North St. Paul electric director outlines staffing, grid upgrades and renewable goals

John Wick, the city’s electric director, presented an overview of North St. Paul’s municipal electric utility, describing staffing, system infrastructure, customer programs and near‑ and long‑term priorities.

Wick said the utility sells “roughly 71,000 megawatt hours a year” and that revenue “equates to about $12,000,000,” and that the system serves “a little over 6,700 customers, mostly residential.” He told the council the system includes roughly “74 miles of lines overhead and underground” and a single substation located in Oakdale.

Wick described the utility’s workforce and training pipeline. He said the department currently has seven line workers plus a utility locator and two apprentices (one who recently passed his final test). The city offers a four‑year apprenticeship that leverages classroom programs such as Northwest Lineman College, Dakota County Technical College and M State Wadena; Wick said the city gives credit for prior accredited training.

On metering and customer programs, Wick said North St. Paul uses smart meters that communicate readings back to City Hall and allow remote disconnection for nonpayment and remotely implemented limits — upgrades he said have improved worker safety by reducing field visit requirements. He described the city’s residential solar rebate program (19 homes in place, with two more being installed during the week of the meeting) and said rebates vary “anywhere from on the low end, dollars 800 all the way up to $2,500.” Wick also described a voluntary green‑energy program in which customers can pay an extra $1–$3 per bill to support additional renewable purchases.

Wick described the city’s membership in MMPA (Minnesota Municipal Power Agency), saying the agency helps members acquire power and manage state renewable mandates. He said current renewable penetration on the system varies with demand and generation but is “anywhere from mid‑40s to mid‑50s, typically” and noted statutory targets discussed include roughly “80% by 2030” and “100% by 2040” (Wick described these targets as set by the state and discussed MMPA’s role in interconnections and land acquisition needed to reach them).

Wick identified operational challenges: longer lead times for critical equipment, higher material costs, occasional lack of contractor bids on specialty work, and planning for increased load from electric vehicles and possible large customers such as data centers. He also described recent mutual‑aid deployment: two linemen (Cole Tanner and Holden) and others were sent to Florida to assist after Tropical Storm Milton; in a brief recorded statement Cole Tanner said crews were “fixing down phases and line cutouts everywhere.”

Looking ahead, Wick said the department is pursuing improved digital mapping for field crews, the use of drones for pole and substation inspections (including thermal imaging), and consideration of time‑of‑use or EV‑dedicated metering programs used by some MMPA members.

Questions from council members addressed practical customer items such as the cost and limitations of putting a home service underground; Wick said the city’s standard underground service install is $650 and noted the city’s underground service is limited to 200‑amp services and that homeowners may need an electrician to upgrade older meter boxes to accept the underground connection. He also described the city’s responsibility line split between utility and property owner and said the meter box and conduit on the customer side are the homeowner’s responsibility. Wick suggested residents contact the electric department first to confirm whether meter‑box upgrades are needed before hiring electricians.

Wick closed by inviting council members to tour the electric shop and by reiterating that the department needs to plan now on equipment orders because of long lead times for transformers and other parts.