Notes from the 2019 SEE Conference & Trade Show
Every year, over a thousand utility industry insiders eagerly convene for the Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) Conference & Trade Show. Once there, the participants brainstorm about the latest utility service storm restoration solutions, ways to promote the common interests of members, and how-to better identify and develop the various resources at their disposal. This year’s conference was held June 26th through 28th at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in our nation’s capital.
Since its founding in 1933, the SEE’s membership has also shared a common goal in how to more promptly restore electricity to customers whenever disasters cause outages in their respective service areas. This year’s attendees included:
• Utility company representatives
• Manufacturers
• Contractors
• Consultants
• Other utility specialists with backgrounds in engineering, accounting, finance and customer billing
As a proud Gold-level sponsor of the SEE, Specialty Fuel Services was there too. In fact, our President of Operations, Trey Howard, led a well-attended workshop discussion on: Emergency Fuel Support for Fleets- Best Practices in the Utility Industry. Trey was selected for this honor because of SFS’ proven track record as a nationwide emergency fuel delivery service.
Highlights from Trey’s Presentation
During his presentation, Trey stressed how recovering from a natural disaster can take months for utility companies. And, he mentioned that from the onset those recovery efforts will require various types and quantities of emergency fuel. In addition to fuel, Trey described these other logistical considerations that a reliable emergency fueling strategy should address:
• Enough fuel delivery trucks with HAZMAT-certified drivers
• Portable fuel storage
• Fuel transfer and pumping equipment
• Strategic fuel reserves for generators, vehicles, equipment and even aircraft
Trey further emphasized that a utility company should consider being contracted prior to a disaster with an emergency fuel service like SFS to better ensure a smoother continuity-of-operations until their normal fuel supply chain is restored.
Other Key Conference Takeaways
In addition to Trey’s insight, other breakout sessions, workshops and general discussions at this
year’s conference focused on key topics-of-interest that supplied SEE members with vital information they can now take back to their respective utility service coverage areas, like:
• Current utility industry challenges and applications
• Global issues impacting their business operations
• Problems and solutions related to technical applications
• Contact information for vendors with the latest equipment and technology
Scheduled breaks, social events and meals during the 3-day period also offered many informal opportunities for participants to network with colleagues and outside vendors.
We Offer Emergency Fuel for Most Industries & Areas
Although Specialty Fuel Services (SFS) is a proud sponsor of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, since 2006 we’ve also helped clients in other industries and geographic areas with their emergency fuel planning, supply and on-site storage solutions. To learn more about our emergency fuel delivery capabilities, or if you’d like some expert disaster preparedness planning advice, please call SFS today at: 1-866-445-5508. You can also email us at: [email protected] or connect by using our convenient online contact form now.