Broadband Funding Opportunities for Public Power

Webinar Overview

Public power utilities are well-positioned to help their communities access a share of the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment, or BEAD, program funding package created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Get an overview of the BEAD program and other federal broadband funding opportunities available to public power utilities to extend broadband service to underserved areas and guidance on how to position your project for funding under these programs.

Topics

Overview of BEAD program and status of funding
Funding program considerations for public power utilities
Developing a successful broadband program strategy
Key features of winning applications
Common pitfalls in applying for funds (and how to avoid them)

Instructors

Jim Baller, Partner, Keller & Heckman
Jim represents clients across the U.S. in a broad range of communications matters including high-capacity broadband network projects, public-private broadband partnerships, telecommunications, wireless facility siting, right-of-way management, pole and conduit attachments, and barriers to community broadband initiatives. He was the founder and president of the U.S. Broadband Coalition. Jim advises clients in numerous matters involving complex factual, legal, and policy issues. He is a frequent speaker on communications matters, and he chairs the broadband-and-economic-development programs at Broadband Communities’ national and regional conferences.

Sean Stokes, Partner, Keller & Heckman
Sean represents clients nationally on a wide range of communications matters including broadband, cable television, wireless communications, right-of-way management, pole attachments, barriers to community broadband initiatives, and public-private partnerships. He counsels clients in developing and negotiating agreements involving access to poles, ducts, conduits, dark fiber, and towers. He has represented municipal utilities and local governments in complex negotiations developing city-wide fiber-to-the-home networks and wireless small cell siting agreements. He has also assisted in the creation of public-private broadband consortia seeking federal and state broadband funding. Sean has authored numerous industry publications and is the principal author of an extensive guidebook and a model pole attachment agreement for APPA.

Recommended for

Public power managers; in-house and outside utility business, legal, and marketing professionals; local government officials/policymakers who are interested in broadband partnerships; and utility staff who are working on (or developing) broadband partnership agreements.

Series Overview

Part three of three. This three-part webinar series will provide a foundational overview of broadband basics, legal and regulatory issues, and the role of public power utilities in broadband deployment. Learn about the latest options for broadband partnerships, implementation and governance issues, and strategies for leveraging funding opportunities.

Questions?

Registration/Billing
Email: Registration@PublicPower.org

Schedule/Content/Accreditation
Email: EducationInfo@PublicPower.org

Register for the series!

Registration

Registration is for one person (individuals receive unique log in credentials that cannot be shared) and includes individual access to the post-event recording and PDF presentations. Discounted group pricing is available.

Fees

Bundled Series: 3 webinars (save $75!)

Individual Webinars

Members: $375

Nonmembers: $750

Members: $150

Nonmembers: $300

Group Discounts (Series Only):

Save money on each registration when your organization registers five or more people for the 3-part bundled series. The larger your group, the more you save!

Registrations must be submitted on the same order (at the same time) to qualify for the group discount; discounts cannot be retroactively applied to previous orders.

If you need assistance, contact Registration@PublicPower.org.

Number of registrants	Discount (per person)
1-4	n/a
5-9	$50
10-14	$100
15-24	$150
25+	$200

Cancellations/No-Show/Refunds/Substitutions

All events will be recorded and attendees will automatically receive a copy of the recordings, in case you can’t attend live.

Registrants who cancel in writing at least 7 days before the first day of a webinar series are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $50 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after that will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for this event only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel at least 7 days before the webinar series start date are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund.

Cancellation requests should be made through your My.PublicPower portal, or addressed to: Registration@PublicPower.org

Cancellation deadlines:

Public Power and Broadband Webinar Series (all 3 webinars): Cancellations must be received on/before July 6
- Broadband Basics for Public Power: Cancellations must be received on/before July 6
- Establishing Partnerships for Broadband Service: Cancellations must be received on/before July 13
- Broadband Funding Opportunities for Public Power: Cancellations must be received on/before July 20

Communication

24 hours after registering: You’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of registering, which contains some preliminary information.
24 hours before a webinar:
- You’ll receive your Zoom login link the day before the first session (sent from the APPA Academy’s Zoom account <no-reply@zoom.us>)
- You’ll also receive a final logistics email 24 hours in advance of the first class.
If you don’t receive this correspondence, email EducationInfo@PublicPower.org.

Webinar Access and Materials

Zoom Links: Zoom log in credentials will be sent out 24 hours before the first webinar.
Course Materials: Attendees will receive an electronic copy of the presentation material in the “Documents” section of their My.PublicPower.org user portal (the day before each live event).
Recordings: All webinars will be recorded and can be accessed through the My.PublicPower.org user portal (within a week of the last webinar in the series), in case you can’t attend the live versions. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last webinar. Note: Continuing education credits can only be issued for attending live events.

Questions?

Registration/Billing
Email: Registration@PublicPower.org

Schedule/Content/Accreditation
Email: EducationInfo@PublicPower.org

Earn While You Learn!

Participate in virtual programs to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs). Each webinar is eligible for the following credits:

Recommended 1.8 CPE/.2 CEU/1.5 PDH credits (for each webinar)
Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge

Requirements for Successful Completion

Attendees are required to attend and participate in 90% of each live session and complete an online evaluation at the end.
Partial credit cannot be given for partial attendance.
Attendance is monitored by an APPA staff member during the event, through an online report log, and upon review of the post-event evaluation data.
Completion certificates will be available within two weeks of the last session in a live event (for those who meet the requirements) through you APPA member portal (access instructions will be provided).
Virtual sessions are recorded (attendees automatically receive access to recordings within a week of the last webinar of the series), though continuing education credits can only be given for attending live events. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. For information regarding certification status, attendance requirements and obtaining attendee transcripts, contact EducationInfo@PublicPower.org or 202-467-2921. Verify our IACET Accreditation.

CPE logo Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits: The American Public Power Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org. Unless noted, there are no prerequisites for the courses offered and no advance preparation is required. Courses are group-internet based offerings at the basic program level (unless otherwise noted). Credit hours and areas of study for the courses are listed on the individual course pages. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as clarification of requirements, complaints, and refunds, please contact EducationInfo@PublicPower.org.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs): The American Public Power Association’s educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of PDHs may vary by state.

Format and Log-In Information

These webinars will be offered on the Zoom meeting platform. Presented in 1.5-hour webinars, these events provide the opportunity to interact with the instructors, your industry peers, and earn continuing education credits. This webinar series combines real-time presentation, polling questions, real-world examples, and Q&A sessions.

Communication

24 hours after registering: You’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of registering, which contains some preliminary information.
24 hours before:
- You’ll receive your Zoom log in link the day before the first session in a course (sent from the APPA Academy’s Zoom account <no-reply@zoom.us>)
- You’ll also receive a final logistics email 24 hours in advance of the first class.
If you don’t receive this correspondence, email EducationInfo@PublicPower.org.

New to Zoom?

If you haven't participated in a Zoom meeting before, please download the Zoom web client from the Zoom Download Center. This will enable you to access all of the Zoom tools and functionality vs. using the web version. Then, visit Zoom.us/test to ensure you are able to join a meeting.

If you are not able to download the Zoom web client, you can still participate via your Internet browser. We recommend using Chrome for the best results. If you use your Internet browser, your functionality may be more limited (for example, you will only be able to see one video feed at a time), and you will need to create a Zoom account. (account creation is a free and straightforward process, but you will want to do this in advance so you do not miss any part of the meeting).

Internet access: You will need a strong Internet connection to run the Zoom meeting platform.
Audio and webcam: We recommend using computer audio to listen and speak (alternatively a call-in number will be provided).

Privacy and Security

The American Public Power Association takes your privacy and security very seriously. For this reason, we have put the following security measures in place for this course:

A random Meeting ID
Password-protected
Enabled waiting room to screen meeting participants
Restricted screen sharing to hosts only

Code of Conduct

Participants agree to abide by the APPA Code of Conduct. If participants engage in unacceptable behavior as outlined in the code, the Association may take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to, expulsion from the current and future meetings, with no warning or refund.