Unlocking the value of your APPA membership

Built-in advantage for every Heartland Energy customer

Public power employees wear a lot of hats.

Their main focus is providing reliable service while staying abreast of an evolving industry, new technology, cybersecurity, and regulations.

They do it all, often with a small team and limited time.

Heartland Energy customers can expand their teams’ capabilities with support from American Public Power Association.

Heartland pays the full cost of APPA membership for customers, and the value runs deeper than many realize.

APPA offers tools and resources that save time, solve problems and help community-owned utilities stay ahead of industry challenges. A recent episode of APPA’s Public Power Now podcast shares how these resources can make a real difference in day-to-day operations and long-term planning.

Voice in Washington

APPA serves as the national voice for public power. They advocate in Washington, D.C. on behalf of more than 2,000 community-owned utilities on issues like reliability, cybersecurity, tax policy and more.

“The public power sector would be less coordinated, less informed, and less able to advocate for the interests of the communities it serves,” said Jeff Haas, APPA senior vice president for membership and marketing.

On an episode of Public Power Now, Haas said APPA keeps local utilities at the table when national decisions are made.

Their legislative team provides:

• Updates on federal issues
• Tools to help local leaders communicate with policymakers
• Annual opportunities to meet with congressional offices during the Legislative Rally

This unified voice helps protect the affordability, reliability and local control that define public power.

Flexible training, helpful tools

For small staffs, finding time for professional development or operational improvements can feel impossible.

However, APPA’s diverse array of educational programs ensures even small utilities can access high-quality training and resources.

APPA regularly hosts various national conferences as well as webinars and self-paced courses. Topics range from engineering and operations to key accounts, communications, legal and regulatory, and more.

Practical tools, such as the APPA Safety Manual, eReliability Tracker and benchmarking data, can help utilities improve operations. Ready-to-use templates are available for customer communications, including social media posts, press releases, videos and more.

Recognition programs like RP3 and Smart Energy Provider (SEP) help utilities measure performance, identify gaps, and chart a path for improvement.

Network of professionals

Membership in APPA also connects your utility to a national community of peers.

The Customer Connections and Business and Financial conferences and other in-person events provide opportunities to meet and learn from officials from other public power utilities.

Online, people can ask questions, share documents and trade solutions to common challenges through APPA Engage.

“If a public power utility joins APPA, all of the employees at that utility get full access…[and] can connect to share ideas and best practices,” Haas said.

APPA also offers a Public Power Mutual Aid Network to give and get help restoring systems following major events.

For small teams, APPA’s community–both online and in-person–can be the fastest path to an answer.

Membership is covered

From peer networks to operational tools and advocacy, APPA offers a breadth of resources for public power utilities.

Heartland Energy customers already enjoy all the benefits of APPA membership.

That means:

• Every city department can use the tools and connections available.
• Every employee can access discounted training.
• Their utility has a national voice advocating on their behalf.

If your team hasn’t tapped into these benefits yet, now is the perfect time.

Visit APPA’s Member Welcome Center at publicpower.org/welcome-center to get started.