Hamilton among nation’s best municipally owned electric providers

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

The City of Hamilton was recognized as one of the best municipally owned electric providers in the country at last week’s city council meeting.

Jolene Thomspon, the president and CEO of American Municipal Power (AMP), presented the city with the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award.

“This award is quite a big deal,” Thompson said. “This award recognizes utilities that have truly excelled in operational excellence, really raising the bar and the perception of public power nationally.”

APPA represents over 2,000 municipally-owned electric providers across the country and presents accolades accordingly. AMP — a regional representative of over 100 of these providers — nominated Hamilton Utilities for its continued achievement.

“Just a few utilities of those 2,000 a year receive this award. So, it is quite rarefied air for you to be in this category,” Thompson said to the council. “This award recognizes utilities that have truly excelled in operational excellence, really raising the bar and the perception of public power nationally.”

Thompson said Hamilton was recognized for the longevity of its public power system, its merger of the utilities and public works departments, its substation monitoring improvements and its ability to provide the infrastructure for developments in the city.

“This is quite an accomplishment. It’s a credit to all of the employees of the Hamilton system,” Thompson said. “It also reflects very positively on the leadership of this city.”

Thompson said Hamilton is only the eighth municipality represented by AMP to win the award in the regional organization’s history. Hamilton, a founding member of the organization, has been working with AMP for the past 50 years.

“The city should be proud of receiving this award,” said Edwin Porter, Hamilton’s executive director of infrastructure. “It’s having the knowledge, it’s having the skillset, it’s having the support of senior leadership of city council and ultimately this community, to be able to do the good work that has to be done year after year.”

“This award is not just for one year of excellence, it is for continued excellence over many years,” Porter said.

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