EnergyU Update

We’re going to be sending out lots of communications about the upcoming EnergyU upgrade, including information on webinars and training materials. In addition, all administrators will be provided with access to the training site. We’ll make sure everyone understands how to use the new system prior to data migration. Although a few super excited companies will begin using the system in May, the majority of companies will be migrated in groups over the summer.

Keep a lookout for more announcements coming soon!

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Visit MEA Energy Association’s website at meaenergy.org or call (615) 289-9600 to learn more about MEA’s products, services, and membership.

RENEW Course Library Now Available

The RENEW Course Library is now available for all EnergyU companies.

The library consists of three training courses and three knowledge tests. The content covers emerging renewable energy concepts and technologies. Each course explores a different topic within the theme of renewable energy by discussing its fundamentals, comparing and contrasting it with more traditional industry practices, and exploring its impact on the industry and its workers.

• RENEW-0101 KNT Overview of Renewable Energy
• RENEW-0101 eTNG Overview of Renewable Energy
• RENEW-0102 KNT Renewable Energy Grid Integration
• RENEW-0102 eTNG Renewable Energy Grid Integration
• RENEW-0110 KNT Hydrogen Energy
• RENEW-0110 eTNG Hydrogen Energy

A description and objectives for each course can be found at: https://www.meaenergy.org/education/combo/renew-courses/

If you are interested in having the courses added to your level, please contact MEA Product Support at productsupport@meaenergy.org.

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Visit MEA Energy Association’s website at meaenergy.org or call (615) 289-9600 to learn more about MEA’s products, services, and membership.

New ASME Courses Now Available

Beginning March 30, 2023, there will be new ASME courses available for all EnergyU companies currently subscribing to the ASME course library. 

The new courses are:

• ASME-0855 KNT Perform Internal Anaerobic Sealing of Cast and Ductile Iron (MEA12505)
• ASME-0855 e-TNG Perform Internal Anaerobic Sealing of Cast and Ductile Iron (MEA12506)
• ASME-0855 PEF Perform Internal Anaerobic Sealing of Cast and Ductile Iron (MEA12507)

Course description:

Cast or ductile iron pipelines typically develop leaks over time due to failing bell and spigot joints or localized graphitization. Depending on the extent of the defect and the segment operating pressure, internal sealing may be an acceptable method to adequately prevent or arrest any leakage.

Course objectives:

• Select equipment and clean pipes
• Drill and tap holes
• Set up sealing equipment and inject sealant
• Remove equipment and inspect plugs

Scheduled Server Maintenance – Nov 22, 2022

An upgrade to more powerful servers will occur on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 during the normal maintenance period of 9-11:00pm Central Time.

During this time, the LMS will become unavailable for approximately 30 minutes.

Updated OQ FAQs Published By PHMSA

PHMSA’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) guidance document, which provides helpful information related to operator qualification regulations, was updated on January 28, 2022. You may access the document at the link below:

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/operator-qualifications/oq-frequently-asked-questions

Discontinued ASME B31Q Tasks

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has removed some tasks from the ASME B31Q task list. The online training, knowledge tests and evaluation forms offered by MEA and made available via EnergyU for the corresponding tasks are being discontinued.

What operators and contractors need to know:
Beginning January 1, 2022 MEA will no longer include the discontinued ASME tasks in the MEA certificate list. MEA will only make the TNGs/KNTs/PEFs listed below available upon special request to meet qualification requirements for operator task lists that have not yet been updated to remove them. Effective January 1, 2024 the MEA content will no longer be available.

What operators need to know:
MEA can work with you to create custom content in the event that you will continue to include the discontinued tasks in your OQ Plan after January 1, 2024.

Discontinued tasks:

Task 1021 was removed because it was determined that this activity was not widely-used in the industry, if at all.
Description: Apply or Repair Internal Coating Other Than by Brushing, Rolling or Spraying

TNG=MEA11241 | KNT=MEA1915 | PEF=MEA11078

Task 1421 was removed because the committee felt it did not meet the definition of a task (it is more akin to a job).
Description: Direct Inspection Techniques

TNG=MEA11281 | KNT=1955 | PEF=11118

Task 1281 was removed because it is essentially covered in task 1271.
Description: Mobile Gas Leakage Survey – Optical Methane

TNG=MEA11267 | KNT=MEA1941 | PEF=MEA11104

Visit ASME.org to purchase a 2021 edition of the Pipeline Personnel Qualification ASME B31 Standard.

New PHMSA Final Rule

On January 11, 2021 PHMSA issued a final rule that will take effect on March 12, 2021. Compliance with the amendments adopted in the rule is required beginning October 1, 2021.

Rule Summary:
PHMSA is amending the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to ease regulatory burdens on the construction, maintenance, and operation of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipeline systems without adversely affecting safety. The amendments in this rule are based on rulemaking petitions from stakeholders, and DOT and PHMSA initiatives to identify appropriate areas where regulations might be repealed, replaced, or modified, and PHMSA’s review of public comments. PHMSA also, as of the effective date of this final rule, withdraws the March 29, 2019 “Exercise of Enforcement Discretion Regarding Farm Taps” and the unpublished October 27, 2015 letter to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America announcing a stay of enforcement pertaining to certain pressure vessels.

Key elements:

• Exempts distribution integrity management program (“DIMP”) requirements for master meter operators.
• States that a farm tap is “the common name for a pipeline directly connected to a gas transmission, production, or gathering pipeline that provides gas to a customer,” and provides farm tap operators the option to either comply with the requirements of Section 192.740 or the operator’s DIMP.
• Eliminates the requirement to submit mechanical fitting failure (“MFF”) reports.
• Increases the monetary property damage threshold for reporting incidents from $50,000 to $122,000, with adjustments in the future based on inflation.
• Allows remote monitoring of cathodic protection rectifiers.
• Amends the inspection interval for monitoring atmospheric corrosion on gas distribution service pipelines to five years if no corrosion is identified during the last inspection.
• Incorporates by reference the 2018 edition of ASTM “Standard Specification for Polyethylene (PE) Gas Pressure Pipe, Tubing, and Fittings” (ASTM D2513-18a), and increase the diameter of PE pipe from 12 inches to 24 inches that may use a design factor of 0.4.
• Incorporates by reference the 2019 edition of ASTM F2620, “Standard Practice for Heat Fusion Joining of Polyethylene Pipe and Fittings,” and amend the regulations to clarify that alternative written procedures may be used if the operator demonstrates that they provide an equivalent or better level of safety as ASTM F2620 and are proven by test or experience to produce strong gastight joints.
• Revises test requirements for pressure vessels consistent with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (“ASME”) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (“BPVC”).
• Revises welder requalification requirements to provide scheduling flexibility.
• Extends the allowance for pre-tested short segments of pipe and fabricated units to pipelines operating at a hoop stress less than 30 percent of the specified minimum yield strength (“SMYS”) and above 100 pounds per square inch (“psi”).

Key elements provided by Darren Hunter of Hunter Masalski LLC.
Darren Hunter is a founding partner and an environmental lawyer, OSHA and PHMSA practitioner in the Chicago law firm of Hunter Masalski LLC (www.HunterMasalski.com). This post does not constitute legal advice or the formation or proposal of an attorney-client relationship to or with any person or entity. In addition, this post should not be understood to represent the views of MEA Energy Association, the law firm, the individual attorneys at the firm, or of any of the firm’s clients or former clients.

Changes to 195 Course Library

One 195 course has been retired and three new 195 courses have been uploaded to EnergyU.

The following course and certificates are retired effective immediately:

• 195-0404 (CT06) Prevention of Atmospheric Corrosion
  NOTE: Previously earned certificates will remain valid until their expiration
  • TNG Certificate MEA1359
  • KNT Certificate MEA1244
  • PEF Certificate MEA1195

The above retired items are replaced by the following:

• 195-0410 (CT06.2) Perform Coating Inspections
  • TNG Certificate MEA12492
  • KNT Certificate MEA12493
  • PEF Certificate MEA12494

• 195-0411 (CT06.3) Perform Surface Preparation
  • TNG Certificate MEA12495
  • KNT Certificate MEA12496
  • PEF Certificate MEA12497

• 195-0412 (CT06.4) Perform Coating Application
  • TNG Certificate MEA12498
  • KNT Certificate MEA12499
  • PEF Certificate MEA12500

MEA will be making the new courses and certificates available to companies using the 195 library. EnergyU Administrators will need to enroll users in the certificate programs.

Evaluators should contact productsupport@meaenergy.org for the new keycode needed to download the three new PEF forms for the iOS and Android electronic evaluation apps.

New Course for EnergyU Administrators

In response to survey feedback, we have created a new course for EnergyU Administrators: EnergyU Course Basics.

This course is part of certificate MEAAdmin and includes information on understanding course assignments, status, updates, resets, and much more. Additional training courses will be coming soon.

Questions? Contact productsupport@meaenergy.org

Employee IDs in EnergyU and ISN

When setting up a new user, the employee ID entered must match in all locations:

• EnergyU LMS: Employee ID field in User Profile
• ISNetworld: MEA Employee ID under 3rd Party ID Numbers
• EnergyU Badges: Employee ID field under Employee Information

If the employee ID does not match in ALL locations where user records are required, record transfers will not be successful.

IMPORTANT: If a change is made to the MEA Employee ID in ISN, any MEA records previously associated with that individual will no longer pull correctly in ISN reports. YOU MUST REQUEST A COMPLETE HISTORICAL TRANSFER OF MEA RECORDS if a change is made to the MEA Employee ID in ISN.

BEST PRACTICE: Leave employee ID fields blank if you do not know for certain that the number entered will be the employee’s permanent number. If an employee ID must change, first change the number in ISN, then change the number in EnergyU, then request a transfer of all historical data. Please be aware that there is a fee for custom transfers.