Special to Iredell Free News
The City of Statesville Electric Utilities has received the prestigious Public Power Awards of Excellence in four key areas of service, recognizing Statesville as one of the top performers of public power in the state for 2019.
ElectriCities of North Carolina Inc. recently announced the winners with Statesville receiving awards for “Value of Public Power,” “Wholesale Power Cost,” “Workforce Planning and Development” and “Continuous Improvement.”
Statesville has had several major projects going on in the past year, explained Statesville Electric Utilities Director John Maclaga.
“We have upgraded more than 5,000 LED lights, begun implementation of the electric metering pilot project, and made several improvements to our primary circuits,” he explained.
“We continue to work hard to provide the best combination of reliability, relationships and rates for our customers, all while running the electric system as safely as possible,” stressed Maclaga. “Plus, we are pleased to report that the City’s residential rate is lower than Duke’s (Energy) for the first time in many years with Council’s approval of a rate reduction last summer.”
“The commitment and dedication that North Carolina’s public power providers demonstrate to their local communities is extremely impressive,” said ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones. “They are constantly working, in ways big and small, to deliver better service and more value to the millions of North Carolina businesses and homes served by public power.”
The “Value of Public Power Award” highlights communities that communicate the value of electric system ownership to key stakeholders.
The “Wholesale Power Cost Award” recognizes communities that provide competitive and stable wholesale electric rates that meet the power supply need of Power Agency Members.
The “Workforce Planning and Development Award” honors communities that promote a workforce plan to attract, develop and retain the necessary human talent to provide safe, reliable power and lead public power forward.
The “Continuous Improvement Award” recognizes cities and towns that constantly review and enhance all aspects of public power while focusing on cost reduction and increased efficiencies in current and future operations.
“We work day and night for our customers,” said Maclaga, “and are very proud of our department for being recognized with such significant awards.”
About ElectriCities of North Carolina Inc.
ElectriCities is a membership organization including public power communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. ElectriCities also provides management services to North Carolina’s two municipal power agencies: North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency. Learn more at www.electricities.com.