In a recent Q&A with APPA, Tim Herlitzka, General Manager of Wisconsin public power utility Waunakee Utilities, discusses the utility’s strong ongoing commitment to safety and details utility plans tied to substations.
Waunakee Utilities in 2024 earned the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2023.
“Our commitment to safety comes from multiple areas, starting with our crew, who understand the importance of working safely and demonstrating that commitment every day,” Herlitzka noted.
“One of the guiding principles I emphasize is that ‘we have an unlimited budget for safety,’ meaning we prioritize investments in safety equipment and training without hesitation. While the phrase is not entirely literal that our safety budget is unlimited, this mindset reflects our commitment to providing the necessary resources to keep our staff and community safe,” he said.
“One of the things I am most proud of in my career is our strong safety record. Our team does an outstanding job maintaining safe operations and ensuring that new staff are thoroughly trained in safe work practices.”
With respect to completed and ongoing projects at Waunakee Utilities, Herlitzka noted that a few years ago, “we completed a conversion to an AMI metering system, which has significantly improved operational efficiencies.”
With the community’s continued growth, “we’ve needed to expand capacity both within and beyond our four substations. Currently, we are in the process of procuring a new substation transformer to support this demand. A number of other projects are in process of being completed, or are being planned, to increase capacity throughout the system. Additionally, we are in the early stages of finding a suitable location for a new substation,” he said.
“We are fortunate to have a supportive Utility Commission that prioritizes long-term planning and ensures our team has the necessary resources to keep pace with the community’s growth.”
Details on Responsibilities
As the General Manager of Waunakee Utilities, he is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the Utility.
“I am fortunate to work with an exceptionally dedicated team of employees who are committed to providing outstanding service to our customers,” Herlitzka said.
He reports to a seven member Utility Commission. The Commission is made up of five citizens from the community and two members of the Village Board.
“Waunakee is an exciting and rapidly growing community, and it’s a privilege to support that growth by providing reliable utility services. In addition to managing electric operations, we also provide water and wastewater services to the community,” he said.
“With a background in finance, my skillset differs from many of my peers in the industry. However, I am lucky to work alongside colleagues with extensive technical expertise who manage the day-to-day operations of the Utility,” Herlitzka noted.
“I am also proud to serve in various roles with WPPI Energy, the joint action agency that we purchase power from, and MEUW, the state association for public power in Wisconsin.”
Waunakee Utilities was founded in 1915, “and we are honored to continue serving the community 110 years later.”
He has served as Waunakee Utilities’ General Manager since 2005.
Before joining the utility, he spent 12 years working for a large accounting and consulting firm, where he provided auditing and other services, primarily to municipal utilities. “This experience gave me a strong foundation in utility finance and regulation, which has been invaluable in my role as General Manager,” he noted.
Waunakee Utilities currently serves approximately 7,600 electric customers, with around 100 new services added to the system each year.
The close proximity to Madison and the excellent school system both contribute to the growth in the community, Herlitzka said.
“While more than 88% of our customers are residential, we also have a strong mix of commercial and industrial customers. Unlike some communities where the electric load is concentrated among one or two major customers, our largest customer accounts for approximately 3 MW.”
There continues to be a push in the community to increase the amount of multifamily and affordable housing units, he noted.
The utility’s all-time peak demand exceeded 36 MW.
