It has been a banner year for MPW. The Utility has once again earned a Smart Energy Provider (SEP) designation from the American Public Power Association (APPA) and was also selected to receive 3 other APPA awards for the ways they communicate with customers. The awards were presented in Scottsdale, Arizona during APPA’s annual Customer Connections Conference.
The SEP designation is awarded to those utilities best demonstrating commitment and proficiency to smart energy initiatives. SEP status, which lasts for two years, recognizes public power utilities for demonstrating leading practices in four key disciplines:
- Smart energy program structure;
- Energy efficiency and distributed energy programs;
- Environmental and sustainability initiatives; and
- Customer education and customer experience.
Over the past year, MPW helped drive the deployment of public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and, to help drive local adoption of EV’s, offered multiple $1,500 rebates toward the purchase of EVs; changed its policies allowing higher levels of behind the meter generation; announced a power generation transition which will drive at least 65% reduction of CO2 emissions by replacing its coal-fired power generation with a mix of local renewables and a combined heat and power unit; expanded its Choose Green program to allow small businesses to opt in to its Renewable Energy Credit (REC) green energy program, and rolled out a Choose Green – Business program which allows for multi-year participation in a utility scale renewable project. Local interest in the Choose Green – Business is paving the way for the development of a 24-30 megawatt local solar project.
MPW joins more than 90 public power utilities nationwide that hold the SEP designation. This is MPW’s second designation as a Smart Energy Provider, having won it previously in 2019.
Furthermore, MPW has also earned three Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards, including:
- APPA Award of Excellence in the Web/Social Media category for its new website
- APPA Award of Merit in the Print/Digital category for MPW’s annual report digest, and
- APPA Aware of Merit in the Video category for the Powering the Future Strategic Initiative video.
Entries were judged in these three categories for ingenuity and creativity in telling their stories through outstanding copy, design, financial data presentation, graphics, social media engagement, video editing, and web layout and interactivity.
“MPW is honored to receive these recognitions which showcase our commitment to smart energy best practices and excellence in customer communication,” said Gage Huston, general manager of MPW. “These designations are a representation of our unwavering dedication to serve our customers with affordable options that reduce our collective environmental impact and support our community’s responsible energy use.”
