse City Light and Power is excited to be a part of the Calhoun Solar Energy Center, which will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 40,000 homes each year, according to the project’s developers in a recent press release. The project supported approximately 400 jobs during the construction period and will invest over $110 million in the local community through property taxes, landowner payments, and wages and benefits over the life of the project.

Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) works collectively with other municipally owned utilities through the Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA), a not-for-profit municipal power supply joint action agency, to share power supply and related services to lower costs, reduce risks, and leverage expertise. Through MPPA, TCLP joins 16 other Michigan communities in this exciting renewable energy project. On behalf of its Members, MPPA has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement for 50 megawatts from the solar project. “The Calhoun Solar Energy Center is part of MPPA’s growing renewable energy portfolio that provides clean, affordable, and Michigan-based energy supply to the residents and businesses that our Members serve throughout Michigan. We are excited to bring to commercial operation our third utility-scale solar energy project in the last four years,” said Patrick Bowland, chief executive officer of MPPA. MPPA, through the support and commitment of its member communities, has committed approximately $1 billion toward the purchase of renewable energy in the last decade to help its Members achieve their environmental goals.

“TCLP is pleased to partner with other Michigan municipal utilities through MPPA to provide our customers with reliable, cost-effective, and clean energy that supports planet health through a diversified portfolio of resources,” said Brandie Ekren, TCLP’s Executive Director.  

TCLP began providing electricity to local residents and businesses in 1912 and is community-owned and operated.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Contact: Hannah Duell, Communications Specialist, 231-932-4544, hduell@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – This week, the Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) Board received an update on TCLP’s Climate Action Plan development.  TCLP’s Climate Action Plan is tasked with identifying innovative utility solutions designed to reduce the utility’s carbon impact while protecting grid resiliency. Solutions to assist in the journey include distributed energy resources, energy storage, energy efficiency (aka energy waste reduction), demand response, and renewable generation, with a key focus being decarbonization. Last month the Climate Action Plan update focused on current practices and opportunities for moving forward.  The focus this past week was on the most technical and critical portion, the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) segment of the Climate Action Plan development. This segment is focused on meeting TCLP’s 100% renewable goals while sustaining reliable and resilient energy for its customers.

“This Climate Action Plan is an impressive piece of work by 5 Lakes Energy, who have presented us with a substantive, comprehensive document by which we can steer this utility and our community towards decarbonization, less expensive energy, and better climate health for our planet,” said Chairperson Ross Hammersley. “On behalf of my kids, my family, and this community, I would like to praise the efforts of Executive Director Brandie Ekren, the TCLP staff, and my fellow Board members for getting us to this point; I am incredibly excited about this and look forward to what’s to come.” 

“We are proud of what we have achieved in the creation of our Climate Action Plan with our partners at 5 Lakes Energy and their collaboration with Michigan Energy Options, Next Energy & Elevate,” said Executive Director Brandie Ekren.  “TCLP and the Traverse City community have a role to play in this journey of positively impacting climate health. The final Climate Action Plan document includes recommendations that provide strategy and momentum towards our commitment to achieving that.”

The next steps include TCLP staff further evaluating, prioritizing, and preparing for updates to TCLP’s corporate strategic plan. The updated corporate strategic plan will be formally considered by the TCLP Board and presented for approval by the end of 2023.

The final Climate Action Plan document can be found here.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Friday, June 23, 2023

Contact: Kelli Schroeder, Customer & Employee Relations Manager, 231-932-4545, kschroeder@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) consultants will wrap up their recommendations for TCLP’s Climate Action Plan to the TCLP Board on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 5:15 p.m. in the Commission Chambers, on the 2^nd floor of the Governmental Center. This is a continuation from what was unveiled at the April 5, 2023 Open House at the Traverse Area District Library, and presented at the May 9, 2023 TCLP Board meeting. The May 9^th TCLP Board meeting captured the following outcomes:

1. Climate Action Plan framework
2. Decarbonization
3. Current TCLP practices in areas of Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency and Distributed Energy Resources
4. Opportunities for moving forward, which includes integrated energy optimization and customer engagement

On June 27^th, the TCLP Board will receive insight into the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Modeling performed for TCLP to aid in reaching its 100% renewable goal by or before 2040 and taking an active role in combating climate change. This will capture the high-level perspective and Impact considerations that TCLP staff will further evaluate, strategize and implement on its climate action journey.

All TCLP board meetings are open to the public. Meetings can also be streamed live or watched later at your convenience by visiting http://www.tacm.tv/govtvmeetings.asp.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Monday, June 5, 2023 

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – Traverse City Light & Power has earned the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2022. The utility earned the 1^st place award in the category for utilities with 60,000 to 109,999 worker hours of annual worker exposure.

 “Safety needs to be the first thing on every utility employee’s mind as they go about their work,” said Jim Boyd, Chair of APPA’s Safety Committee and Electric Operations Safety Manager at Tacoma Power, Tacoma Washington. “The utilities honored by APPA for excellence in this area should be proud of the culture they have instilled in serving their communities.”

283 utilities from across the country entered the annual Safety Awards. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker hours and ranked based on incident-free records and the overall state of their safety programs and culture during 2022. The incidence rate is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker hours during 2022, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “TCLP cares deeply about sending our employees home to their families safely every single day,” said Daren Dixon, Operations Manager of TCLP. “We are proud to be honored for all the work that goes into standing behind this commitment.” The Safety Awards have been held annually for more than 65 years. APPA is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Monday, May 1, 2023

Contact: Kelli Schroeder, Customer & Employee Relations Manager, 231-932 4545, kschroeder@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI.– Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) is now accepting Community Investment Fund Grant Applications for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year.  Applications will be accepted until July 31, 2023.

As a public power utility, TCLP is committed to investing in the community we serve. The vision of the Community Investment Fund is to enhance the quality of life in the Traverse City area with charitable contributions focused on projects and programs in three key areas: Community Development, Energy-Related Education, and Natural Resources/Environmental.

The requesting organization must reside in the Traverse City area, be non-profit and operate for public purposes. For more information on the Community Investment Fund along with the application and submission requirements visit “Utility Forms” under “About L&P” at www.tclp.org.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Monday, April 17, 2023

Contact: Kelli Schroeder, Customer & Employee Relations Manager, 231-932-4545, kschroeder@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – Traverse City Light and Power (TCLP) has awarded three local agencies funds from the TCLP Community Investment Program. This year’s Community Investment Program awardees are Child and Family Services, Botanical Garden Society, and Groundwork Center. The following submissions were approved at the Tuesday, April 11, 2023, TCLP Board meeting:

• Child and Family Services – in the amount of $8,000 for the “Comfort During Care” project to make energy-efficient upgrades to client rooms and other facility areas.
• Botanical Garden Society – in the amount of $18,635 to create an energy-efficient year-round education center to expand classes, demonstrations, workshops, and symposia for people of all ages and diverse abilities.
• Groundwork Center – in the amount of $30,000 for implementation of Solar on Schools Program that educates K-12 students about renewable energy sources, their benefits to the community, and helping students develop foundational skills.

“We look forward to seeing the benefits brought to the community through the funds awarded to these organizations,” said Board Vice Chairperson Elysha Davila. “TCLP is a community-owned utility that has a responsibility to invest its resources back into the community it serves.”

The Community Investment Fund assists non-profit organizations, focusing on three key areas: Community Development, Energy-Related Educational Programs, and Natural Resources/Environment. Grant applications are accepted two times per year from the period of May 1 – July 31 and from November 1 – January 31.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Wednesday, April 13, 2023

Contact: Daren Dixon, Operations Manager, 231-932-4550, ddixon@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. — Traverse City Light & Power has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2022. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association (APPA), a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities.

APPA helps electric utilities track power outages and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA’s Reliability Team compares this data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities.

“It’s encouraging to see year after year that public power’s track record for providing highly reliable service is backed up by data,” said APPA Director of Research and Development Paul Zummo. “These utilities are the best of the best when it comes to keeping the lights on. And these communities should be proud of their local power providers and appreciate the hard work that goes into earning this recognition.”

Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the amount of time than customers of other types of utilities do.

“We are proud to receive this recognition. It is a testament to the hard work of all our staff to ensure that we keep Traverse City powered,” said Daren Dixon, Operations Manager at Traverse City Light & Power.

Traverse City Light & Power is in the top quartile (25%) of utilities for System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) including or excluding IEEE MEDs based on the EIA data in 2017 – 2021.

For more information on Traverse City Light & Power and its commitment to reliability, visit www.tclp.org.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.