SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — On Wednesday, Oct. 18, representatives from Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (MEUW) are meeting with legislators to talk about issues important to more than 80 communities in Wisconsin that count on their community-owned utilities to keep the power on. The meetings will occur just before a parade of 80+ bucket trucks from utility companies across the state make their way to Madison in celebration of MEUW’s 95th anniversary. The truck drivers will assemble in Waunakee before driving down E. Washington Ave. and encircling the Wisconsin State Capitol Building three times.
“Ninety-five years is a long time to successfully serve the 81 community-owned public power companies that mean so much to hundreds of thousands of people and businesses across Wisconsin,” said MEUW President and CEO Tim Heinrich. “We’re looking out for their interests, as we always have, and talking with legislators to make sure public power has a place at the table as our monumental anniversary parade takes place around Capitol Square. It’s going to be a great day.”
The itinerary, which has been included in an attachment to the release, includes the following details:
5 am – 7 am – TV and radio interview availability – MEUW President and CEO Tim Heinrich
9 am – 10:30 am – American flag displayed between two bucket trucks on Capitol Square (at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.)
9:30 am – Municipal leaders’ meeting with legislators begin
10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Lawmakers will take part in bucket lifts from a utility vehicle (at MLK Jr. Blvd.)
12 pm – utility vehicles (bucket trucks) depart from Waunakee Utilities and caravan to Madison and down E. Washington Ave. for Public Power on Parade
12:45 pm – vehicles begin to arrive at Capitol Square (the line of trucks will start on the corner of S. Pinckney St. and E. Washington Ave. and queue around the Capitol perimeter)
1 pm – parade begins (trucks will make three loops around the Capitol Square)
1:15 pm – group photo on steps of the Capitol Building
1:30 pm – MEUW leaders participate in anniversary celebration at the Park Hotel on the Capitol Square (events conclude no later than 2:30 pm)
4 pm – sound bites, b-roll, and photos available to media for download on YouTube. Email with links will be sent to all recipients of this news release
“We’ve been planning Public Power on Parade and lobby day for more than a year,” said Heinrich. “Events of the day include a trade show and safety demonstrations by and for our members.”
Full details are available at www.95th.mymeuw.com.
